Microsoft has announced HTTP/2 support for all customers using Azure CDN from Akami. The availability comes to everyone. New and existing Azure CDN Akami can access HTTP/2 as a default feature in a standard profile. The only caveat for Akami users is that they must be enabling the support via a Microsoft Azure portal.
HTTP/2 is the second generation HTTP web protocol for the World Wide Web. It is designed to improve the user experience and make loading speeds faster. It is the protocol underpinning for all the major web browsers, including Microsoft’s own Edge browser. The release bring the protocol to cloud content delivery network Akami customer using Azure CDN.
In its announcement, Microsoft says “though this protocol is designed to work with HTTP and HTTPS, most of the browsers only support HTTP/2 over TLS”. The company says the benefits of the protocol include the ability to send multiple requests on the same TCP connection.
Improved Browsing
HTTP/2 also gives users the ability to reduce header size, which improves transfer times. Stream prioritization is also included in the release. Those hoping for the server push feature will have to wait a bit longer. Microsoft says it is not yet supported, but it will be in the future.
If you want to know more about the release in Azure CDN, you can see the documents here. Microsoft has provided a HTTP/2 spec sheet/FAQ on GitHub, so it is worth checking that out if you want more information. The company says in the coming months it will introduce HTTP/2 support for Azure CDN from Verizon.
