Prefetch
The Prefetch in the Medianova Cloud Panel allows you to proactively load and cache specific content in the CDN data centers before it is requested by end users. This is especially beneficial for large files or frequently accessed resources, as it ensures that these files are readily available at the edge servers, significantly reducing load times and enhancing the user experience.
What is Prefetch?
Prefetch refers to the process of downloading or caching content in advance, before it is actually needed by the end user. This strategy is used to anticipate the content that users may request and store it closer to them at the CDN's edge servers. By prefetching content, you reduce the time it takes to retrieve data from the origin server and serve it to the user, thus speeding up the delivery of content.
When content is pre-cached at CDN edge locations, the CDN can serve it directly to the user, bypassing the need to make requests to the origin server for every user. This is particularly useful for resources that are large in size or are accessed frequently, such as images, videos, or large datasets.
Key Features of the Prefetch
Pre-cache Large Files: The tool allows you to pre-populate large files in the CDN edge locations, ensuring they are ready for delivery when requested by users.
Reduced Latency: By having content preloaded in edge locations, it can be served much faster to users, reducing latency and improving load times.
Efficient HTTP Pull Content: The Prefetch Tool is particularly effective for HTTP pull content, where the server pulls the content when a request is made. Prefetching ensures that these files are already in the CDN, minimizing the time it takes to retrieve and serve them.
Improved User Experience: By reducing the time it takes to fetch large or popular content, you improve the overall user experience, leading to faster website load times and more efficient content delivery.
How to Use the Prefetch
Log in to the Cloud Panel: Begin by accessing the Medianova Cloud Panel. From the left-hand menu, navigate to the CDN Resources section.
Select the Resource: Choose the relevant resource where you want to enable the Prefetch. This can be a specific file or set of files that you wish to pre-cache.
Enter the File Path: Specify the path of the file you want to prefetch. This can be the full URL or a relative file path from your server. For example, you might enter the path to a large video file, a high-traffic image, or any other resource you wish to cache in advance.
Click the Prefetch Button: After entering the file path, click the Prefetch button. This will trigger the caching process, where the CDN will begin downloading and storing the content at the edge servers.
Monitor the Process: Once the prefetch process begins, the specified content will be cached at CDN edge locations, ensuring that it is ready to be served when a user requests it. You can monitor the status of the prefetching process through the Cloud Panel interface.
Why Use the Prefetch?
Prefetching is an effective method for optimizing the delivery of content that is either large or frequently accessed. Common use cases for the Prefetch include:
Media Files: Prefetching large video, audio, or image files ensures they load instantly for users, improving performance and reducing buffering times.
Popular Resources: Files or assets that are regularly accessed by users can be pre-cached to ensure they are readily available, avoiding delays caused by waiting for them to be pulled from the origin server.
High-Traffic Pages: For websites or applications with high traffic, prefetching important files ensures that content is always available at the edge, preventing slowdowns or delays during peak usage times.
By leveraging the Prefetch, you can significantly improve the speed and efficiency of your content delivery, ensuring a better overall experience for your users.
Best Practices for Prefetching
Prioritize High-Impact Content: Focus on prefetching content that has a significant impact on user experience, such as large media files or popular resources.
Monitor Cache Hit Rate: Track how often pre-cached content is served from the CDN. If certain files are not being requested as often, consider removing them from the prefetch queue to optimize your cache usage.
Use Prefetching for Large Files: Prefetching is especially useful for large files that take longer to load, as it allows these files to be available on the edge servers before a user requests them.
By using the Prefetch, you are proactively optimizing your content delivery and ensuring that your users receive a fast and seamless experience, especially when dealing with large files or resources that are accessed frequently.
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