CDNs are surrogate web servers distributed across different data centers in different geographical regions to deliver content to end-users, based on proximity of this user. In this article we show the historical development of this technology.

1. CDNs Through Generations
The History of Content Delivery Networks (CDN)

2. Cloud computing can be described in two ways:
CDNs are surrogate web servers distributed across different data
centers in different geographical regions to deliver content to end-
users, based on proximity of this user.
.

3. Using a CDN hosting system instead of a standard one, enables a cost-
effective solution for an online vendor, or an e-commerce owner, to keep
his impatient customers satisfied.

4. It also means faster performance of a hosted website and a better
security from hacker attacks. This is because CDNs maintain
multiple Points of Presence, i.e. servers store copies of identical
content and and apply a mechanism that provides logs and
information to the origin servers.

5. Instead of a standard client-server communication, two communication
flows are used. Between client and the surrogate server, and then
between the surrogate server and the origin server.

6. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Content_delivery_network
CDN System

7. History of CDN (facts)

8. Fact 1:
Recent surveys found that nearly half of web users expect a
web page to load in 2 seconds or less, and they are likely to
abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load.

9. Fact 2:
According to AccuStream Research, the worldwide CDN market size is
about $3B (US is about 65%, $1.87B) and grows at about 20% per year.

10. Fact 3:
Cisco projected 2012 Video CDN revenues at around $1 billion with
growth for 2013 between 40% and 45%, and the complete market to
grow from $6 billion to $12 billion by 2015..

11. A new trend is here

12. The development of content delivery networks sought to deal with
extreme bandwidth pressures, first as video streaming was
growing in demand as well as the number of content providers.

13. That was in the past. Now, CDNs are a continual trend,
with the emergence of cloud computing, involving all the
layers of cloud computing such as:

14. SaaS (Software as a service), e.g. Google Docs

15. IaaS (Infrastructure as a service), e.g. Amazon

16. PaaS (Platform as a service) e.g. Google App Engine

17. BPaaS (Business Process as a service) e.g.
advertisements, payments

18. Source: VentureBeat

19. First generation CDNs

20. First gen CDNs were not encountered before the late 90’s. However, some
technological innovations that preceded this generation of CDNs, such as
server farms, hierarchical caching and so on, were crucial for paving the
ground of the desired infrastructure of such internet un-clogging technology.

21. They were designed to address the higher demand for audio and
video streaming, to accelerate websites, to support growing volumes
of content and finally to enable the companies providing products or
services to handle all requests from the Internet users

22. Second and third generation

23. The main focus of a second generation CDNs however was a peer to
peer production, cloud computing and energy awareness. Also,
serving the demand of the internet crowd for more – interactivity.

24. Not only from their desktop browser, but also their mobile devices. Also,
many many ISPs, telco’s, IT companies and traditional broadcasters
spread across the globe.

25. The third generation CDNs are expected to be completely community driven.
Autonomous and self-manageable. Its main focus, the quality of experience for
the end-user.

26. Historical Events that Speeded Up the Development of CDN
technologies

27. 9/11 Terrorist attack: a sudden, unanticipated mass of Internet users tried to
access a particular news site simultaneously. This caused severe caching
problems, and finally more money invested in developing CDN hosting to
provide protection from the flash crowds for websites.

28. Akamai Technologies evolved out of an MIT research effort aimed at solving
the flash crowd problem

29. By 2002, large-scale ISPs started building their own CDN functionality, providing
customized services, and In 2004, more than 3000 companies were found to
use CDNs, spending more than $20 million monthly.

30. In 2005 combined commercial market value for streaming audio/video, audio and
video advertising, download media and entertainment was estimated at between
$385 million to $452 million in 2005.

31. In 2008 Amazon launched their Content Delivery Network

32. In 2011 AT&T announces their new cloud-based Content Delivery Network that
enables content to flow from its 38 data centers around the world to reduce
transit and latency times

33. In May 2011, Google said it had 200,000 active applications and
100,000 active developers.

34. Conclusion
Dynamic site acceleration has a long history and
pushes further into future. CDN keep the Internet
less clogged, the Web customers more satisfied
and the e-commerce business more cost-
effective
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info.

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