This post was originally published on Network Computing
The content delivery network model offers key benefits to designers building enterprise networks.
CDNs accelerate the delivery of internet content through a framework of geographically distributed and interconnected servers with cached storage of frequently asked information. User requests are answered by the server closest to their geographic location, thus speeding up delivery. This approach eliminates the need for users to connect to a central server that might be located much farther away.
Because CDNs play such a critical role, they’re engineered to work without interruption. If one server fails, user requests are funneled automatically to an alternative server.
Failover and load balancing aspects of a CDN offer some intriguing possibilities to network architects. Can those benefits be applied to general network operations as well?
The answer is yes.
CDNs in General Network Operations
Like CDNs, company networks are designed to be resilient and reliable. If a server or a service crashes, failover mechanisms transfer traffic to an alternate server or network route. When traffic becomes unusually heavy over a particular route, companies use load balancing and prioritization to shift traffic to alternative conduits.
The goal for these networks is to route traffic in multiple ways, monitor and adjust for emerging network patterns, and rely on redundant, logical
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