Delta encoding (also called delta compression) is a way to update web pages by sending the “diffs” or deltas between versions of a web page. The server (proxy or origin) sends only what has changed in the page since the last access. This technique greatly reduces the amount of data that is sent from server to browser. In some cases with pages that change slightly, the deltas are on the order of a few TCP/IP packets. As about 32% of page accesses are first-time visits, about 68% of page visits are eligible for delta compression.
Server optimization
Suture CSS or JavaScript Files to Reduce HTTP Requests
A server-side variation of merging CSS and JavaScript files before uploading to the server is to do this digital suturing at the server. You can “suture” CSS or JavaScript files together before delivery from the server to save HTTP requests. Often developers create separate style sheets and scripts for organizational purposes, and import them into their pages as needed. There are two problems with this approach:
Use Server Cache Control to Improve Performance – apache web server settings for optimized caching with configuration files
Caching is the temporary storage of frequently accessed data in higher speed media (typically SRAM or RAM) for more efficient retrieval. Web caching stores frequently used objects closer to the client through browser, proxy, or server caches. By storing “fresh” objects closer to your users, you avoid round trips to the origin server, reducing bandwidth consumption, server load, and most importantly, latency. This article shows how to configure your Apache server for more efficient caching to save bandwidth and improve performance.
Get a Dedicated Server Hosting Your Web Site – web hosting dedicated host http compression server
A dedicated server is the next step up from a shared hosting environment. By moving to your own server you don’t have to worry about other sites slowing you down or crashing your server. Dedicated servers also give you total control over what software is installed your site, opening the door for additional performance gains.
Abbreviate URLs with mod_rewrite – url abbreviation uri mod rewrite
Called the “Swiss Army knife” of Apache modules, mod_rewrite can be used for everything from URL rewriting to load balancing. Where mod_rewrite and its ilk shine is in abbreviating and rewriting URLs.
Rewrite URLs with Content Negotiation – no file extension url rewriting
You can make your URLs shorter and more abstract by using content negotiation to strip file extensions from your markup and source code. You’ll save a few bytes off of each object reference, and migration headaches in the future when you change technologies.
Use Conditional Server Side Includes – conditional css style sheets xssi
You can minimize HTTP requests by combining external CSS and JavaScript files. You can go even further by server-side including the remaining external files (with restrictions for XHTML due to its XML nature). One additional technique is to make those SSI work harder for you by serving up conditional content. Conditional server-side includes let you deliver different content based on environment variables sent by browsers to servers.