Multi-CDN vs. Dynamic Site Acceleration (DSA)

Multi-CDN and Dynamic Site Acceleration (DSA) are both strategies to make content delivery faster and more reliable. They are often mentioned together, but they tackle different parts of the problem. Multi-CDN chooses between providers, while DSA focuses on optimizing the transport path between the CDN edge and the origin. What DSA Does Dynamic Site Acceleration was introduced in the 2000s as a premium CDN feature. It targets dynamic content that cannot be cached. Instead of improving speed through storage at the edge, DSA makes the path between the edge and the origin faster. ...

August 17, 2025

The History of Multi-CDN

Using multiple CDNs at once is now a common strategy for large platforms. Known as Multi-CDN, it provides resilience, global reach, and performance tuning beyond what any single provider can guarantee. This article traces the history of Multi-CDN, from early experiments with failover to modern platforms that automate real-time traffic steering across many networks. Early beginnings: redundancy and failover The first Multi-CDN setups in the early 2000s were crude but effective. Enterprises with global audiences, especially in media and finance, sometimes contracted with more than one provider. Typically, they designated a “primary” CDN and configured a “backup” to handle traffic if the main service failed. ...

August 17, 2025

Top 10 Questions About Multi-CDN

Multi-CDN is a strategy that uses more than one CDN at the same time. Instead of relying on a single provider, traffic flows through multiple networks and is steered to whichever one works best at that moment. This approach improves reach, resilience, and sometimes cost efficiency. If you are unfamiliar with the basics of CDNs, see the Top 10 Questions About CDNs first. 1. What is a Multi-CDN and how does it differ from a single CDN? A single CDN depends on one provider’s network of points of presence. A Multi-CDN combines the reach of several providers, switching between them based on performance, location, or availability. The result is fewer single points of failure and a smoother experience for global audiences. ...

August 16, 2025