Setting up a CDN

**Danielx386** · 01-12-2011 08:14 PM

So what is a CDN, ..?

A content delivery network or content distribution network (CDN) is a system of computers containing copies of data, placed at various points in a network so as to maximize bandwidth for access to the data from clients throughout the network. A client accesses a copy of the data near to the client, as opposed to all clients accessing the same central server, so as to avoid bottlenecks near that server.

*copied right from wiki..

Advantages of CDN

Strategically placed edge servers decrease the load on interconnects, public peers, private peers and backbones, freeing up capacity and lowering delivery costs. It uses the same principle as above. Instead of loading all traffic on a backbone or peer link, a CDN can offload these by redirecting traffic to edge servers.

*wiki again

Now where does Cloudflare come in...
CloudFlare is a service which sets just about any website up on its CDN and even more than that, it acts as a ‘firewall in the cloud‘ to prevent malicious spam and hack attacks from even getting to your website.
More so the entry level service is free...

Adding your website on Cloudflare

1. First signup for an account on Cloudflare

2. Use the 'Add Website' Dialog to add your domain name.

3. Cloudflare than scans for your DNS Setup, this may take a minute or 2. after which you can continue to the next step.

4. Cloudflare now shows the website's current DNS setup. make sure all the data is right. It usually will be. Plz do add any data missing and click next to continue.

*Plz do not change something here unless you are entirely sure

5. On the next page we do see the records table again, with the records that will be powered by cloudflare, you do not need to change anything here. but make sure that only your website is powered by cloudflare and not you mail and other records and click next.

6. Here cloudflare provides you with 2 of its own DNS records that you have to change with your domain name registrar.

7. Thats it you are done, it may take upto 24 hours for the changes to take effect after which your website will be powered with a CDN so no matter even if your webserver is down your website still shows up ..