An Offset Extension Frame For HTTP/3 Data
draft-hurst-quic-http-data-offset-frame-00

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Network Working Group                                           S. Hurst
Internet-Draft                                BBC Research & Development
Intended status: Experimental                          February 18, 2021
Expires: August 22, 2021

               An Offset Extension Frame For HTTP/3 Data
               draft-hurst-quic-http-data-offset-frame-00

Abstract

   This document specifies an optional extension frame type for HTTP/3
   that extends the functionality of the "DATA" frame type to include an
   offset for the HTTP message payload.  This is useful in situations
   where the HTTP/3 exchange is taking place over an unreliable
   transport mechanism.

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
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   This Internet-Draft will expire on August 22, 2021.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2021 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Conventions and Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   3.  DATA_WITH_OFFSET Extension Frame  . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   4.  Realising HTTP Multipart Range Responses With HTTP/3 Binary
       Framing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     4.1.  Response Headers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     4.2.  Usage of DATA_WITH_OFFSET frame with HTTP Range Responses   6
   5.  Negotiating Support For The DATA_WITH_OFFSET Frame  . . . . .   6
   6.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
   7.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
   8.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
     8.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
     8.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
   Appendix A.  Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   8

1.  Introduction

   HTTP/3 [QUIC-HTTP] supports the transfer of HTTP semantics over the
   QUIC transport protocol [QUIC-TRANSPORT].  In a conventional HTTP/3
   message exchange, messages consist of a header field section sent as
   a single "HEADERS" frame, an optional HTTP message payload sent as a
   series of "DATA" frames, followed optionally by a trailer field
   section sent as a single "HEADERS" frame.  Each "DATA" frame does not
   describe its position within the HTTP message payload; rather this is
   calculated from the position within the QUIC stream minus the
   overhead from HTTP/3 frame headers and the contents of the header
   field section.

   In the case where the message exchange is taking place across a
   partially reliable or unreliable profile of [QUIC-TRANSPORT], packet
   loss could result in a lack of synchronisation in the receiver
   between the perceived HTTP/3 "DATA" frame offset and the QUIC
   "STREAM" frame offset, potentially resulting in a corrupt HTTP
   representation at the receiver.

   In addition, there are other use cases, such as HTTP multipart range
   requests, where the HTTP/3 payload offset has no direct mapping to
   the value calculated by the method described above.

   This document introduces an extension frame type "DATA_WITH_OFFSET"
   which can be used to explicitly signal the offset in the original
   representation of the data being conveyed within the frame.

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2.  Conventions and Terminology

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",