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Concluded WG HTTP Next Generation (httpng)

Note: The data for concluded WGs is occasionally incorrect.

WG Name HTTP Next Generation
Acronym httpng
Area Transport Area (tsv)
State Concluded
Charter charter-ietf-httpng-01 Approved
Document dependencies
Personnel Chairs Jim Gettys, Mike Spreitzer

Final Charter for Working Group

The goal of this working group is to produce a next generation of the
HTTP protocol that builds on the experience from HTTP/1.X --- notably
including proxies, caching, and firewalls --- by adding explicit
layering and modularity to better support the World Wide Web and the
other applications that are being layered on top of, and just plain
tunnelled through, HTTP. The WG goals will emphasize transitioning
existing application functionality to a better technology base, rather
than improving the application functionality.

Because HTTP's functionality spans a range that includes both the
Transport and Application areas of the IETF, this working group should
draw participants from both areas.

The WG will first develop a requirements document detailing the needed
changes to the HTTP/1.x protocol.  A current draft of this document
calls for the factoring of HTTP into three layers: the lowest will
provide opaque message transport services needed by the next layer,
building upon current and/or future Internet transport protocols such as
TCP and UDP; the middle will be a general remote invocation layer; and
the highest will be an expression of the web application in terms of the
lower two.

The WG will then proceed to standardize the pieces into which HTTP is to
be factored.  The WG will also develop techniques for the transition of
the Web from HTTP/1.x to HTTP/NG.

The following work is specifically excluded from the scope of this
working group: definitions of language mappings and/or ancillary APIs
for the remote invocation layer; significantly advancing the
functionality of web applications; development of base transport
protocols (e.g. any replacement for TCP).