The importance of Content Delivery Networks for extensive coverage of potential customers through instant and effective distribution of content is a foregone conclusion.
Relevance of CDN solutions
Users can easily access the cached content from nearby locations and enjoy faster loading speeds and lag free delivery of content in various forms including live streaming and high definition media images. CDN empowers websites in terms of loading speeds and a superior user experience.
CDN works as an ideal platform for optimum utilization of available bandwidth, thereby fulfilling the need to eliminate bandwidth wastage and promote efficient resource utilization. Data infrastructure architects are able to mitigate packet losses and reduce latency while enabling real-time resource scalability.
One can look forward to exploring a wide range of advantages through the use of CDN solutions, which can boost front end optimization as well as the cache for much faster response time. However, one cannot rely only on Content Delivery Network as a comprehensive resource to achieve performance optimization.
Limitations of CDNs
CDNs help store and deliver cached content throughout the extensively located nodes across larger geographies. In this way, you are able to reduce the actual distance between the content and your end user in order to mitigate loading times. Cloud CDN is also a great resource for reducing chances of traffic spikes and thus safeguards against the disproportionate consumption of bandwidth.
In spite of these benefits, you cannot leverage CDN for improving the distribution of any type of content. If you are looking forward to executing workloads that need to obviate distributed infrastructure, then CDN may not be the right solution.
Type of user base
CDN deployment is an ideal option if you need to cater to a diverse and geographically dispersed user base. However, if your web application is targeted at a limited and specific target segment of users, then a CDN may prove to be overkill.
CDN deployment is not meant for users with limited infrastructure that is designed for servicing very few applications and minimalistic website content. In order to look after limited users, there are other alternatives for enhancement of user experience.
One of the most commonly leveraged options is that of lazy loading, which involves downloading of bare minimum content on the screen of devices of users. His approach allows swift access to content by leveraging temporary placeholders instead of the remaining content. Placeholders continue to retain the rest of the content even if the user proceeds to browse the other content.
You can ensure smart usage of bandwidth by adopting lazy loading approach as the most important content is placed before the user while the remaining content can be offered as and when needed.
Geographically restricted user base
Content delivery acceleration across remote global locations is the most sought after attribute of Content Delivery Networks. However, websites that are focused only on local users in a particular geographic area need not adopt CDN deployment since it will not offer any significant advantage in terms of speeding up page loading or enhancement of overall user experience.
If the end users are situated in your main server location, then there is no need to go for CDN services. It is better to rely on a single infrastructure that could be either on-site or hosted in a desired geographical area.
There are different ways to boost user experience for website owners whose target audience happens to be a localized one. One such approach is known as pre-fetching that offers the instant transition to next images as soon as the visitor clicks the next button. The overall impact will be a reduction in load times from the user’s perspective.
Adhering to regulatory compliance
Compliance with government regulations is the holy grail of websites that are handling sensitive user information. There are highly intricate compliance requirements put I place by federal agencies. One of the most common protocols known as sovereignty regulation concerns with a mandatory requirement of keeping the data within prescribed geographical or territorial limits of a particular country or a state. The content delivery network may deliver such critical data outside the prescribed limit via cached format.
Many regulatory requirements restrict the use of tools applications or platforms that would require accessing to facilities based outside the prescribed jurisdiction. Such platforms can easily expose critical data to agencies outside the gambit of governance requirements. These regulations are primarily designed for securing sensitive user data such as financial or health related records.
Takeaway
In spite of the use cases mentioned above, Content Delivery Networks continue to offer effective solutions for reliable and swift data delivery across global locations. State of the art CDN platforms are well equipped with reliable and secure features.
Apart from restrictions offered by localized scenarios, Content Delivery Networks prove to be the useful resource for the improvement of user experience through faster and reliable content availability.
