Argo is a new Cloudflare feature that allows for a faster, more reliable, more secure Internet for everyone. Cloudflare has launched Argo, a “virtual backbone” for the modern Internet. Argo analyzes and optimizes routing decisions across the global Internet in real-time. Think Waze, the automobile route optimization app, but for Internet traffic. This is an introductory guide of how to get set up and monitor the benefits of Argo. Please do note that Argo is an add-on feature.

1. Cloudflare Argo
Configuring Argo - by Vu Long Tran, Customer Success
The simplest way to a safer, faster and smarter website

2. Turbocharge your traffic with the Argo network.
Tiered Caching
Argo’s tiered caching technology uses regional tier 1
Cloudflare data centers to propagate content to
Cloudflare’s global network of 115+ PoPs, minimizing
requests to servers and reducing costs.
Smart Routing
Argo's smart routing algorithm uses this information
to route traffic across the fastest paths available, and
maintains open, secure connections to eliminate
latency imposed by connection-setup.
Note
Argo services are not
included in Enterprise plans
and will incur additional
cost.

3. Origin
Congested
Network Path
Unreliable
Connection
Slow Loading Times
Static routes can't avoid congested network paths or unreliable connections
Poor User Experience
Slow loading times and connection
timeouts increase the likelihood of a
poor user experience that can result
in reduced revenue or damaged
brand reputation
Customer Performance Challenges
© 2017 Cloudflare Inc. All rights reserved.

5. Origin
Connection Reuse
Minimize latency imposed by
TCP connection-setup
Congestion Avoidance
Routing decisions using real-world
network conditions
Cloudflare Argo Smart Routing
Congested
Network Path
Unreliable
Connection
Faster Loading Times
Cloudflare routes over 10% of all HTTP Internet
traffic providing Argo with real world intelligence on
the fastest network paths.
Internet node / hop
Cloudflare Data Centers
Cloudflare’s private network
10Tbps throughput, with 110+ PoPs in 50+ countries
© 2017 Cloudflare Inc. All rights reserved.

6. Cloudflare Argo Tiered Caching
Origin
Tier 1
Tier 2
Cloudflare Data Centers
Tier 1 data centers propagate content
to a global network of 110+ PoPs
Reduced Costs
Minimizes static content requests to the origin
server reducing latency, server load and
bandwidth usage
© 2017 Cloudflare Inc. All rights reserved.

7. Cloudflare Tiered Caching

8. Sketchers.com US - Argo 200ms perf increase
Source: https://twitter.com/m242/status/866683565286633472

9. Australian customer - 54% faster
This customer in Australia
saw performance improve
from 455ms to 208ms.

10. Stewardmedia.com.au - 50% perf increase
Source: https://twitter.com/jimboot/status/872750354986815489

11. Indian customer - 31% faster
This customer in India saw
performance improve from
623ms to 341ms.

12. Indian customer - 45% faster
The first byte request is
required on the origin server
for the first request.
Subsequently those
requests can be fulfilled by
the Cloudflare cache servers
at the edge.
This customer in Australia
saw performance improve
from 623ms to 341ms.

13. absolutemusic.co.uk - ˜1.54 sec to ˜600 ms
Source: https://twitter.com/BobSpadger/status/866906385715482624

14. Getting started
1. How to enable Cloudflare Argo
2. Third party performance monitoring tools
3. Useful links

15. // How-Tos

16. Enabling Argo
1. Check with your Customer Success Engineer to enable Argo (trial/ paid add-on)
2. Once enabled, you can check your "Traffic" tab in your Cloudflare portal
3. Switch on Argo "Tiered Caching + Smart Routing"

17. Turn on "Tiered Caching + Smart Routing"

18. // Third party performance monitoring
Which third party online performance monitoring tools
can you use to gauge performance?

19. Google PageSpeed Insights
Link: https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/

20. Pingdom
Link: https://tools.pingdom.com/

21. WebPageTest
Link: https://webpagetest.org

22. // Useful links
More information

23. Useful links
• Introducing Argo overview — A faster, more reliable, more secure Internet
for everyone - https://blog.cloudflare.com/argo/
• Enabling Cloudflare Argo through User Interface (UI) -
https://support.cloudflare.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000224552-Configuring-
Argo-through-the-UI
• How can I see if Argo improved my page speed? -
https://support.cloudflare.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000244811-How-can-I-see-if-
Argo-improved-my-page-speed-

24. // Thank you!
Vu Long Tran
Customer Success
vulong@cloudflare.com