Real-Time Data Protocols: Rest APIs and WebSockets

 

With the development of technology, many web services and APIs have emerged that are used according to the needs of the projects. HTTP and WebSocket are two communication protocols which used in client-server communication.

 

HTTP

The World Wide Web's basic communication protocol is HTTP. In the client-server computing model, HTTP is a request-response protocol. HTTP/1.1 is the most widely used HTTP version in today's web browsers and servers. This version of HTTP could include key performance optimizations and feature upgrades such as permanent and pipelined connections, chunked transfers, new header fields in request/response bodies, and so on, in comparison to earlier versions of HTTP. The following two headers stand out among them since they are used by the majority of recent HTTP enhancements: Keep Alive and Upgrade.

 

REST

By far the most standardized approach of structuring web APIs for requests is REST (REpresentational State Transfer). REST is a type of architecture based on numerous principles. RESTful APIs are APIs that follow the REST principles.

 

HTTP Polling

In HTTP Polling, the client polls the server for new information using one of the techniques listed below. Today, polling is utilized by the vast majority of apps, and it is frequently used in conjunction with REST.

• HTTP Short Polling: A large number of requests are processed as they arrive at the server, resulting in a large amount of traffic. Each connection is only active for a limited duration.
• HTTP Long Polling: One request is sent to the server, and the client awaits the response. Until new data is available, the server keeps the request open.

 

• HTTP Periodic Polling: There is a set amount of time between two requests. This is a better/more controlled variant of polling. By widening the time gap, you can lower server consumption.

 

HTTP Streaming

The client sends an HTTP request, and the server responds with an indefinitely long response. HTTP streaming is fast and simple to use, and it can be used instead of WebSockets.

 

 

 

Intermediaries may cause the connection to be broken (e.g. timeout, intermediaries serving other requests in a round-robin manner). It cannot ensure 100% realtimeness in these circumstances.

 

 

SSE (Server Sent Events / EventSource)

Only the browser may receive data through SSE connections. Browsers can only subscribe to server-generated data updates.

Sample applications: Twitter updates, stock quotes, cricket scores, notifications to browser. There are some issues with SSE but two standouts:

1. Some browsers don’t support SSE.
2. Over HTTP/1.1, the maximum number of open connections is restricted to 6 or 8. There will be no problem if you utilize HTTP/2 because a single TCP connection will enough for all requests.

 

HTTP/2 Server Push

A way for a server to push assets (stylesheets, scripts, and media) to the client cache ahead of time. Here are some examples of applications: Single-page applications, social media feeds. There are some issues with SSE but three standouts:

1. Intermediaries (proxies, routers, and hosts) have the option of not correctly pushing information to clients as the origin server intended.
2. Connections aren't maintained open for an infinite period of time. Even though the content pushing process is in progress, a connection can be closed at any point. This connection cannot be resumed after it has been closed and reopened.
3. Server Push isn't supported by all browsers/intermediaries.

 

WebSockets

WebSockets allow the server and client to send and receive messages at any time. WebSockets are supported by almost all browsers. WebSocket solves a few issues with HTTP:

• A bidirectional protocol means that either the client or the server can transmit a message to the other.
• Full-duplex communication means that the client and server may communicate with one other at the same time.
• Throughout the duration of a WebSocket connection, the client and server interact over the same TCP connection.

Sample applications: IM/Chat apps, Games, Admin frontends. Although every browser is stated to support WebSockets, there may be exceptions in intermediaries:

• If your WebSocket connections are routed through proxies or firewalls, you may have found that they frequently fail. To greatly avoid such failures, always utilize Secured Websockets (WSS).
• If the WebSocket protocol is unavailable for whatever reason, ensure sure your connection falls back to an appropriate long-polling alternative. If you don't support WebSockets, use WSS and fall back to a supporting protocol.

 

REST vs Websockets — Perf Test

When large loads are present, websockets perform better. This does not rule out the possibility that REST is inefficient. These features address two distinct issues and cannot be compared to a simple performance test.

 

 

WebSockets are an excellent solution for managing long-running bidirectional data streams in near real-time. Because using WebSockets is a significant investment.

 

Webhooks (for communication between servers)

98.5 percent of polls are squandered on average. Polling inefficiencies have cost us a lot of money. Webhooks are the solution to this issue. It guarantees a better user experience while allowing your developers to use your service endpoints for more important tasks rather than polling. Webhooks have the added benefit of reducing server load for both the sender and recipient nodes.

 

 

What to use for your next API?

Which strategy to choose is determined by what makes the most sense in your application's environment. It's typically best to go with the one that best matches your communication model.

HTTP/1.1 vs HTTP/2: HTTP/2's multiplexing feature is fantastic, but it isn't yet widely adopted. HTTP/1.1 is still a solid alternative for data transfer.

RESTful APIs are fine for online applications, however there is talk about finding better alternatives. This notion, "Replace RESTful APIs with JSON-Pure," is an example.

Use JSON vs XML: It's the craze, and it's also quite easy to deal with.

HTTP Polling: Short Polling should not be used if your data changes regularly or in real time. Always use Long and Periodic Polling in the right situations (with REST principles).

HTTP Streaming: This is useful for news/social media feeds, stocks/scoreboards, tweets, and other similar applications. In reality, however, WebSockets are preferred over HTTP Streaming.

This will be blocked by all intermediaries and browsers. Server-sent events are a relatively new technique that isn't supported by all major browsers just yet. For a major enterprise-level web application, it is not currently a viable alternative.

WebSockets are a more comprehensive protocol for bi-directional, full-duplex communication. Webhooks are distinct from the other technologies because they address a very particular need. Games, messaging applications, collaboration tools, and interactive experiences all benefit from having a two-way connection.

 

Here are some tips

Intermediaries and proxies are insane. They'll consume your packets or timeout on you without warning. Be aware of this and manage it with grace.

To manage your communication, use secured transport protocols (HTTPS or WSS). Intermediaries will have less of an influence on your connections as a result. And, you know, it's safe.

Developers love webhooks. But make sure you apply it right.

You don't have to use the most up-to-date technology all of the time, especially when developing enterprise-level apps. Make sure that your whole infrastructure supports the technologies you're using.