Everything You Need to Know About QUIC and HTTP3

Summary

The video discusses the evolution of HTTP protocols, focusing on HTTP/3 and QUIC. It highlights the shortcomings of HTTP/2, which is still the primary protocol for web services, and how HTTP/3, built on QUIC, offers performance improvements. The speaker explains NGINX’s ongoing efforts to integrate QUIC and HTTP/3 support into its open-source platform, offering a cleaner and more efficient solution compared to HTTP/2. With QUIC using UDP, challenges like client identity and connection states arise, but are being addressed. The speaker encourages testing these newer protocols, emphasizing their future relevance for internet-facing services, while older protocols remain essential for the foreseeable future.

Takeaways

• 😀 NGINX is integrating QUIC and HTTP/3 into its open-source code, with the new features available in the development branch and coming to the mainline code later this year.
• 😀 QUIC is a protocol built on UDP designed to improve connection speed, security, and reduce latency for web traffic.
• 😀 HTTP/3 is a major step forward from HTTP/2, offering performance improvements, but HTTP/2 is still the standard for internet-facing services for the time being.
• 😀 QUIC is more naturally integrated into NGINX’s code base compared to HTTP/2, as QUIC handles connections while HTTP/3 is a separate module.
• 😀 One of the challenges of QUIC is handling client privacy, with client IDs rotating instead of using IP addresses. This requires additional work with the Linux kernel and Berkeley Packet Filters (BPF).
• 😀 The ALPN (Application-Layer Protocol Negotiation) extension in HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 enables clients to negotiate which protocol to use when connecting to a server.
• 😀 NGINX simplifies configuration for supporting HTTP/3 by adding a UDP listener and an ALT-SERVICE header to indicate QUIC availability.
• 😀 HTTP/1.1 remains relevant and will not go away for a long time, and HTTP/2 is still a widely used protocol for web services facing the internet.
• 😀 QUIC and HTTP/3 are expected to become more common for services facing the internet but are unlikely to replace HTTP/2 in application networks anytime soon.
• 😀 Developers are encouraged to start testing HTTP/3 and QUIC to evaluate the user experience and performance improvements they offer for internet-facing sites and services.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the presentation?

The presentation focuses on HTTP/3, QUIC, and how they are being integrated into Nginx to improve web performance and security.

What is the current state of HTTP/1, HTTP/2, and HTTP/3?

HTTP/1 is still widely used, HTTP/2 is the current standard for internet-facing web services but has limitations, and HTTP/3 (built on QUIC) is emerging as a new protocol aimed at improving performance and security.

How is QUIC integrated into Nginx?

QUIC is integrated into the core of Nginx to handle connections, while HTTP/3 is implemented as a separate module to handle the semantics of HTTP/3 traffic.

What is the significance of the ALPN extension in HTTP/2?

The ALPN (Application-Layer Protocol Negotiation) extension is used to allow clients to negotiate the version of HTTP they should use when connecting to a server. This is important for servers supporting multiple HTTP versions, like HTTP/1, HTTP/2, and HTTP/3.

What challenge does the use of QUIC and UDP present?

QUIC and UDP introduce challenges in client identification and maintaining connection state, particularly because QUIC uses rotating client IDs for privacy, making it harder to associate requests with a single IP address.

How can website owners implement HTTP/3 in Nginx?

Website owners can implement HTTP/3 in Nginx by adding a listener on UDP for HTTP/3 traffic and using the 'alt-svc' header to inform clients that QUIC is available for upgrades from HTTP/1 or HTTP/2.

What are the benefits of supporting HTTP/3 and QUIC for websites?

The benefits include faster load times due to reduced latency and improved security with features like encryption and resistance to connection congestion.

What is the expected role of HTTP/3 and QUIC in the near future?

HTTP/3 and QUIC are expected to become the dominant protocols for internet-facing services over the next few years, but it’s unlikely that they will replace all existing protocols in internal or application networks in the short term.

How does Nginx support both HTTP/1, HTTP/2, and HTTP/3?

Nginx supports these protocols by configuring separate listeners for each: HTTP/1 uses TCP, HTTP/2 uses an HTTP/2-enabled listener, and HTTP/3 uses UDP with a separate configuration.

What is the recommendation for website administrators regarding HTTP/3 and QUIC?

The recommendation is for administrators to start testing HTTP/3 and QUIC, especially for services facing the internet, to improve user experience and site performance.