A Practical Guide to Content Delivery Networks offers an organized approach to implementing the networks responsible for the distribution of various types of Web traffic, including standard Web pages and streaming audio and video. Because CDN operations are normally performed by independent organizations, the successful use of vendor facilities requires knowledge of how CDNs operate--this volume describes how these networks function and the pros and cons of their use.

This book also examines Web architecture and TCP/IP, enabling an understanding of the clients, servers, and back-end databases that combine within a CDN to satisfy organizational requirements. It also explores the evolution of technologies that distribute Web content, pointing out advantages and disadvantages and explaining how these networks can deliver an organization's Web-based information to users worldwide.

This vendor-neutral guide benefits anyone building HR or financial applications, Web sites, or any services in which reliability, scalability, and availability are paramount.