A Practical Guide to Content Delivery Networks 2nd Edition

Description

Features

# Supplies a clear understanding of the framework and individual layers of design, including caching and load balancing

# Describes the terminology, tactics, and potential problems when implementing a CDN

# Examines cost-effective ways to load balance web service layers

# Explains how application servers connect to databases and how systems will scale as volume increases

# Illustrates the impact of video on data storage and delivery, as well as the need for data compression

# Covers Flash and the emerging HTML5 standard for video

Summary

Following in the tradition of its popular predecessor, A Practical Guide to Content Delivery Networks, Second Edition offers an accessible and organized approach to implementing networks capable of handling the increasing data requirements of today's always on mobile society. Describing how content delivery networks (CDN) function, it provides an understanding of Web architecture, as well as an overview of the TCP/IP protocol suite.

The book reports on the development of the technologies that have evolved over the past decade as distribution mechanisms for various types of Web content. Using a structural and visual approach, it provides step-by-step guidance through the process of setting up a scalable CDN.

    * Supplies a clear understanding of the framework and individual layers of design, including caching and load balancing

    * Describes the terminology, tactics, and potential problems when implementing a CDN

    * Examines cost-effective ways to load balance web service layers

    * Explains how application servers connect to databases and how systems will scale as volume increases

    * Illustrates the impact of video on data storage and delivery, as well as the need for data compression

    * Covers Flash and the emerging HTML5 standard for video

Highlighting the advantages and disadvantages associated with these types of networks, the book explains how to use the networks within the Internet operated by various ISPs as mechanisms for effectively delivering Web server based information. It emphasizes a best-of-breed approach to building your network to allow for an effective CDN to be built on practically any budget. To help you get started, this vendor-neutral reference explains how to code Web pages to optimize the delivery of various types of media. It also includes examples of successful approaches, from outsourcing to do it yourself.

CONTENTS:

Introduction to Content Delivery Networking

The Modern Content Delivery Network

     Advantages

     Disadvantages

Evolution

     Client-Server Computing

     Use of Video Servers

     Server Network Architecture

     The Road to Push Technology

     Pull Technology

     Multicast

     Push Technology

Content Delivery Networking

     Client-Server Operations on the Internet

     Client Server Operating on the Same Network

     Client-Server Operations on Different Networks

     Peering Point

     Video Considerations

Client-Server Models

Overview

Client Operations

     URLs

     HTML

     HTTP

     Browser Programs

Server Operations

Distance Relationship

Understanding TCP/IP

The TCP/IP Protocol Suite

     Protocol Suite Components

     Physical and Data-Link Layers

     The Network Layer

     The Transport Layer

The Domain Name System

     Need for Address Resolution

     Domain Name Servers

     Top-Level Domain

     DNS Operation

     Configuring Your Computer

     Root Name Servers

     The NSLookup Tool

     Expediting the Name Resolution Process

     DNS Resource Records

The CDN Model

Why Performance Matters

     Economics of Poor Performance

     Predictability

     Customer Loyalty

     Scalability

     Flexibility

     Company Perception

Examining Internet Bottlenecks

     Entry and Egress Considerations

     Access Delays

     Egress Delays

     Benefits of Edge Servers

     Peering Points

Edge Operations

     CDN Operation

     The Akamai Network

     Edge Side Includes

     Edge Side Includes for Java

     Statistics

The Akamai HD Network

     Using the HD Network with Flash

Caching and Load Balancing

Caching

     Browser Cache

     Other Types of Web Caches

     Application Caching

     Cache Operation

     Cache Control Methods

     Windows DNS Caching Problems

     Viewing HTTP Headers

     Considering Authentication

     Enhancing Cacheability

     Load Balancing

     Types of Load Balancing

     Rationale

     Load Balancing Technique

     DNS Load Balancing

     DNS Load-Sharing Methods

     Managing User Requests

The CDN Enterprise Model

Overview

     Rationale

Traffic Analysis

     Using Web Logs

     Using Logging Strings

     Web-Log Analysis

     Top Referring Domains

     Considering Status Codes

     Web-Log Statistics

     Reverse Mapping

     SOA Record Components

     Origination Country

      Originating Time Zone

     Other Statistics

     Other Analysis Tools

     Cookies

     Other Logging Information

     Microsoft's Performance Monitor

     Using a Network Analyzer

     Other Tools to Consider

Content Delivery Models

     Single-Site, Single-Server Model

     Single-Site, Multiple-Server Model

     Multiple-Sites, Single-Server per Site Model

     Multiple-Site, Multiple-Server per Site Model

     An In-Between Model

Web-Hosting Options

Rationale

     Cost Elements and Total Cost

     Performance Elements

     Server-Side Language Support

     Web-Service Tools

     The Importance of Images

     Back-End Database Support

     Facility Location(s)

     Types of Web-Hosting Facilities

     Dedicated Hosting

     Shared Server Hosting

     Colocated Hosting

     Evaluation Factors