Global CDN Expands Affordably with Region-Based Bandwidth Billing
Scaling Global Reach and Optimizing Performance: How NetActuate Enabled 5centsCDN to Successfully Scale their Global Presence, Reduce Latency, and Optimize Bandwidth Costs
About the Customer
5centsCDN is a leading content delivery network (CDN) that helps businesses of all sizes deliver content faster and more reliably. With a global network of servers, 5centsCDN ensures your website and applications load lightning-fast for users around the world, and it does so affordably and scalably with plans starting at just 5 cents per GB.
Industry
Content Delivery Network (CDN)
NetActuate Services Provided
- Anycast Network
- BGP Configuration
- Distributed SQL Clustering
- Region-based Bandwidth Billing for Cost Optimization
Challenge
5centsCDN was looking to scale globally and improve latency while managing multiple Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs) and a distributed SQL database. They required a customized BGP configuration and deployment strategy to achieve this. Their key objectives were:
- Expanding their global network using Anycast with granular control over multiple ASNs.
- Implementing a distributed Galera SQL database across geographically dispersed PoPs.
- Reducing latency and improving CDN performance.
- Optimizing their bandwidth billing strategy to address high transit costs in expensive regions.
Solution
NetActuate’s global edge and Anycast technology allows the customer to efficiently route their traffic from millions of users worldwide into its platform. By providing a high-performance solution in over 30 locations, NetActuate meets customer’s technical requirements and ensures high availability. Collaborating on architecture and DevOps, the leading cloud provider seamlessly integrated its services with NetActuate’s APIs and automation tools.
Custom BGP Playbook Development
5centsCDN required a unique solution to manage two independent BGP groups for separate ASNs, a feature not covered by their standard playbook. Through collaboration between the DevOps teams, a custom Ansible playbook was developed for the initial configuration that allowed for the creation of the global service cluster, with a customized BGP announcement strategy.
This solution allowed them to:
- Configure BGP daemons on both ASNs across all their machines.
- Control which PoPs were announcing specific prefixes for each ASN, offering more granular control over routing.
Latency Reduction & Network Expansion
After migrating their announcement nodes to the Anycast platform, 5centsCDN immediately saw significant reductions in latency across multiple regions.
Key benefits included:
- A noticeable improvement in global latency, crucial for enhancing CDN performance.
- Increased PoPs by 47%, from 17 to 25, to serve more regions and deliver better performance.
5centsCDN faced challenges when trying to integrate global nodes into a single SQL controller for their Galera cluster. They were experiencing timeouts and connectivity issues between dispersed PoPs. To address this, NetActuate helped them reorganize their cluster structure by grouping geographically closer nodes together.
This solution:
- Reduced database sync issues caused by long-distance connections between PoPs.
- Improved overall system reliability and ensured more efficient global database operations.
Bandwidth Billing Optimization
5centsCDN were concerned about transit costs, particularly in regions with high bandwidth expenses.
NetActuate worked with their team to:
- Separate & strategically regroup regions to offer region-specific bandwidth pricing.
- Optimize their billing strategy, resulting in more cost-efficient transit while maintaining high performance.
The NetActuate Difference
Expanding Globally Effortlessly
Through personalized support and customized solutions such as region-based bandwidth billing, NetActuate enabled 5centsCDN to successfully scale their global presence, reduce latency, and optimize their bandwidth costs.
Simplification
By addressing both technical and financial challenges, we empowered them to expand into new regions while maintaining top-tier performance.
“Thank you for your region-based bandwidth billing — This feature has been instrumental in scaling our operations. It’s truly been a pleasure working with NetActuate.”
– Amru Rahiman Komalath, CEO, 5centsCDN
Results
Latency Improvement
5centsCDN saw a significant reduction in latency globally, enhancing their CDN performance.
Network Expansion
The number of deployed PoPs increased by 47% from 17 to 25, contributing to expanding their global reach.
Cost Optimization
Regional pricing strategies and a more efficient use of bandwidth reduced transit costs in expensive regions.
Conclusion
Through personalized support and customized solutions, NetActuate enabled 5centsCDN to successfully scale their global presence, reduce latency, and optimize their bandwidth costs. By addressing both technical and financial challenges, we empowered them to expand into new regions while maintaining top-tier performance.
Discover how NetActuate’s Anycast fuels growth for 5centsCDN and strengthens the partnership – Faster Websites & Global Reach | 5centsCDN’s New Anycast Network.