Can CDNs be a Multi-Purpose Technology?

The content delivery network model offers key benefits to designers building enterprise networks.

CDNs accelerate the delivery of internet content through a framework of geographically distributed and interconnected servers with cached storage of frequently asked information. User requests are answered by the server closest to their geographic location, thus speeding up delivery. This approach eliminates the need for users to connect to a central server that might be located much farther away.

Because CDNs play such a critical role, they’re engineered to work without interruption. If one server fails, user requests are funneled automatically to an alternative server.

Failover and load balancing aspects of a CDN offer some intriguing possibilities to network architects. Can those benefits be applied to general network operations as well?

The answer is yes.

CDNs in General Network Operations

Like CDNs, company networks are designed to be resilient and reliable. If a server or a service crashes, failover mechanisms transfer traffic to an alternate server or network route. When traffic becomes unusually heavy over a particular route, companies use load balancing and prioritization to shift traffic to alternative conduits.

The goal for these networks is to route traffic in multiple ways, monitor and adjust for emerging network patterns, and rely on redundant, logical and virtual network technologies that guarantee resilience and uptime. That’s what network pros strive for, and that is what CDNs already do.

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In large enterprises and companies where network performance is linked with the company’s mission and business, redundancy and failover are fundamental components to ensure network uptime and reliability. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), however, might face obstacles; their networks are primarily used to support internal operations, and budgets are limited. The SMB is likely to have an alternate internet provider it can use in the event its primary provider goes down, and it might even have access to a CDN. Beyond that, it has little else, which can be dangerous.

Companies, regardless of size, can’t afford to run their networks without failover and redundancy. According to a 2024 study by Cockroach Labs, for example, 93% of business executives said they worried about the effect of network and system downtime. All the respondents reported their companies had experienced revenue losses due to downtime over the past year, with average costs per outage ranging from $10,000 to more than $1 million.

The growth of edge computing, which depends on reliable performance, is another contributing factor. One market analyst, Grandview Research, projected a 36% compound annual growth rate for the sector between now and 2030. Armed with this data, network managers should be able to harness the business arguments they need when proposing investments in network failover and redundancy.

The Primary Investment Areas for Network Failover and Resilience

Engineering failover and resiliency within a network requires the following:

To achieve these goals, enterprises can mirror CDN architecture by geographically distributing both servers and storage. Automating traffic switching permits DNS system records to move to alternative routes if the network fails or if traffic needs to be load balanced.

Software-defined WAN, which enables dynamic traffic path selection and failover among different network connections, is another option. It’s also possible to automate failover mechanisms within the network itself. If a glitch is detected, the network will switch to alternative servers and routes without manual intervention.

Automating failover and rerouting is complex. It might require internal network expertise that smaller companies lack. But CDN building blocks — placing remote servers and storage on edge networks or in geographically distributed locations — are straightforward and attainable. So is securing the services of multiple ISPs. These basic strategies will greatly improve network failover, redundancy and resilience.