Before selecting a CDN, it’s important to understand how the system works. CDN is Content Delivery Networks through which your website is able to deliver contents across the web.
CDNs are much powerful than a normal web host where all the files are stored with in a central web server. Here, the contents are delivered on demand. So in that case, the site load speed depends largely on the capability of the server.
A CDN, on the other hand, consists of different servers situated across the global network. It is these multiple numbers of servers that work as a distributed host to deliver content on demand. So when a user is searching for a relevant content, the CDN helps to deliver the content from the fastest point of presence. Here, the host selection depends mainly on the IP address of the user.
But how do you choose a CDN?
Meaning, there are plenty of CDNs in the market and all of them have a different purpose. To the visitor, they might seem to be similar in function, but when we look at CDN from the webmaster point of view, CDN does matter. So what are they? In this article, we are going to take a close look into the various types of Content Delivery Networks that are available in the market.
One of the primary challenges of CDN providers is to ensure quality managed infrastructure services and first-class IT connectivity. This leverages them the benefits of cost-saving and reputation-protecting resiliency. 4d data centres can further empower CDN services through colocation, ultra-fast connectivity, cloud based and cyber security solutions.
Types of Content Delivery Networks in the Market Today
1. Peer-to-Peer CDN
A lot of big companies like the AT&T are using the Peer-to-Peer CDN and so are certain non-profit organizations.
Peer-to-Peer CDNs do not require any kind of caching. Users are free to access a relevant content easily as well as upload to share it with their peers if they want to. This kind of activity, however, does not affect the normal browsing experience of the Content Delivery Network. The other benefit of using this kind of CDN is that it involves less resource and hardware usage.
Some examples of Peer-to-Peer CDNs – PPS.tv, PeerCast, FreeCast, etc.
2. Video Streaming CDN
Real time broadcasting and video streaming are some of the challenges faced by many across the internet. A cdn streaming service ensures that videos are broadcasted uninterrupted with a better connection network. It protects the server from being overloaded and ensures faster live streaming.
3. Push CDN
If you have a static website with huge files to support, then maybe you should consider a Push CDN. In case of Push CDNs, the content stored in the main server is pushed to the other secondary servers. In this way, the entire process does not affect the website page load speed. Amazon Cloudfront is one such example that is using this technique.
4. Origin Pull CDN
The origin pull CDN is different from a Push CDN technique. The content is stored in a respective web server only, which eliminates the need to physically upload any content to the CDN server.
The CDN pulls the content from the main server and caches when requested by the user. As a result, the content will get delivered to the user from the nearest CDN server. The files will be stored in the CDN as long as it does not expire. The Pull CDN is one of the most recommended network for WordPress blogs.
A CDN can be sub divided into two categories. These are – Full Site Content Delivery Network and Partial Site Delivery CDN.
Full Site CDN
In case of the Full Site CDN, the entire web page is delivered from the Content Delivery Network, which is then cached on the servers before its final delivery to the users on request. In this case, the Origin Pull technique is utilized.
Partial Site CDN
As the name indicates, only a part of the content gets delivered through the Content Delivery Network. The types of files that are delivered through the Partial Site CDN are – CSS files, Media files, JavaScripts, etc.
In this case, the contents are redirected based on DNS based request routing or URL rewriting.
Conclusion
Looking up the different types of CDNs is not difficult. There are plenty available in the market. But choosing the right one depends on your website requirement, site integration type, what kind of features are you looking for, your website traffic source and others. Hope the article will help you in finding the right CDN for your needs.
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Brianne Walter
