Content delivery networks (CDNs) improve the scalability of accessing static and, recently, streaming content. However, proxy caching can improve access to these types of content as well. A unique value of CDNs is therefore in improving performance of accesses to dynamic content and other computer applications.
We developed an Application CDN that includes novel algorithms for automatic redeployment of applications on networked servers as required by changing demand and for distributing client requests among application replicas based on their load and proximity. A content provider can deploy an application on a single computer anywhere in the network, and then the system will automatically provision the necessary resources for the application based on the observed demand. The system also incorporates a mechanism for keeping application replicas consistent in the presence of developer updates to the content. An initial prototype of the system was presented at SIGMOD 2002.
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