Cdn Implementation This Weekend

[anthony]

I appreciate most people don't know what this is - Content Delivery Network (CDN) - but it basically distributes all the static files on the server around the world to a global distribution system. This decreases server load and speeds up user viewing, by delivering static content from a server closer to you. The network is global, nearly every country, so everything static such as javascript, css, images, will all be delivered to you locally.

What it means is a massive performance increase for every user. When a user requests a page here, it simply directs them to the closest server for all the static content, only pulling from our server what is needed, i.e. the post content stored in the database. When its completed, it will be a serious performance increase for most users, especially everyone more than a couple of states from California. The further away you are, the better performance you will notice.

Due to the size of this sites file system, approximately 40Gb, that will take some time to pull from here, then distribute globally. It may take closer to a week, but it will begin this weekend, all behind the scenes. It will not stop anything happening here.

This will include both the home articles and forum system.

 

[anthony]

Caching login issues -- if you experienced those, seeing some other name, do not panic, it was purely you seeing a cached version of a page from the last user login. You were not logged into another's account or such, the system doesn't work that way.

I have changed the type of caching to a less aggressive one, though less effective at the same time. Still caching, but done differently.

 

[anthony]

CDN is now implemented. You may have noticed a slow load once after I turned it on (awaiting the content to be pulled and processed globally) but then ever load after that should now be super fast, and mostly local to you for the heavy page content.

 

[anthony]

If people can poke around the site, both logged out and logged in, to ensure no issues have arisen due to the CDN implementation, and feedback here, that would be appreciated.

I have checked it myself -- also done further caching improvements to the article system -- it all works correctly for me, but would prefer others feedback that its ok or not.

It should work on mobiles too... so the first view of a page on any device may be a little slow to load, grabbing all the new content from your local vicinity, then super fast as everything is near local to you from here forward.

You can see the network at: https://www.keycdn.com/network

Basically, wherever you live, the closest server to you is where you will get the majority of files from, which means reduced latency and requests to our server for each individual -- this improves our servers response time for everyone, whilst improving the overall user experience for the entire site.

 

[Tanishq]

Anthony here is feedback from me. I just did log out and log in. Certainly looks faster to me. Yesterday it was tad slower. Content was not loading faster like it did at the moment.

 

[Tanishq]

Anthony, Is there any need to clear up cookies and cache?

 

[Tanishq]

:( It loaded bit slow right now.

 

[anthony]

There is no need to clear cookies and cache, no. With all the changes just implemented, browser caching is forced now in the page headers, so you're just going to clear what is downloaded again.

Thanks Tanishq.

 

[anthony]

It loaded bit slow right now.

Your network always has a hand in speed, as well as computer. For you, there are much closer servers now than California. India will also have a server soon... so that will keep most content local for you.

 

[Tanishq]

Thanks for info Anthony.

India will also have a server soon

:D Is that why it is saying planned POP? Yet to be installed?

I did wonder why there are two categories there, existing POP and planned POP. Now I can guess...

 

[joeylittle]

From where I am, it is a very noticeable improvement. I blink, and the next page is right there. Pretty great.

 

[Tanishq]

@joeylittle Enjoy smooth surfing on this forums. :tup: