HTTP and HTTPS in HLD - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Understanding HTTP Request Methods

Which HTTP method is designed specifically to retrieve data from a server without causing any side effects?

A PUT

B POST

C GET

D DELETE

💡 Hint

Think about the method that only asks for information without changing anything.

The GET method is used to request data from a server and should not change any data on the server. POST, PUT, and DELETE are used to modify data.

❓ Architecture

intermediate

Choosing Between HTTP and HTTPS for a Web Application

You are designing a web application that handles user login and sensitive data. Which protocol should you choose to ensure data security during transmission?

A HTTPS because it encrypts data between client and server

B HTTP because it uses fewer resources on the server

C HTTP because it is faster and simpler

D Either HTTP or HTTPS since both transmit data the same way

💡 Hint

Consider which protocol protects data from being read by others during transmission.

HTTPS uses encryption (TLS/SSL) to secure data between client and server, protecting sensitive information like passwords. HTTP transmits data in plain text, which is insecure.

❓ scaling

advanced

Scaling HTTPS Traffic for a High-Traffic Website

Your website uses HTTPS and experiences a sudden increase in traffic. Which approach best helps maintain performance while keeping secure connections?

A Use HTTP only on backend servers and HTTPS only on clients

B Terminate SSL/TLS at a load balancer and forward unencrypted traffic to backend servers

C Disable HTTPS to reduce encryption overhead during high traffic

D Use HTTP/2 without TLS to improve speed

💡 Hint

Think about offloading encryption work to a dedicated component to reduce load on backend servers.

Terminating SSL/TLS at the load balancer allows it to handle encryption/decryption, reducing CPU load on backend servers. Forwarding unencrypted traffic internally is safe within a trusted network.

❓ tradeoff

advanced

Tradeoffs Between HTTP and HTTPS for Static Content Delivery

For delivering static images and videos on a public website, what is a key tradeoff when choosing HTTPS over HTTP?

A HTTPS increases security but may add slight latency due to encryption

B HTTP is more secure because it uses less CPU

C HTTPS reduces bandwidth usage compared to HTTP

D HTTP supports caching while HTTPS does not

💡 Hint

Consider the impact of encryption on speed and security.

HTTPS encrypts data, adding some latency and CPU overhead, but it protects data integrity and privacy. HTTP is faster but insecure. Both support caching.

❓ estimation

expert

Estimating TLS Handshake Overhead in HTTPS Connections

When a client establishes an HTTPS connection, the TLS handshake adds extra time before data transfer begins. Approximately how many round-trip times (RTTs) does a full TLS 1.3 handshake require before encrypted data can be sent?

A Zero RTTs

B Two RTTs

C Three RTTs

D One RTT

💡 Hint

TLS 1.3 improved handshake speed compared to previous versions.

TLS 1.3 requires one round-trip time (RTT) for a full handshake before encrypted data can be sent. It also supports zero-RTT for resumed sessions, but the question asks about a full handshake.