The economy is improving faster than expected as many sectors have quickly adapted during the pandemic. Now, with businesses returning to the office, employees continue to rely on one of the most powerful remote-working tools— video. To accommodate increased video traffic, adopting an enterprise content delivery network (eCDN) will be business-critical for many companies.
Yet, there’s no one size fits all when it comes to eCDN. Even when searching for a P2P solution, specifically, it’s important to compare vendors to avoid unnecessary trade-offs. Find out how Ramp’s P2P solution solves some of the top security and performance concerns around P2P eCDN— delivering the best video streaming experience without compromise.
P2P in a Nutshell
Peer-to-peer (P2P) networking is one of the three eCDN technologies Ramp offers in its single license solution. Ramp’s P2P is able to connect users via WebRTC without the need for a plugin installed on user devices.
A P2P eCDN divides peers into groups of users that are close to each other within the local network. These clusters are able to stream content among themselves rather than downloading from the origin server. Video steaming is then more stable, and video quality increases when offloading the demand on the origin server.
For companies with limited or no infrastructure, likely P2P will be the eCDN solution of choice. However, every network is created differently. Depending on the use case or other variables, not all P2P solutions will be able to accommodate every criterion.
Here’s how Ramp’s P2P solution goes above and beyond, with features that provide customers with both flexibility and simplicity:
mDNS Compatible Without the Hassle
Multicast Domain Name System (mDNS) is a security feature that has been rolled out by major browsers in recent years. Its purpose is to prevent unauthorized access to data such as collecting local IP addresses for advertising and etc. Most large enterprises have already activated this security feature across their browsers.
Many P2P eCDN providers struggle with mDNS-enabled networks since the technology must use IP addresses to form peer groups within the local network. In order to resolve this issue, most eCDN providers require customers to install specific local 3rd-party software on each client-device (i.e. every desktop, laptop, etc.). Although this solves the issue, it can be extremely time consuming and potentially costly to execute an efficient rollout company-wide.
But we are able to solve the challenge with mDNS in a different way. Ramp’s P2P technology uses a more dynamic and agile approach that does not require 3rd-party software on every client device. Ramp’s P2P network manager is a server component that all end-devices contact using a company’s video platform. By placing this server component inside the corporate network, it can already see all IP addresses within the system. Therefore, Ramp’s P2P eCDN solves the mDNS problem without any additional software and hassle.
Silent Testing Feature for 100% Performance
Organizations that regularly host virtual townhalls and other company-wide conference streams, are constantly thinking about issues that might occur during the live event. Even with an eCDN, IT departments are kept on their toes for unexpected issues or breakdowns during these large-scale streams.
Ramp’s P2P solution allows you to perform a dry run of the live stream with its silent testing feature. This network stress test ensures that the eCDN is working properly and is optimizing the bandwidth needed to support high quality and stable video streaming. Ramp’s P2P silent testing feature will:
- Run an actual video stream in the network for the most accurate measurements on performance
- Pinpoint any weak spots in the network before the live event
- Deliver assurance that everything works as intended for a successful live stream
Not sure which eCDN solution is best for your organization? Want to find out if Ramp’s P2P solution can help your organization take enterprise video delivery to the next level? Contact us!
