Does CDN support video caching? - azure

I am new Windows Azure and I uploaded all my images into CDN.
It provides In-Memory Cache that can store my application's data in memory to improve application responsiveness, performance and scale.
And also I upload my preview video content into Azure CDN but my application player doesn't play this video url which likes http://cdn.mydomain.com/myapp/videos/preview/1460_preview.mp4
Do you know any idea ? How can I serve this content via Azure CDN.
Thanx

Azure CDN is a 'pull' model & not a push model. You don't upload into the CDN, you would upload into Blob storage or onto a VM's storage in the /CDN virtual directory. On the initial request the CDN would grab the file from origin and populate the edge node. The second request would be served from the CDN.
The CDN does support video files & a variety of streaming codes.
Overview of CDN:
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/articles/cdn-overview/
Best practices:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsazure/archive/2011/03/18/best-practices-for-the-windows-azure-content-delivery-network.aspx
Another way to do this is to leverage the Azure Media Services:
http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/develop/Media-Services/how-to-guides/media-services-dotnet/#enable-cdn
Pat

Related

Best way to upload medium sized videos to azure blob storage?

I am currently on a student plan for azure (gotta stay finessing as a college student lol) and am looking for the best way to upload videos to azure blob storage. Currently, I am using an azure function api to upload the video, but I am encountering a "Javascript heap out of memory" error when I try and multiparts parse big video files.
Ideally, I'd be able to quickly upload 3.5 minute music videos from mobile and desktop to azure blob storage with this method.
Either a better way of uploading videos to blob storage from my front-end or a solution for the javascript heap out of memory error would be amazing help.
Here's the link to that other post, if you are curious: How to fix JavaScript heap out of memory on multipart.Parse() for azure function api
Approaches:
After a workaround based on your issue, I would suggest that you use Azure Media Services.
Media Services can be integrated with Azure CDN. Refer to check Media Services-Managing streaming endpoints.
All supported formats use HTTP to transport data and benefit from HTTP caching. In live streaming, actual video/audio data is separated into fragments, which are cached in CDNs.
To start, I recommend that you use the Azure Storage SDK with Node.JS. The SDK will handle everything for you. Attaching few uploaders below to check accordingly.
Upload a video to Azure Blob examples
Refer MSDoc & SO thread by #Gopi for uploading a video with the .mp4 extension to Azure blob storage using C#.
You can upload a video using Azure functions directly. But to use Azure Functions, you must create a back-end component written in.NET, Java, JavaScript, or Python.
You can use the "Azure Storage Rest API" to upload files/video files using a storage account, like you mentioned. You will be able to get the desired result by using this Azure Storage Rest -API-MSDoc.

Using Azure Media Services with on-prem assets

Is it possible to stream on-premises media files through Azure Media Services without storing them in the cloud?
This is not possible. AMS uses blob storage as the source for assets that are being encoded and streamed. From a performance perspective this approach makes sense as well.
Note that the uploaded content is protected using storage protection and access policies.

Can you use Azure CDN without having to upload the files to Azure storage?

I have a website where I would like to cache the few images/stylesheets/javascript-files I have. Is it possible to have Azure CDN point directly on the files on my server, and then cache them, instead of having to upload them to an Azure storage?
It's not possible. Azure will not allow you to configure arbitrary domain as origin domain to support origin content pull. The only available targets are existing azure website, cloudservice or storage account.
Let us discuss your desired end goal.
If you want to improve your caching with CDN related functionality with the same domain name, take a look at Cloud Flare.
However, if you were going to a separate your content into a CDN domain and the application domain, you could look at expanding the following MSDN sample. The idea with this sample is so that as a deployment step, you upload all the CDN related content to the Azure Storage Account.
https://code.msdn.microsoft.com/windowsazure/Synchronizing-Files-to-a14ecf57

Can i upload to CDN server directly in Azure?

I have been exploring the features available in Azure and AWS. The fact that most features is not available or not clear.In CDN part i have comparisson criteria like 'Whether I can push/upload content to CDN Servers like in AKamai.
I have seen the feedback program and find that Custom-Origin is not available(
Link : http://feedback.azure.com/forums/169397-cdn/status/191761 ).But this one i could not find any link.Anyone has any idea?
No. Azure CDN currently does not support direct interaction (i.e. direct content upload, explicit or on-demand content expiration, etc.). It works as advertised serves files from Azure Storage Account or azure Cloud Service.

Image Hosting Azure

I'm creating a website where users will be able to upload various images when creating a new page on my website. What service does Microsoft offer to host many user uploaded images. Would a Blob suffice? If so, if I were to add a CDN, would it be worthwhile? From what I understand, a CDN copies the images on various servers. If my local server has 1 million images, would that mean all the other locations will have 1 million images as well? Would that be very costly?
Blob storage is the perfect place for images in Azure.
CDN is great for when your images are at least somewhat static and will be viewed more than once.
With CDN you do not pay for storage costs (on the CDN), but instead for transfers out of the CDN - http://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/details/cdn/
I should also mention that if you're using Azure and Blob storage is your primary facility for storing images, Azure's CDN does not have to be your primary CDN - and any CDN will work. CDN's are pretty commodity service these days.
HTH
A CDN on top of Azure storage would be useful if you have lot of users fetching the same file(hot files/Cache hits) Accessing files that are not heavily used will result in a Cache Miss. The CDN will then fetch the file from the origin (Azure Storage) before delivering it to the user. For such a scenario adding a CDN on top of Azure storage provides very little benefit.

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