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could you please recommend a CDN for the following use:

1) Ability to update files on the edge servers automatically through API, so it should take no more than 5-10 minutes to make a new version of a file available to all customers worldwide. I need an API command to instant refresh edge file copies. No other udate mechanisms are needed (TTL etc.) 2) Pay-as-you-go

What I've found:

1) Amazon cloudFront is not suitable because they only have TTL that is 24 hours minimum.

2) Rackspace Cloud Hosting is not suitable either, because its TTL is 8 hours min.

3) Cachefly.com. User connects to their ftp (or scp), updates files on the origin and disconnets. Once he disconnected cachefly will instantly update all changed to edge files. There is no limit on connections/disconnections frequency and amout. So cachefly is suitable, but it is not cheap. The transfer price per GB vary from $0.49/GB to $0.25/GB depending on your traffic.

4) SimpleCDN.com. Its support claims that the instant update can be done through admin interface and will be available in API in near future. But I didn't manage to find the ui feature and simplecdn support does not clarify what "near future" means. Moreover, I don't trust simplecdn much, because I didn't manage to find information about the amount and geography of its edge servers and the specifications about its service. But compared to Cachefly.com they are TEN times cheaper: from $0.039 downto $0.019 per GB (it is very strange)

5) Edgecast.com. I've contacted its support and they claimed to have the feature and promised me to send their basic pricing, but I didn't receive anything and AFAIK they are not cheap and not pay-as-you-go.

Community, could you please recommend me some CDN to fulfill my requirments.

Thanks and kind regards, Alex

sysadmin1138
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Alex
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    FWIW, here's a list of CDNs that you can look at http://www.mytestbox.com/miscellaneous/content-delivery-networks-cdn-list/ – Jauder Ho Aug 07 '09 at 11:18

2 Answers2

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Thanks to Jauder Ho. I've carefully reviewed the list and finally found CloudLayer CDN, which I am going to stick with. It has a purge cache API call and affordable prices.

Alex
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Is there any reason you couldn't simply use unique file names, perhaps with a redirector under your control?

LapTop006
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  • Yes, there is. For the simplicity sake let's say I have a web service that allows users to create images. A user edits image on my site and saves it, then he gets a permanent link to it, so he can paste the link in his blog. The image must be accessible in a reasonable short period of time for the user convinience. Images are going to be distributed through a CDN. Ofcource I can develop some sort of router which will handle all incoming image requests and redirect them to the latest unique files in CDN. But it is an extremly complex solution. – Alex Aug 08 '09 at 13:31
  • I guess it is much easier to find a CDN that will update an image by API command, which will be issued straight after the image being update by the user. – Alex Aug 08 '09 at 13:31