Explain how persistent connections in HTTP can reduce the latency in retrieving web pages.
Try an answer before revealing the guidance below.
Key Concepts
- Persistent HTTP
- TCP handshake
- Connection reuse
- Multiple objects
Answer Approach
- Compare a new TCP connection for every object with reuse of one connection.
- Count the round trips spent on connection setup.
- Account for TCP warm-up (slow start) on new connections.
Full Answer
Answer status: Verified against study notes. Revision notes, not an official marking scheme.
A persistent connection carries multiple HTTP requests and responses over one TCP connection. The client avoids a new TCP handshake for each object and can benefit from an already established congestion window, reducing round trips and connection overhead during page retrieval.
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