Life of a Web Request
Simplified
- You tell your WebBrowser the URI that you want it to display
- WebBrowser breaks the URI into two pieces, (1) WebServerHostname and (2) resource name
- WebBrowser asks OS for the IP Address associated with the WebServerHostname
- OS uses the DNS to "resolve" IP Address for the WebServerHostname
- OS passes IP Address back to WebBrowser
- WebBrowser requests TCP/IP Connection from WebServer at IP Address on Port 80
- WebServer is listening for connection on Port 80, accepts the connection and switches to a different port
- WebBrowswer sends a text string formatted as an HTTP Request to the WebServer
- WebServer generates a response string formatted an HTTP Response and sends to the WebServer
- TCP/IP Connection is closed
- WebBrowser recursively requests any resources referred to in the HTTP Response needed to fully render the URI
- WebBrowser parses, renders, and displays all the resources collected to enable the display of the URI