HTTP Graceful Shutdown TL;DR

In this episode of The Backend Engineering Show, Hussein dives into why and how you should gracefully close HTTP connections—whether you’re fending off bad actors, freeing up server resources, or just wrapping up in-flight requests. He breaks down the nitty-gritty of HTTP/1.1’s Connection header approach, then switches gears to HTTP/2’s more sophisticated GOAWAY frame, weighing the performance costs and benefits of each.

Along the way you’ll catch clear examples, real-world Chromium links, and timestamped chapters (0:00 intro → 23:40 summary) to help you follow each concept. Perfect for backend engineers who want a solid, practical guide to shutting things down without dropping the ball.

Watch on YouTube