Re: pipelined client/server behaviour

Roy T. Fielding wrote:
> But there is no question that
> pipelining is hard to do right across all implementations.  That
> doesn't mean it can't be done across some implementations, and there
> really isn't much point in discussing it -- the standard will not
> be changed.

Without changing the standard -- here's a proposed enhancement:

    "Connection: pipeline" may be included in a response to indicate
    that the agent generating the response (i.e. origin server or
    proxy) correctly handles pipelined requests on this connection.

    Both origin servers and proxies may generate this, to indicate
    their support.

    Conservative clients and proxies may refrain from sending
    pipelined requests until this has been seen in a previous
    response.  For example, a client may generate one request on a new
    connection, and upon seeing this header, send more pipelined
    requests immediately.

    Being a "Connection" token, it will be stripped by intermediate
    proxies.  (Right...?)

    (Additional enhancements to pipelining, if any, may be indicated by
    a "Pipeline" header.  For example if response multiplexing or
    reordering were to be added, support would be indicated by
    appropriate value of this header).

Just a little thought which might make pipelining more deployable.

-- Jamie

Received on Sunday, 1 April 2007 18:44:30 UTC