Web-server – What the heck is a OPTIONS method in a IIS 7.5 web Log

iis-7.5log-filesweb-server

I know what a GET and a POST are, but it's almost impossible to Google for the word OPTIONS. Here's what I see (i deleted all the stuff at the end) of each:

11/23/11    0:02:13 10.100.0.14         GET       /CUpdate2.cshtml  _=1322006533495
11/23/11    0:02:13 10.200.0.10         OPTIONS   /AssignmentCount  _=1322006576798
11/23/11    0:02:13 10.200.0.10         GET       /media/faxSound.wav   -
11/23/11    0:02:13 10.200.0.10         GET       /Star/StarUpdates _=1322006578729
11/23/11    0:02:13 10.100.0.10         GET       /CUpdate2.cshtml  _=1322006533268

Best Answer

Check out section 9.2 of this W3 Spec:

The OPTIONS method represents a request for information about the communication options available on the request/response chain identified by the Request-URI. This method allows the client to determine the options and/or requirements associated with a resource, or the capabilities of a server, without implying a resource action or initiating a resource retrieval.

This blog post is also worth a read.

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