Systems Analyst: What is the difference between polling and WebSocket?

Polling — client requests repeatedly. WebSocket — persistent connection.

Polling:

• Client requests at intervals.
• Wastes bandwidth.
• Simple implementation.
• HTTP overhead.

WebSocket:

• Persistent connection.
• Real-time updates.
• Bidirectional.
• Low latency.

Key differences:

• Polling — frequent requests.
• WebSocket — persistent.
• Polling — high overhead.
• WebSocket — low overhead.