Key Points
- Chrome’s default-enabling of HTTP/3 in October 2020 improved performance, reducing search latency and YouTube rebuffers.
- Recent advancements include the implementation of HTTP/3 ORIGIN frame and Server’s Preferred Address features, which enhance connection coalescing and reduce round trip time.
- These features are now enabled by default in Chrome’s M131 Stable release.
As a tech journalist, I’m excited to share with you the latest developments in Chrome’s quest to optimize performance. In October 2020, Chrome enabled HTTP/3 by default, which led to improved performance compared to HTTP/1, HTTP/2, and Google QUIC. This achievement reduced search latency and YouTube rebuffers, making the web a more enjoyable experience for users.
But Chrome didn’t stop there. The journey to optimize performance continued with the implementation of the HTTP/3 ORIGIN frame (RFC 9412) and Server’s Preferred Address (RFC 9000 Section 9.6). These recent advancements have been enabled by default in Chrome’s M131 Stable release, which was released on November 19.
So, what do these features do? The HTTP/3 ORIGIN frame enhances connection coalescing, which reduces the number of connections needed and improves overall performance. It does this by allowing servers to indicate which domains they’d like to pool onto a connection, and once the frame is received, it signals that other domains should not be pooled onto that connection.
The Server’s Preferred Address feature, on the other hand, allows servers to indicate a more efficient route for a connection. This is particularly useful in cases where the initial server address may not be the most efficient route. For example, when using Anycast, the server may be distant from where traffic enters the network, creating a 3-legged path that increases the round trip time.
By enabling this feature, servers can indicate a different IP address, which can reduce the round trip time by 40-80%. In fact, testing has shown that this migration is successful over 99% of the time in Chrome.
In conclusion, Chrome’s latest developments in HTTP/3 show a commitment to continually improving performance. With features like HTTP/3 ORIGIN frame and Server’s Preferred Address, Chrome users can expect even faster and more efficient browsing experiences. As more servers adopt these features, we can expect to see even further improvements in the future.
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