How to Build a CDN
CDN stands for Content Delivery Network. These networks typically consist of web servers spread out around the globe. When a user requests information from a website, the request is fulfilled by the web server on the CDN that can fulfill it the fastest. As a result, CDNs offer many benefits, including reducing the request load on a single server and giving users faster access to web content. While a CDN can be created with the help of established companies, this type of solution can be costly. Creating your own CDN provides you with affordable access to these benefits.
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Things You'll Need
- Server or Nginx
- Varnish or Squid Cache software
- Script or BIND software
Instructions
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Set up your origin server. The origin server -- also called the dynamic content node -- is where you store all your content. You can increase the productivity of your origin server by running apache and mysql on it. This speeds up the process of sharing your content across the CDN with users worldwide. If you don't have a server, you can use Nginx as your web server. This software can handle large amounts of traffic, plus it has a proxy capability that is important in setting up your CDN.
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Set up your cache. Along with your origin server, you need software that will act as your cache, so content that is frequently accessed by users can be stored for faster access. You can use Varnish Cache or Squid Cache, depending on whether your server already includes proxy capabilities. If it does, you can use Varnish. Otherwise, Squid cache might be a better option.
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Establish your edge locations -- the global servers that will deliver your content upon request. You can set up these by using a perl script that points the user request toward the appropriate edge location, based on the user's geographical location. Another option is to use a software such as BIND that will content the IP addresses and Internet host names, which basically does the same thing as the script.
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Test your setup. Once you have your origin server or dynamic content node and one of your edge locations established, test the connection to ensure everything is functioning correctly. If it works, you can begin adding more edge locations to your CDN.
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References
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