WebSockets
WebSocket is standard protocol that is able to provide persistent connection between a server and a client. WebSockets are bidirectional, which means a server and client and send and receive data in the same channel, full-duplex communication protocol that is implemented on TCP/IP socket.
WebSockets were built to counter the limits of HTTP protocol.
First, in HTTP protocol, is not bidirectional. The client requests a specific resource on the server, once the server finds and sends the resource to the client, the connection is closed. This means that for a very active data flow, such as streaming service, there will be too much requests on the server.
Unlike HTTP, WebSockets are able to maintain a connection until either the client or the server terminates it. It works by first creating a handshake between the client and the server, then followed by an UPGRADE header. Once established, a flow of data between the server and the client is also established.
The above diagram illustrates how HTTP protocol works compared to WebSockets.
NOTE: The diagrams above do not give a full-fledged working of either HTTP or WebSocket protocols.
