ABSTRACT
Until now, we briefly covered the major reasons for having a content delivery system and a few of the methods that could facilitate the operation of a content delivery network (CDN). In this chapter, we will probe deeper into the content delivery model, examining the so-called edge operations that move the content of customers to the edges of the Internet. In actuality, the term edge while appropriate here, can mean different things to different persons with respect to their physical location. However, prior to discussing edge operations we will first build on information previously presented in this book to obtain a better appreciation for the rationale for CDN. We will view the Internet as a transmission facility that has a series of critical links to understand bottlenecks and how a distributed CDN can overcome such bottlenecks. Because this author believes that both sides of a coin need to be shown, as we discuss edge operations we will also examine some of the limitations associated with the distribution of content across the Internet.
