Websocket Architecture

What is Websocket?

WebSocket is a protocol used to create real-time, bi-directional communication channels in web applications. Unlike traditional HTTP requests which are typically one request followed by one response, WebSocket can establish a persistent connection that allows the server to push data to the client in real-time while also receiving data from the client. Compared to traditional polling or long polling, WebSocket significantly reduces network traffic and latency, improving the efficiency and speed of data transmission. It is particularly useful for developing real-time web applications and online games.

What is a WebSocket connection? WebSocket establishes a two-way communication channel between the browser and server, enabling the server to proactively push messages to the browser without the need for the browser to continuously send requests to the server. The principle involves creating a “socket” between the browser and server and transmitting data via a handshake. As the protocol requires support from both the browser and server, it needs to be assessed and handled in the application.

How Does WebSocket Differ From HTTP?

Before the advent of Web Sockets, the primary protocol was and still remains HTTP. The HTTP protocol is unidirectional. After the request-response cycle, the connection is closed. Any subsequent request establishes a new connection to the server: as many requests as there are connections. It wasn’t a problem for static content like an informational article on a website. But you need to refresh the page manually to find out about changes in interactive content (such as a new message in an online chat, comments, or push notifications).

The data transfer process is also somewhat delayed. This is due to the overhead of establishing a new connection for each request/response, as well as the network and server load due to the abundance of periodic requests.

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Pure HTTP protocol is used less now as HTTPS replaced it. It’s not a standalone protocol but an add-on to HTTP that allows you to encrypt your data.

The first version of the WebSocket protocol appeared in 2009. Already in 2011, it received RFC (Request for Comments) status. It was recognized as a standard widely used on the World Wide Web. Today, WebSocket technology is used in all mobile, desktop, and server devices.

The WebSocket protocol is bidirectional, full-duplex, meaning it can both receive and transmit information. A WebSocket does this many times over a single open connection. This connection also has a higher speed than HTTP.

Web sockets also have the ability to encrypt data in transit. This is done using the WSS protocol. If transmitted data is not encrypted, it becomes an object of attraction for such threats as unauthorized access to the client by third parties or the use of malware. Special add-on data transfer protocols encrypt information on the sending side and decrypt it on the receiving side, leaving it encrypted for any intermediaries. This adds a secure transport layer.

To illustrate the differences between HTTP and WebSocket, let’s take a chat room example. For users to receive new messages, the browser would periodically ask the server if there were new messages for the user. Each such request would establish a new connection and cause unnecessary network load.

Advantages of Websocket?

• Full-Duplex Communication: – Enables real-time two-way interaction between client and server without repeated HTTP requests.
• Low Latency:- Faster data transmission compared to HTTP polling or long-polling due to persistent connection.
• Reduced Overhead:- Once the connection is established, there’s no need for repeated HTTP headers, saving bandwidth.
• Efficient for Real-Time Apps:- Ideal for chat apps, live notifications, multiplayer games, stock tickers, etc.
• Scalable Interactions:- Suits applications with many clients interacting simultaneously (e.g., collaborative tools).

Disadvantages of Websocket?

• Complexity in Scaling:- Managing thousands of persistent connections requires careful server and infrastructure setup.
• Less Browser Support (Historically):- Older browsers and proxies might not fully support WebSockets (though this is rare today).
• Security Risks:- Persistent connections can be more vulnerable to certain attacks (e.g., DoS, data leakage) if not secured (must use wss://).
• Resource Consumption:- Idle connections still consume server memory and threads.
• Not Always Suitable:- For traditional request-response patterns (e.g., form submissions, static websites), WebSockets are overkill.

Websocket VS REST

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