| copyright | lastupdated | keywords | subcollection | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2024-08-02 |
faqs, cname, configuration, status, ports, hotlink protection, error state, file path, cloud object storage, security |
CDN |
{{site.data.keyword.attribute-definition-list}}
{: #faqs}
Have a question about CDN? Review frequently asked questions, which provide answers to provisioning concerns, application access, and other common inquiries. {: shortdesc}
{: #what-is-a-content-delivery-network-cdn} {: faq} {: support}
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a collection of Edge servers that are distributed through various parts of the country or the world. Their web content is served from an Edge server, which is located in the geographic area closest to the customer who requests the content. This technique lets the users receive the content with less delay than we might achieve by delivering the content from one centralized location. It delivers a better overall experience for your customers.
{: #how-does-a-content-delivery-network-cdn-work} {: faq} {: support}
A CDN achieves its purpose by caching web content on Edge servers around the world. When a user requests web content, the content request is routed to the Edge server that is geographically closest to that user. By reducing the distance that the content must travel, the CDN offers optimized throughput, minimized latency, and increased performance.
{: #where-do-i-find-cost-estimates-for-cdn} {: faq} {: support}
With CDN you pay only for the bandwidth that you use. You are using the static bandwidth by default. If you have enabled the Dynamic Content Acceleration (DCA) feature, you will also pay for the dynamic bandwidth.
You can find the unit prices of the static and dynamic bandwidth on the provisioning pages for CDN. Log in to the IBM Cloud Content Delivery Network console and click Create. The unit prices appear in the Summary side panel on the provisioning page.
{: #how-is-my-ibm-cloud-content-delivery-network-service-account-created} {: faq} {: support}
Your account is created during the CDN ordering process. If you are creating a CDN from the legacy portal, when you click the Order CDN button, under the Network > CDN page, your account is created. If you are creating a CDN from the {{site.data.keyword.cloud_notm}} portal, when you click the Create button, under the Catalog > Network > Content Delivery Network page, your account is created.
{: #what-do-i-do-when-my-cdn-is-in-cname-configuratione-status} {: faq} {: support}
For HTTP and SAN certificate-based HTTPS CDN, update your DNS record so that your website points to the CNAME associated with your new CDN mapping.
For wildcard, certificate-based HTTPS CDN, this DNS update is not needed because you access the website through https://<CNAME>. You can refresh your CDN status by clicking Get status from the menu of your CDN instance.
It can take up to 15 - 30 minutes for the update to take effect. Check with your DNS provider to obtain an accurate time estimate. {: note}
{: #how-do-i-add-a-cname-record-for-my-cdn-domain-in-dns} {: faq} {: support}
In your DNS configuration page for your CDN domain, you can create a CNAME record with the CDN domain name as the Host, and the IBM CNAME you used to configure the CDN as the CNAME. The IBM CNAME ends with cdn.appdomain.cloud..
A typical CNAME record looks similar to the following on the DNS configuration page:
| Resource Type | Host | Points to (CNAME) | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNAME | www.example.com | example.cdn.appdomain.cloud | 15 minutes |
| {: caption="CNAME record example" caption-side="bottom"} |
{: #when-will-i-be-billed-for-my-cdn} {: faq} {: support}
{{site.data.keyword.cloud_notm}} Content Delivery Network billing occurs according to the billing period established in your {{site.data.keyword.cloud_notm}} account.
{: #if-i-select-delete-does-that-delete-my-account} {: faq} {: support}
No, if you select 'Delete' from the Overflow 
menu, only that CDN is deleted. Your account still exists, and you can create additional CDNs.
{: #does-content-caching-use-push-or-pull} {: faq}
Content caching is done using an origin pull model. Origin Pull is a method by which data is "pulled" by the Edge server from the origin server, as opposed to manually uploading the content onto the Edge server.
{: #is-there-a-recommended-browser-to-use-for-cdn-service-configuration} {: faq}
Yes, Firefox and Chrome are the recommended browsers. It is recommended that you use the latest versions with your {{site.data.keyword.cloud_notm}} Content Delivery Network.
{: #what-is-the-purpose-of-providing-a-path-when-creating-my-cdn} {: faq}
If you provide a path while creating your CDN, it allows you to isolate the files that can be served through CDN from a particular origin server.
{: #my-cdn-is-in-an-error-state} {: faq}
Refer to the Troubleshooting or Getting help and support, or open a case in the {{site.data.keyword.cloud_notm}} console.
{: #where-do-i-find-the-cname-for-my-cdn} {: faq}
Click your CDN to access the Overview page in the portal. In the upper right corner, you can see a Details section with the CName information.
My single file purge request for a given file path is in progress. Can I submit a new request for the same file path?
{: #my-single-file-purge-request-for-a-given-file-path} {: faq}
No. There can be only one active purge request for a given file path at a time.
Is Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) supported by the {{site.data.keyword.cloud_notm}} Content Delivery Network service? How does it work?
{: #is-ip-version-6-supported} {: faq}
IPv6 (or dual stack support) is supported by Akamai's Edge servers. It is designed to help customers with an IPv4-only origin to accept connections from IPv6 clients, convert from IPv6 to IPv4 at the Edge, and go forward to the origin with IPv4.
Creating an {{site.data.keyword.cloud_notm}} CDN using an IPv6 address as the origin server address is not supported. {: note}
{: #are-there-any-restrictions-on-what-port-numbers-are-allowed} {: faq}
Yes. For the Akamai vendor, only the following port numbers are allowed: 72, 80-89, 443, 488, 591, 777, 1080, 1088, 1111, 1443, 2080, 7001, 7070, 7612, 7777, 8000-9001, 9090, 9901-9908, 11080-11110, 12900-12949, 20410, and 45002.
{: #what-url-should-be-used-for-access-to-data} {: faq}
The path for a CDN mapping, or for the origin, is treated as a directory. Therefore, users trying to access the origin path should access it as a directory (with a slash). For example, if CDN www.example.com is created using the path that includes the /images directory, the URL to reach it should be www.example.com/images/
Omitting the slash, for example, using www.example.com/images results in a Page Not Found error.
{: #notification-that-origin-cert-is-expiring} {: faq}
Log in to the Akamai Community and follow the steps outlined in this article{: external}.
{: #what-security-is-included-with-cdn-with-akamai} {: faq}
Using the distributed Akamai platform, you get unparalleled scalability and resiliency with thousands of servers in over 50 countries. The Akamai Intelligent Platform stands between your infrastructure and your users, and it acts as first level of defense for sudden surges in traffic. Akamai Intelligent Platform also is a reverse proxy that listens and responds to requests on ports 80 and 443 only, which means that traffic on other ports is dropped at the Edge without being forwarded to your infrastructure.
{: #are-cookies-preserved-by-the-akamai-cdn} {: faq}
For non-cacheable content, or any content that is not cached, cookies are preserved from the origin. For content that is cached by Edge servers, cookies are not preserved.
How do I use the {{site.data.keyword.cloud_notm}} console to give other users permission to create or manage a CDN?
{: #how-do-i-use-cloud-to-give-users-permission-to-create-or-manage-cdn} {: faq}
The account's Master user can provide other users with permission to create and manage a CDN.
From the {{site.data.keyword.cloud_notm}} console main page, follow these steps to edit permissions:
- Select the Manage tab.
- Select Access (IAM).
- Click the Users tab in the navigation pane.
- Click the wanted User.
- Select the Classic infrastructure tab.
- From the Permissions tab, expand the Services category.
- Select Manage CDN Account.
- Click the Save button.
From the legacy console main page, follow these steps to edit permissions:
- Select the Account tab.
- Select Users > User List.
- Click the wanted Username.
- Select the Portal Permissions tab.
- Select the Services tab.
- Select Manage CDN Account.
- Click the Edit Portal Permissions button.
Why is the Create button not shown or disabled on the Content Delivery Network page?
{: #why-is-create-button-not-showing} {: faq}
If you are the account's Master user, you must upgrade the account for the Create button to appear or be enabled on this page. From the {{site.data.keyword.cloud_notm}} console page, follow these steps as the account's Master user:
- Open the navigation pane by clicking the
triple baricon in the upper left of the web page. - Select Classic Infrastructure.
- Click the Upgrade Account button and follow the instructions.
If you are one of the account's secondary users, the account's Master user must give you the Add/Upgrade Services permission for the Create button to appear or be enabled on this page. From the {{site.data.keyword.cloud_notm}} console page, the account's Master user can follow these steps to edit your permissions:
- Select the Manage tab.
- Select Access (IAM).
- Click the Users tab from navigation pane.
- Click the wanted User.
- Select the Classic infrastructure tab.
- From the Permissions tab, expand the Account category.
- Select Add/Upgrade Services.
- Click the Save button.
Why am I unable to reach my web page through my CDN after configuring Hotlink Protection with protectionType ALLOW?
{: #why-am-i-unable-to-reach-webpage-through-my-cdn} {: faq}
Let's consider an example in which your website's domain for users is configured to be your CDN's domain/hostname: cdn.example.com. When someone attempts to reach a web page by navigating directly from the browser's navigation bar, the browser typically does not send Referer headers in its HTTP request. For example, when you directly navigate in this way to https://cdn.example.com/, your CDN considers that the request contains a non-match against the specified refererValues. When the CDN evaluates the appropriate effect or response through your Hotlink Protection, it determines that a non-match occurred. Therefore, your CDN denies access, rather than 'ALLOW'.
{: #can-i-use-private-endpoint-of-object-storage-in-cdn-setting} {: faq}
No, CDN can only connect to object storage on public endpoints.
{: #can-i-use-brotli} {: faq}
No, the Brotli feature is not supported by our CDN service with Akamai.
{: #how-do-i-create-a-cdn-endpoint-without-using-the-domain} {: faq}
You can create a CDN endpoint without using the domain, but ONLY for a CDN of type Wildcard HTTPS. While creating a CDN of type Wildcard HTTPS, your CNAME acts as the CDN endpoint, and the CNAME is used to serve the traffic.
{: #is-http2-supported-by-cdn} {: faq}
Yes, HTTP/2 is supported by Akamai's Edge servers.
{: #is-websocket-supported} {: faq}
No, WebSocket is not supported by Akamai's Edge servers.
{: #what-different-two-type-favorite-group} {: faq}
A favorite is a permanent group, which means that it will never be deleted unless you change it to an unfavorite group. An unfavorite group is a temporary group. This type of group is automatically deleted after 15 days of inactivity.
Favorite groups names must be unique. Unfavorite groups do not have this limitation. {: note}
{: #what-status-is-cdn-allowed-for-multiple-file-purge} {: faq}
Multiple file purges are allowed in the following states:
- Running
- Running - HTTP only
- CNAME configuration required
- Stopped
{: #is-cdn-pci-dss-compliant} {: faq}
Yes, IBM CDN is PCI DSS 3.2.1 compliant through our partner Akamai's certification. For more information, see the Akamai Attestation of Compliance{: external}.
{: #get-client-ip} {: faq}
Akamai Edge servers add the True-Client-IP and X-Forwarded-For headers in the requests to the origin. Then, in your backend origin server, you can get the client IP address from the value of the True-Client-IP, or extract the first IP in the chain of X-Forwarded-For.