HTTP Graceful shutdown | The Backend Engineering Show

Ever wondered how to politely close HTTP connections without dropping your clients? In this episode, Hussein Nasser walks you through why servers need graceful shutdowns (think freeing up resources or cutting off bad actors) and shows how it’s done in HTTP/1.1 with the Connection header and in HTTP/2 using the GOAWAY frame—complete with real-world caveats and cost considerations.

The show’s neatly sliced into timed sections—0:00 intro, 4:58 the why, 6:46 HTTP/1.1 deep dive, 12:26 protocol costs, 17:40 HTTP/2 GOAWAY playbook and a 23:40 wrap-up—so you can jump straight to whatever you need.

Watch on YouTube