Content network technology can cut network operating costs

Manufacturing companies can make their IT infrastructures run more quickly, scale more efficiently and save considerable money on capital networking costs. Content distribution network (CDN) technology, initially aimed at speeding information delivery to remote users, is now being offered by developer Epic Realm as a method for achieving cheap bandwidth expansion. It works essentially by cacheing the results of frequently used queries locally, removing all repeat request traffic from the application infrastructure and the network, whether that’s local, wide or metropolitan. Chief benefits are deferral of network upgrade and better local user performance. Particularly if applications have been deployed out to a range of locations, it can assist with network load saving. It can also save on complexity and license costs, if the alternative would have meant up-sizing say from a four- to an eight-processor application server. Additionally, there is some network resilience gain insofar as if an application is temporarily down, latest data is still held locally – and with EXT data currency validating technology, that means a low cost way to temporary self-healing. Key uses to date have included managing ‘what if’ enquiries, business intelligence applications involving considerable data querying, and managing third party network access working.