Resolve relative URI references before applying application routing

Frame this document as a source-led configuration and assurance check: Resolve relative URI references before applying application routing. Only the official source and traced locations below supply facts. Confirm applicability before acting.

Source fact:

The official RFC 3986 — Uniform Resource Identifier (URI): Generic Syntax from RFC Editor / Internet Engineering Task Force supports the following bounded statements:

• Before parsing a URI reference that might be relative, a parser must establish an absolute base URI; a reference used as that base is first made absolute and stripped of its fragment. The research record locates this support at Section 5.1 (Establishing a Base URI).
• Relative-reference resolution constructs the target URI by applying the specified scheme, authority, path, query, and fragment transformation algorithm against the established base URI. The research record locates this support at Section 5.2 (Relative Resolution).
• A resolver removes dot-segments when ‘.’ or ‘..’ forms a complete path component; surplus parent segments cannot be used to change the URI authority. The research record locates this support at Sections 5.2.4 (Remove Dot Segments) and 5.4.2 (Abnormal Examples).

Keep the evidence boundary at these traced claims. They support a review of clients, origin services, intermediaries, caches, proxies, gateways, protocol versions, and security-policy enforcement points; they do not support conclusions outside the source’s stated conditions.

What the source does not establish

This RFC evidence supports only the named web or transport decision; it does not prove browser, intermediary, library, or service compatibility. It does not establish a deployment’s current state, authorize a production change, prove compliance, or show that DNS, certificates, identity providers, time, content delivery, network paths, and application ownership are healthy. Documented options are review inputs, not universal mandates.

Applicability questions

• For source statement 1 at Section 5.1 (Establishing a Base URI), which observable configuration, record, or test can confirm applicability here?
• For source statement 2 at Section 5.2 (Relative Resolution), which observable configuration, record, or test can confirm applicability here?
• For source statement 3 at Sections 5.2.4 (Remove Dot Segments) and 5.4.2 (Abnormal Examples), which observable configuration, record, or test can confirm applicability here?
• What inventory proves which parts of clients, origin services, intermediaries, caches, proxies, gateways, protocol versions, and security-policy enforcement points are in and out of scope?
• Which condition in DNS, certificates, identity providers, time, content delivery, network paths, and application ownership must be healthy before evidence is trustworthy?
• What result would disprove the working assumption and return the issue to the owner?

DSE recommendation:

DSE recommends using the cited source as the evidence anchor for this decision. Anchor the review in the cited section and keep observation separate from interpretation. Record the source location, examined part of clients, origin services, intermediaries, caches, proxies, gateways, protocol versions, and security-policy enforcement points, observed and expected states, owner, and reason for deviation.

Translate the conclusion into change control only after documenting dependencies, impact, test method, expected signals, failure signals, and restoration steps. Include DNS, certificates, identity providers, time, content delivery, network paths, and application ownership, while excluding secrets and sensitive personal or topology data from ordinary tickets.

Verification and evidence

A reviewer should be able to retrace the decision from Section 5.1 (Establishing a Base URI); Section 5.2 (Relative Resolution); Sections 5.2.4 (Remove Dot Segments) and 5.4.2 (Abnormal Examples) through request and response captures, negotiated protocol details, headers, cache behavior, certificate state, and server or proxy logs. Record what was collected, where, when, by whom, and which system or role it represents.

Keep before-state evidence, approval, test or change result, exceptions, and after-state evidence together. Use an approved lab, window, or nonproduction path for risky tests. Set a recheck trigger for version, architecture, dependency, vendor, incident, or ownership change. A check proves only what was observed.

Official references

• RFC 3986 — Uniform Resource Identifier (URI): Generic Syntax — RFC Editor / Internet Engineering Task Force