Content Delivery Network (CDN)

16
Jul/093

A content delivery network or CDN is a computer network specialized for delivery of specific type of content. This type of networks specialize in content replication on targeted or global basis.

A content delivery network consists of points of access which allow certain content to be served to end users. The main benefit from such a network is the ability to serve a large number of users simultaneously and possibly on a global scale. A CDN can provide the means to deliver content to a huge number of users while maintaining reasonable cost of scaling. A CDN s total bandwidth capacity can go way beyond a single backbone connection that a DC would have.

If you need to deliver a large “amount” of content to a large number of users a using a CDN is the only way to do it. Microsoft for instance uses about a dozen of CDN’s for hire to deliver content to end users.

Many video hosting services have their own CDN, while some connect to third party CDN networks. Video sharing services usually do not use or own a CDN, though some of the major ones like you tube do use CDNs.

Edge networks

Global networks often use the concept of “edge networking” to provide “better reach”. Technically speaking a CDN works always like an edge network to some extent.

Edge networking means that the network provider provides points of access which are closer to you on geographical basis. By doing this they allow you faster more-local access to a service. Since the user (i.e. you) is at an end of the network (i.e. the edge) thus the name edge networking. An edge server simply means an application or data point of access closer to you.

This model has huge benefits in all the cases when it acts like local cache, since no need to access primary datacentres is needed. In the case of dynamic requests and data however, this model does not have any real benefit, thus google for instance does NOT use edge networking for the search engine.

With on-demand video edge networks have a good place as it can be cached. Live video is a bit different but it can work well with such a setup too.

Note that cell phone EDGE networks are about “enchanced data rate” it is a different thing.

Bookmark It