WGLC issue: (minor?) scope of client/server attributes (specifically: downgrades) in p1

Hi,

reviewing the draft due to the last call, I noticed an aspect which probably is 
of minor importance, but I don't want to miss the chance to seek some clarification:

On this example, but not necessarily limited to it:


				--- 8< ---
2.6. Protocol Versioning
[...]
    An HTTP client MAY send a lower request version if it is known that
    the server incorrectly implements the HTTP specification, but only
    after the client has attempted at least one normal request and
    determined from the response status or header fields (e.g., Server)
    that the server improperly handles higher request versions.

				--- 8< ---

In this case, a client would cache a certain server attribute (here: HTTP 
version) for reuse in subsequent requests.

Should the standard define the scope of such attribute caching/reuse? Regarding 
the example above, should the client send a lower version
- for the next request to the same resource only
- for the next request
- for the duration of this connection or
- for all future connections to the same (fqdn|network address)/port?

The same question would probably apply to servers and intermediaries. In 
general, how are "a client" and "a server" defined with respect to caching of 
such attributes?

Thanks, Nils

Received on Thursday, 18 October 2012 13:55:54 UTC