Anil Madhavapeddy details the creation of a zero-allocation webserver using OxCaml, a language extension for OCaml. The project, named httpz, aims to deliver high performance by minimizing heap allocation. Madhavapeddy's motivation stems from a desire to move away from large Python scripts and leverage OCaml's modularity and type safety.

This approach is particularly relevant for server-side applications where performance is critical. By using OxCaml's unboxed types and local allocations, httpz can handle HTTP connections entirely within the call stack. This design choice reduces garbage collection activity significantly, leading to faster response times and improved resource utilization. The project focuses on the HTTP/1.1 protocol.

Madhavapeddy's exploration includes in-depth analysis of OxCaml's compiler output, showcasing how unboxing propagates through the intermediate and native code. He demonstrates the absence of boxing and heap allocations, confirming the performance benefits. This work highlights the potential of OCaml for building high-performance systems.

Currently, the project is specialized for HTTP/1.1 with focus on the parsing of request headers. Future development could involve expanding support for other HTTP features. The use of OxCaml offers a compelling alternative to languages like Rust for systems programming, with the added benefit of a garbage collector for normal code management.