Prefetch

Proactively warm up CDN caches by fetching files from your origin before user access, ensuring fast delivery and avoiding cache misses.

Prefetch refers to the process of proactively fetching and caching specific files from your origin before any user request occurs. It warms up CDN caches so that the first users receive content instantly, avoiding slow cache misses and offloading your origin server. When you initiate a Prefetch, the CDN pulls the file from your origin and caches it across all CDN POPs. This is especially effective for the delivery of large static or media files.

Prefetch does not override existing cache entries. If the file is already cached, a prefetch request will not re-fetch it from origin.

To force a refresh, perform a Purge first, followed by Prefetch.

You can initiate Prefetch operations from the Medianova Control Panel or via the API.

When to Use Prefetch

Use Prefetch to:

• Preload content before a scheduled event, campaign, or content release

• Ensure large static files (e.g., videos, software downloads) load instantly

• Avoid cache-miss latency for the first user(s)

• Offload your origin by serving assets from CDN edge locations

How Prefetch Works

1. You submit one or more file paths via the Medianova Control Panel or API.

2. Medianova CDN initiates an HTTP GET request to your origin for each file.

3. If the file is not already cached, it is fetched and stored across CDN edge locations.

4. The file is then available to be served instantly to users from cache.

Prefetch attempts to populate the file across all CDN edge caches to reduce latency globally.

Prefetch Propagation & Behavior

When you initiate a Prefetch, the CDN issues an HTTP GET request to your origin and stores the file in cache across all CDN POPs (Points of Presence). This ensures that the file is readily available globally, without waiting for actual user traffic to trigger cache population.

Unlike Purge, which invalidates cached content, Prefetch only populates caches if the file is not already cached. If the file already exists in cache, Prefetch will not re-fetch it from origin.

Behavior	Description
Single-file fetching	Each Prefetch request targets one specific file path
CDN-wide propagation	Files are cached across all POPs
TTL adherence	Cache duration respects the file's Cache-Control or configured TTL settings
Origin-safe	No effect if the file is already cached unless purged first

Prefetch Type

Medianova supports single-file Prefetch, which allows fetching and caching a specific file from your origin.

Type	Description	Example
Single File Prefetch	Fetches and caches one specific file from your origin.	/videos/intro.mp4

Wildcard operations are not supported. Each Prefetch request must target a single file path.

Best Practice Highlights

• Prefetch only frequently accessed static files, such as videos, images, or large downloads.

• Use Purge + Prefetch together to refresh caches after file updates.

• Schedule Prefetch operations during off-peak hours to minimize origin load.

• Avoid prefetching non-cacheable or dynamic resources.

• Verify operation results in the Prefetch Logs section.

Monitor your Prefetch efficiency using MN Logz Analytics.