Reducing redundant transmissions by polling clients

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a client over a transport layer connection, a first application layer request comprising a payload that includes an indication that the client intends to employ an optimized payload transfer mode in which a second application layer request will not include a payload;

in response to detecting the indication in the first application layer request:

storing, by a processing device, a copy of the payload in a memory; and

conveying a response acknowledging the optimized payload transfer mode;

sending the payload to an application layer;

receiving, from the client over the transport layer connection, the second application layer request, wherein the second application layer request pertains to a same communication session as the first application layer request, and wherein the second application layer request does not comprise the payload; and

responsive to receiving the second application layer request, sending the stored payload from the memory to the application layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transport layer connection is provided by a TCP connection.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first application layer request is provided by a first HTTP request and the second application layer request is provided by a second HTTP request.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first application layer request comprises a header requesting that the transport layer connection be kept alive.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first application layer request and the second application layer request both include data that identifies a same uniform resource identifier (URI), wherein the URI comprises an identifier of a target location on the server where contents of a body of the first application layer request and second application layer request should be placed.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first application layer request and the second application layer request comprise a session identifier identifying the same communication session.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising confirming, to a sender of the first application layer request, that the payload is stored in response to the first application layer request.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending the stored payload from the memory to the application layer responsive to receiving a subsequent application layer request pertaining to the same communication session.

9. A method, comprising:

transmitting, from a client over a first transport layer connection, a first application layer request to a server, the first application layer request comprising a payload and an indication in the request that the client intends to employ an optimized payload transfer mode in which a second application layer request will not include a payload, wherein the indication is configured to cause the server to store a copy of the payload in a memory and send the stored payload to an application layer responsive to receiving the second application layer request that does not include the payload;

in response to the first application layer request, receiving from the server an indication that the server accepts the optimized payload transfer mode;

transmitting, over the transport layer connection, the second application layer request comprising no payload, wherein the second application layer request pertains to a same communication session as the first application layer request.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the transport layer connection is provided by a TCP connection.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first application layer request and the second application layer request both include data that identifies a same uniform resource identifier (URI), wherein the URI comprises an identifier of a target location on the server where contents of a body of the first application layer request and second application layer request should be placed.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first application layer request comprises a header requesting that the transport layer connection be kept alive.

13. A computer system comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors, coupled to the memory, to:

receive, from a client over a transport layer connection, a first application layer request comprising a payload that includes an indication that the client intends to employ an optimized payload transfer mode in which a second application layer request will not include a payload;

in response to detecting the indication in the first application layer request:

store a copy of the payload in the memory; and

convey a response to the client acknowledging the optimized payload transfer mode

send the payload to an application layer;

receive, from the client over the transport layer connection, the second application layer request, wherein the second application layer request pertains to a same communication session as the first application layer request, and wherein the second application layer request does not comprise the payload; and

responsive to receiving the second application layer request, send the stored payload to the application layer.

14. The computer system of claim 13 , wherein the processors are further to:

send the stored payload from the memory to the application layer responsive to receiving a subsequent application layer request pertaining to the same communication session.

15. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a client over a transport layer connection, a first application layer request comprising a payload that includes an indication that the client intends to employ an optimized payload transfer mode in which a second application layer request will not include a payload;

in response to detecting the indication in the first application layer request:

storing a copy of the payload in a memory; and

conveying a response acknowledging the optimized payload transfer mode;

sending the payload to an application layer;

receiving, from the client over the transport layer connection, the second application layer request, wherein the second application layer request pertains to a same communication session as the first application layer request, and wherein the second application layer request does not comprise the payload; and

responsive to receiving the second application layer request, sending the stored payload from the memory to the application layer.

16. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium of claim 15 , further comprising executable instructions that cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

sending the stored payload from the memory to the application layer responsive to receiving a subsequent application layer request pertaining to the same application layer session.