Amazon CloudFront 101

Content Delivery Using Amazon
CloudFront

Agenda: Content Delivery With CloudFront

Discuss what a CDN is and the benefits it provides.
Provide an introduction to Amazon CloudFront.
Examine common needs and challenges.
Provide examples of how customers have met these
needs using AWS and Amazon CloudFront.
Discuss Pricing.
Learn how to get started.

.
2
© 2011 Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates. All rights reserved. May not be copied, modified or distributed in whole or in part without the express consent of Amazon.com, Inc.

What is a CDN
How it works
A content delivery network (CDN) uses a network of servers in
geographically dispersed locations (edge locations) to cache copies
of content close to end users, lowering latency when they download
or stream the objects.
When a specific page, file, or program is requested by a user, the
server dynamically selected to deliver the content is based on
closest network proximity or the one with the fewest network hops to
the end user.
Content is replicated across edge locations thereby providing
redundancy.

3

What is a CDN
CDN Benefits
Improves customer experience with faster page loads - bounce rates
go down and customers stay on your site longer.
SEO benefits: site speed and load times are important to search
engine ranking.
• A study by Google showed that every ½ second of page load time dropped
customer traffic by 20%. Google factors in page load times in their quality score.
Mobile users on limited bandwidth connections get to your site faster.
Takes load off your web server.
Reduces costs.
Makes your site more reliable and scalable.
Provides protection: redundancy across multiple servers/locations.

4

Introduction to CloudFront
CloudFront in a Nutshell.
Low latency. Improves content load times.
High bandwidth. Enables high bit rate HD video.
and other bandwidth-heavy applications.
Redundant. Eliminates single points of failure.
Scalable. Ensure great experience as number of
end users grows.
Global. Worldwide network provides great
experience regardless of geography.
Cost-effective. Pay as you go model provides
flexibility for your business.

5

Key features for CloudFront.
RTMP (Flash) and HTTP delivery
Low Minimum Content Expiration Periods (Zero seconds)
Live and VOD
Adaptive Bitrate Streaming
HTTP/HTTPS File Delivery
Private Content
Programmatic Invalidation
Industry-compliant, detailed Access Logs
AWS Management Console
Full control via APIs
Price Classes
Support for dynamic content Amazon CloudFront
Cookie Support

6

Dynamic Content Support
Dynamic content is the interactive or personalized portion of
a website, created on-the-fly for each end user.

•News
•Weather
•Sports
•Social media
•Advertising
•Travel

7

Multiple Cache Behaviors
Multiple Origin Servers Origin
Connection Protocol
Viewer Connection Protocol
Minimum Expiration Period
Query String Parameters
Cookie Support

8

Amazon CloudFront for Dynamic Websites
Delivery of your entire website via CloudFront
Fast performance using reliable AWS network connections
Simple, self-configuration using API or Management Console
Cost-effective with no minimum commits or required long-term contracts

*.jpg Amazon
CloudFront to origin
minTTL = 86400 S3
server connections:
query strings = false
Persistent cookies = none
Mobile Clients Client to CloudFront connections to each trusted signers = false ‡
Alternate AWS origin configuration
connections: origin
viewer protocol = allow-all
Routing based on lowest Concurrent requests
collapsed toa a EC2/ELB
latency
single origin request Amazon in US East
Persistent connections (N. Virginia)
Connection to AWS Elastic
TCP optimizations origins over Amazon Compute Route
monitored networks Cloud 53 with EC2/ELB
Latency in EU West
Amazon (Dublin, Ireland)
Based
Elastic
Browsers/Desktop Route 53‡ CloudFront *.php Route 53‡ Load Routing
www.mysite.com abc123.cloudfront.net EC2/ELB in
Clients minTTL = 0 Balancing
vCloudFront Edge AP Southeast
query strings = true
Locations: (Singapore)
cookies = phpsessid
Multiple layers of
trusted signers = true
caching
inside each edge
location

Tablets/Devices

/ads/* Route 53‡ Custom
minTTL = 900 Origin
query strings = true
cookies = all
trusted signers = false
‡ Optional component

Simple DIY configuration with web console
Simple to Use No consultants to hire
No proprietary languages to learn

Designed to work with origins in Amazon EC2
AWS Integration Connections to AWS regions closely monitored
Standard AWS resources (like CloudFormation)

No additional charges or set up fees
Low Cost Pay only for requests and data transfer

10

How CloudFront Works Dynamic Content
User to CloudFront
Routing based on lowest latency
TCP Optimizations
Persistent Connections
Elastic Load Amazon EC2
Balancing

Static Content
Amazon CloudFront

CloudFront to Origin
Separation of static and dynamic content
Persistent connections to each origin
Network paths monitored for performance Amazon S3

11

How CloudFront Works: Non-Cached Object

If content not cached – object Request routed to most
requested from origin CloudFront optimal edge location
S3 bucket or Edge
custom origin
with content 2 Locations
1
End-user requests content

Cached copies of
objects
3 4
Data transfer of content to Data transfer of cached content
CloudFront edge location to cache to end user (if cached)

12

How CloudFront Works: Cached Object

Request routed to most
CloudFront optimal edge location
S3 bucket or Edge
custom origin Locations End-user requests content
with content
1

Cached copies of
objects
2
Data transfer of cached content
to end user (if cached)

13

Content and Media Serving Architecture

14

Rapidly Adding Features, Expanding Scope.
2009 2010 2011 2012
• New Lower Pricing Tiers • Singapore Edge Location • Paris Edge Location • Milan Edge Location
• Access Logging Capability • Private Streaming • (IAM) Identity & Access • Osaka Edge Location
• CloudFront Management Console • Price Drop Management • Lower Minimum Content Expiration Periods
• Private Content • HTTPS Support • Price Drop • Live Streaming FMS 4.5
• Streaming Video on Demand • Lower 1-Hour TTLs • Free Inbound Data Transfer
• Geo-blocking tutorial
• Stockholm Edge Location
• Access Logs - Streaming • Second Virginia Edge Location
• Live Streaming Support
• NYC Edge Location • Second Singapore Edge Location
• Sao Paulo Edge Location
• Enhanced Logs • Second LA Edge Location • Second Frankfurt Edge Location
• Default Root Object • San Jose Edge Location • London Edge Location
• Invalidation • South Bend Edge Location • Smooth Streaming Support
• Custom Origins • Sec. NY Edge Location • Dynamic Content Support
• Service Level Agreement • Large Object Support • Multiple Cache Behaviors
• Jacksonville Edge Location • CloudFront Tops 20K customers • Multiple Origin Servers
• Query String Parameters
• Second Dallas Edge Location
• Second Paris Edge Location
• Sydney Edge Location
• Cookie Support
• Price Classes
• Enhanced Logs
• Madrid, Spain Edge Location

15

CloudFront’s global presence.

Europe
Amsterdam (2)
North America Dublin
Ashburn, VA (2) Frankfurt (2)
Dallas, TX (2) London (2)
Jacksonville, FL Madrid Asia
Los Angeles, CA (2) Milan Hong Kong
Miami, FL Paris (2) Osaka
Newark, NJ Stockholm Singapore (2)
New York, NY (2) Sydney
Palo Alto, CA Tokyo
Seattle, WA
San Jose, CA South America
South Bend, IN Sao Paulo
St. Louis, MO

16

Needs and CloudFront Examples
What do customers expect from a CDN
Great performance to a global audience.
Reliable delivery to wide range of clients and devices.
Scalability for unpredictable spikes in demand.
Control for secure content delivery.
Reporting and analytics to track & analyze viewing patterns.
Easy to configure and manage solutions.
Cost-effective solutions.
Continuous investment and updates to servers/services.
Delivery of all their content – static and dynamic
17

Need: Great performance globally.

Amazon is a metrics driven company.
We focus on metrics that capture the end user
experience: the “last mile,” not internet “backbone”
data centers.
Your customers do not live in data centers.

18

Gomez tested:
Over a 7-day period:
• 146,731 tests were conducted against a 1MB sized object in four regions
• 130,365 tests were conducted against a 12kb sized object in four
regions - Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.
• At least 50 measurements per hour per CDN per peer population were
tested for each object size in Asia, Europe, North America, and South
America .
• Tests compared CloudFront performance verse other top-tier CDNs.

*The Gomez tests were designed and conducted by Amazon using the
Compuware Corporation performance network. The test results have not been
reviewed, approved or endorsed by Compuware Corporation
19

Gomez results:
Amazon CloudFront is first or second for all geography
and sizes tested
Large (1MB): CloudFront is first in USA and ASIA and
5ms behind first place CDN in EU (no statistical diff).
SM (12KB): CloudFront is first in US. Under 50kb behind
first place CDN in EU and SA.

Compuware Corporation performance network. The test results have not been
reviewed, approved or endorsed by Compuware Corporation
20


Last mile data based on 37,052 observations – 1MB object Last mile data based on 33,961 observations – 12kb object

Compuware Corporation performance network. The test results have
not been reviewed, approved or endorsed by Compuware Corporation
21



22



23



24



25


Great Perforamcne

• Amazon CloudFront had to win Amazon.com’s CDN business just like any other CDN
• Testing on Amazon.com shows that Amazon CloudFront is 7% faster than CDN A and 51% faster
than CDN B.

26

Example: Earth Networks
“With CloudFront’s strong performance, ease
of use and flexibility, our team can use the API
or the Console to quickly make changes to our
CDN configuration and see the updates within
minutes. And with the low cost of delivering
dynamic content using CloudFront, we expect
to see significant cost savings as well.”
Andy Rosenbaum, Development Manager

27


Example: Amazon.com
The Amazon.com Video Games Download Store launched a new
download experience using Amazon CloudFront.

“Delivery via Amazon CloudFront allows you to download video games as
quickly as your broadband connection allows. Customers using a high
speed, broadband internet can see up to an 8x increase in download
speed…...”

28


Example: Linden Labs (Second Life)
Second Life, or Linden Lab, uses Amazon S3 to store
downloads used in the Second Life world and CloudFront to
distribute them.
“CloudFront has significantly reduced the time it takes for our Residents to
download our Viewer, wherever they are,” said Linden Lab’s Bryan
O’Sullivan. “The process for getting up and running with CloudFront was
simple and straightforward, and took just a few minutes.”

29


Example: IMDB
IMDB uses Amazon CloudFront to distribute
content globally.

“CloudFront makes this experience the fastest
possible by distributing the content physically
close to our worldwide user base.

By hosting our search and video files on
Amazon CloudFront, we have zero servers to
maintain, which makes our reliability sky-high.
Amazon CloudFront gives us ultrafast, scalable,
and reliable search all over the world"

30

Need: Reliable delivery to a range of clients.
Multiple delivery protocols for
different platforms and devices
• Adobe RTMP
• HTTP Streaming for iOS

?
Options for live and on-demand
video
• Full control over origin for live
streaming
Reliability backed by CloudFront
Service Level Agreement

31

Example: PBS
PBS Interactive says it has experienced fifty percent
fewer errors in its video streaming performance using
CloudFront compared to its previous CDN.

“We are extremely pleased with the performance and
ease of use that CloudFront offers for streaming videos
to different devices. With fewer errors, CloudFront
delivers a great experience to our viewers, and that’s
very important for the success of our business…..using
Amazon CloudFront is so simple and reliable that the
team doesn’t have to think about it. It all just works,
freeing us to focus on building cool applications.”

32

Need: Scalability for unpredictable spikes.
Operating reliability at scale is in our DNA.
Self-service signup and configuration gives lets you set up new
distributions when you need it.
On demand scalability: Access to our entire global network of
locations.
Designed for Capacity: Ensures customer success with a
guaranteed SLA and continuous investment and updates to
servers/services.

33

Example: Video banner ad customer

Peak usage over 60 Gbps

34

Example: Playfish
• Unique users: 50M/month, 10M/day, 1.5M/hour
• HTTP requests on one game in peak hour: 45M
• Analytics events processed: 500M/day
• Analytics data generated: 2TB/month
• Physical servers ever owned: 0
“Using Amazon meant that we
• Playfish uses EC2, S3, EMR and CloudFront.
were able to scale our
• All of their app servers, databases and load infrastructure seamlessly while
balancers run on EC2.
keeping everyone’s
• All of their static data is stored in S3 and served
concentration on our core
via CloudFront.
business.”
35

Need: Control for secure content delivery
Private Content Feature authenticate users with signed URLS
• Uses policy-driven access controls for control and flexibility
• Restrict on resource or path, time, source IP
• Signatures generated using asymmetric encryption
SSL delivery and RTMPE streaming encrypt bytes on the wire
Origin Access Identities secure your content in Amazon S3
Identify and Access Management (IAM) to control who can
configure your CloudFront distributions

36

Needs and Examples
Example: Mediafly

Mediafly uses CloudFront to provide security for
downloads as well as to handle traffic spikes.

“Migrating to AWS was a strategic decision for
Mediafly, one that we didn’t take lightly. It has
turned out to be one of the best decisions we
have made as an organization. Our latest
integration with CloudFront furthers that belief.
We are able to offer advanced security while
handling traffic spikes and scaling with ease."

37

Needs and Examples
Need: Reporting and analytics.
Amazon CloudFront Log Analyzer for Elastic MapReduce
• Generate usage reports containing total traffic volume, object popularity,
a break down of traffic by client IPs and edge location.
• Reports are formatted as tab delimited text files, and delivered to the
Amazon S3 bucket that you specify.
Standard W3C format creates partner ecosystem solutions
For instance, S3stat automatically tracks your CloudFront and S3 Usage
Statistics through graphical reports generated on a nightly basis.
Identify performance bottlenecks caused by slow loading content.

38

Needs and Examples
Example: Reporting and analytics.
Vid.ly uses access logs from CloudFront to
build usage reports for customers.

"The CloudFront access logs have been
extremely valuable for Vid.ly, our new universal
video delivery platform. We analyze these logs
daily to build specific usage reports for our
customers so they can see how many times
each of their Vid.ly videos have been played

39

Needs and Examples
Need: Easy to configure and manage solutions.
Self service signup and
configuration – anytime, from
anywhere.
AWS Management Console to
create and manage CloudFront
distributions.
Programmatic APIs for integration
into your own systems and
workflow.

40

Needs and Examples
Example: fotopedia

Fotopedia was able to quickly set up on
CloudFront when their widgets were featured on
the web.

“When our widgets were featured….we quickly
enabled Amazon CloudFront for distribution of
our images – literally days after Cloudfront
launched. It was easy to implement and
improved the performance for our customers.”

41

Needs and Examples
Need: Cost effective solutions
Low cost: reduced CloudFront
pricing four times in last 3 years.
Pay-as-you-go pricing with or without
commitments making it affordable to
distribute streaming media.
Tiered pricing, rates go down as
volume increases.
Reserved CloudFront Capacity
pricing reduces rates with a longer
term commitment.

42

Needs and Examples
Example: Envoy Media Group

Envoy Media Group was able to reduce costs
by ~20% off costs using CloudFront.

“Our costs have been reduced by
approximately 20%. We no longer have to pay
for locker rental and power, our man hour costs
have dramatically decreased, and our
bandwidth costs are lower….One of the key
reasons Envoy moved to AWS was the ability
to ‘pay as you go.’”

43

Pricing

44

Pricing – Price Classes

Price Classes let you reduce your delivery prices by excluding Amazon
CloudFront’s more expensive edge locations
Some of your viewers, especially those in geographic locations that are not in
your price class, may experience higher latency than if your content were being
served from all Amazon CloudFront locations.

45

Getting Started

Simply sign up for CloudFront at http://
aws.amazon.com/cloudfront
Either use Amazon S3 or your own custom origin for
storing the objects
Create a distribution using CloudFront
Place the CloudFront URL on your site

47

Thank you!

www.aws.amazon.com/cloudfront

48

Amazon CloudFront 101

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Amazon CloudFront 101

Similar to Amazon CloudFront 101 (20)

More from Amazon Web Services

More from Amazon Web Services (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Amazon CloudFront 101

Editor's Notes