System Design 101: Modern Web Communication Protocols (Part 5)

In today's interconnected digital world, understanding the protocols that power web communication is crucial for developers and tech enthusiasts alike. Let's explore some key protocols and architectural styles that form the backbone of modern web applications.

1. HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): The foundation of data exchange on the web, HTTP is a request-response protocol that allows clients to communicate with servers. It uses verbs like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE to perform actions on resources. HTTP's self-contained nature makes it versatile for various network configurations.

2. TCP (Transmission Control Protocol): When reliability is paramount, TCP is the go-to protocol. It ensures data packets arrive in order and without corruption through mechanisms like sequence numbers and acknowledgments. Ideal for applications such as web servers, databases, and file transfers, TCP sacrifices some speed for guaranteed delivery.

3. UDP (User Datagram Protocol): For scenarios where speed trumps perfect reliability, UDP shines. It's connectionless and doesn't guarantee packet delivery or order, making it perfect for real-time applications like VoIP, video streaming, and online gaming where low latency is critical.

4. RPC (Remote Procedure Call): RPC allows a program to execute a procedure on a remote computer as if it were a local call. It's often used for internal communications where performance is key. RPC is great for tightly coupled systems but can be less flexible for public APIs.

5. REST (Representational State Transfer): An architectural style rather than a protocol, REST has become the de facto standard for public APIs. It focuses on exposing data as resources, using standard HTTP methods for operations. REST's stateless nature makes it excellent for scalability and is widely used in mobile and web applications.

Each of these protocols and styles has its strengths and ideal use cases. As developers, understanding when and how to use each one can significantly impact the performance, scalability, and user experience of our applications.

Stay tuned for our next issue; until then learn more about the protocols by visiting the links below

Resources:

1. https://www.nginx.com/resources/glossary/http/

2. http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/key-differences-between-tcp-and-udp-protocols/

3. https://softwareengineering.stackexchange.com/questions/181176/when-are-rpc-ish-approaches-more-appropriate-than-rest/181186#181186