Bayeux

The primary purpose of Bayeux is to support responsive bidirectional interactions between web clients using Ajax and the web server.

Bayeux is a protocol for transporting asynchronous messages (primarily over HTTP), with low latency between a web server and a web client.
The messages are routed via named channels and can be delivered:

• server to client
• client to server
• client to client (via the server)

By default, publish/subscribe routing semantics are applied to the channels.

Delivery of asynchronous messages from the server to a web client is often described as "server-push".
The combination of server push techniques with an Ajax web application has been called "Comet".
CometD is a project by the Dojo Foundation to provide multiple implementation of the Bayeux protocol in several programming languages.

The Bayeux protocol seeks to reduce the complexity of developing Comet applications by allowing implementors to more easily interoperate, to solve common message distribution and routing problems, and to provide mechanisms for incremental improvements and extensions.

You may want to read the Bayeux Specification.