An Insight on Content Delivery Networks

A lot of the services we use on the internet, we really don’t know. We just know what we want to see and move on with that, but services like the Content Delivery Network system make your internet surfing experience worth it. An example is the Edgecast Verizon CDN. Content delivery network is a system or a collection of networks/servers and the function of these servers is to deliver webpages or web content to the user, based on criteria like the user’s geographical location, the content delivery server and the origin of the webpage. The aim of this technology is to fasten the delivery of webpages and other web content from websites that have global reach and high traffic. In simple terms, the closer the content delivery server is to the user’s geographical location, the faster the user gets the content and this is because on the servers that are nearest to the visitor respond to the request.

How the CDN works is that it makes copies of the site to different servers scattered across different locations, then caches the page’s content such that when a user makes a request for a webpage that is part of the content delivery’s network, the CDN redirects the originating server to the CDN that is closest to the user and this final server delivers the cached content. As this happens the CDN also communicates with the originating server and ensure it delivers any content that hasn’t been cached previously. This entire process takes place so fast, in split seconds and the user is not aware. The only way a user can find out is when the URL that is delivered is different from the URL that was requested.

When looking for a CDN for any reason, you should use the listed criteria to help you make the right choice;

Affordability: The affordability of the CDN package plays a very crucial part in the selection process. Ensure that when selecting a CDN provider to work with, you choose one with flexible plans.

CDN Caching: choose only CDN providers that optimize your site by caching static content on their servers, using HTTP caching which allows for more effective transmission

Assured Security: You should choose only providers that ensure your content and applications are fully protected from any form of unauthorised access. One that allows the owner to have total control over all content and can restrict or grant access is way better.

Other additional packages such as analytics, edge optimizer, storage and streaming to help satisfy your needs, which may range from mobile content, to ecommerce, to video game etc.