Using HTTP/2 with AWS Global Accelerator offers several benefits that enhance web application performance, security, and user experience by combining the advantages of both technologies:
Benefits of HTTP/2
- Multiplexing and Parallel Requests: HTTP/2 allows multiple requests and responses to be sent simultaneously over a single TCP connection, overcoming HTTP/1.1âs head-of-line blocking problem. This reduces page load times and improves resource utilization by making better use of available bandwidth[5].
- Header Compression: HTTP/2 uses HPACK compression to reduce the size of HTTP headers, which decreases overhead and latency, speeding up communication between clients and servers[5].
- Stream Prioritization: HTTP/2 enables prioritization of resource loading, ensuring critical content like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is delivered first, optimizing page rendering and user experience[5].
- Server Push: HTTP/2 can proactively send resources to clients before they request them, reducing round trips and further accelerating page loads[5].
- Enhanced Security: While not mandatory, HTTP/2 is mostly used over encrypted TLS connections, improving security against eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks[5].
Benefits of AWS Global Accelerator
- Global Static IPs: Provides two static IPv4 addresses that act as fixed entry points for your applications, simplifying firewall allowlisting and device configurations[4][9].
- TCP Termination at the Edge: Global Accelerator terminates TCP connections at AWS edge locations and establishes new TCP connections to your endpoints, reducing latency and improving throughput by routing traffic over the AWS global network[6].
- Health Checks and Instant Failover: It continuously monitors endpoint health and routes traffic away from unhealthy endpoints instantly, supporting high availability and disaster recovery across multiple AWS Regions[7][9].
- Low Latency and Improved Performance: By routing traffic through the optimal AWS network path and reducing the number of network hops, it lowers latency and jitter, which is especially beneficial for real-time applications like gaming and VoIP[4][7][11].
Combined Benefits of Using HTTP/2 with AWS Global Accelerator
- Optimized Performance: HTTP/2âs multiplexing and header compression reduce the overhead and latency of HTTP requests, while Global Accelerator ensures these requests travel over the fastest, most reliable global network paths. This synergy results in faster response times and better throughput for web applications[5][6].
- Reduced Latency at the Edge: Global Acceleratorâs TCP termination at edge locations complements HTTP/2âs efficient connection management, minimizing latency from client to server and improving overall user experience[6][5].
- Improved Security Posture: HTTP/2âs encryption via TLS combined with Global Acceleratorâs protection against DDoS attacks (via AWS Shield) and masking of origin endpoints enhances the security of web communications[5][7].
- Simplified Network Management: The use of static IPs by Global Accelerator facilitates easier firewall and network configuration, which is beneficial when deploying HTTP/2 applications that require consistent endpoint addressing[4][9].
- High Availability and Resilience for HTTP/2 Workloads: Global Acceleratorâs health monitoring and instant failover ensure that HTTP/2 traffic is always routed to healthy endpoints, maintaining application availability and performance even during failures or regional outages[7][9].
In summary, HTTP/2 improves the efficiency and speed of web communication, while AWS Global Accelerator optimizes the global routing, availability, and security of that traffic. Together, they provide a robust solution for delivering fast, secure, and highly available web applications at scale.
Citations:
[1] https://repost.aws/questions/QUvk103BmESwKA6UudyZfKKA/http-2-support-for-browser-to-global-accelerator-communication
[2] https://aws.amazon.com/global-accelerator/features/
[3] https://aws.amazon.com/global-accelerator/
[4] https://aws.amazon.com/global-accelerator/faqs/
[5] https://www.zscaler.com/blogs/product-insights/http-2-better-faster-stronger
[6] https://docs.aws.amazon.com/global-accelerator/latest/dg/introduction-how-it-works.html
[7] https://docs.aws.amazon.com/global-accelerator/latest/dg/introduction-benefits-of-migrating.html
[8] https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/networking-and-content-delivery/well-architecting-online-applications-with-cloudfront-and-aws-global-accelerator/
[9] https://tutorialsdojo.com/aws-global-accelerator/
[10] https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/new-http2-support-for-cloudfront/
[11] https://cloudonaut.io/review-aws-global-accelerator-latency-multi-region-disaster-recovery/
[12] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUYvzTd9vKE