Set Up a CDN Distribution with IONOS Object Storage as the origin
Introduction
A CDN is a network of distributed servers that can efficiently deliver web content to users across different geographic locations. This tutorial will guide you through the process of setting up a Content Delivery Network (CDN) distribution for a domain using IONOS Cloud and it uses the domain example.com for demonstration purposes.
Overview
This tutorial demonstrates the use of the following:
Components
Description
Cloud DNS
IONOS Cloud DNS lets you publish Domain Name System (DNS) zones of your domains and subdomains on public Name Servers.
Certificate Manager
IONOS Certificate Manager is a tool that simplifies the management of Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security (SSL/TLS) certificates for websites and applications.
IONOS Object Storage
IONOS Object Storage is fully compatible with S3, so you can manage buckets and objects with existing S3 clients when correctly configured.
CDN
IONOS Content Delivery Network.
Before you begin
To set up a CDN distribution using IONOS Cloud, it is mandatory to have a domain name. Example: test.example.com.
Execution
The execution process is divided into the following steps:
Create a Zone
Create an Auto-Certificate
Set up a User-owned bucket
Create a CDN Distribution
Point Zone Records to CDN
Verify the Result
1. Create a Zone
To create a zone, follow these steps:
1. In the DCD, go to Menu > Network Services > Cloud DNS > Public zones tab.
2. Select Create primary DNS Zone and enter the following information:
Component
Description
Example
Enabled/Disabled
Your zone is by default Enabled.
Name
Your desired domain/subdomain.
test.example.com
Description
A description of the zone.
My CDN distribution zone
3. Click Create zone.
The success message includes an option to copy the IONOS nameservers, which you can use to configure your domain at your registrar. Please note that DNS changes may take up to 48 hours to propagate and be effective. Verify that your nameservers in your domain registrar are correctly pointing to:
ns-ic.ui-dns.comns-ic.ui-dns.dens-ic.ui-dns.orgns-ic.ui-dns.biz
2. Create an Auto Certificate
Note: Before creating an Auto certfificate, ensure you create ACME provider.
To create an Auto Certificate, follow these steps:
1. In the DCD, go to Menu > Security > Certificate Manager.
2. Click Create Certificate and select Auto Certificate.
3. Enter the following information:
Section
Component
Description
Example
Certificate Provider
Provider
Your ACME provider.
Let's Encrypt
Properties
Certificate Name
Unique identifier for the certificate.
test.example.com
Common Name
Common name for the certificate.
*.example.com
Key Algorithm
RSA algorithm type. RSA is used for secure public-key encryption and digital signatures.
RSA3072
Subject Alternative Names
(Optional) Add up to 10 names for the certificate.
4. Click Create to create the Auto Certificate.
3. Set up a User-owned bucket
To set up a user-owned bucket, follow these steps:
1. In the DCD, go to Menu > Storage & Backup > IONOS Object Storage.
2. In the Buckets tab, click Create a bucket.
3. Choose the Bucket region which determines the geographical location where the data inside the buckets will be stored.
4. Enter a unique Bucket name that adheres to the naming conventions for a bucket.
5. Click Create bucket.
6. Go to Bucket Settings > Public access > Static Website Hosting, specify your index and error documents and click Enable.
7. Upload your website files to the bucket. Example: index.html or .png.
4. Create a CDN Distribution
1. In the DCD, go to Menu > Network Services > CDN.
2. Click Create CDN distribution from the Distribution overview page.
3. Define distribution properties :
Component
Description
Example
Domain
Enter your domain.
test.example.com
SSL Certificate
Enter the name of certificate you created using Certificate Manager.
example-ssl-certificate
4. Define routing rules:
Component
Description
Example
Prefix
Enter a prefix that helps the CDN determine the routing policies to apply for any URL path starting with the specified prefix.
/
Scheme
Choose the transfer protocol type (HTTP/HTTPS, HTTPS, or HTTP). The CDN directs HTTP requests to HTTP and HTTPS requests to HTTPS.
HTTP/HTTPS
Host
Enter the website host of the IONOS Object Storage.
s3-website-eu-south-2.example.com
Caching
Turn on or off caching for responses from the upstream host. When enabled, content is cached and reused for subsequent requests.
On
WAF
Turn on or off the Web Application Firewall (WAF) to protect the upstream host from threats and vulnerabilities.
On
Rate Limit Class
Choose a rate limit class from the following to control the rate of incoming requests from specific IP addresses: R1, R5, R10, R25, R50, R100, R250, R500.
R10
SNI Mode
For the usage of Object Storage you will need to use origin mode instead of distribution mode.
origin
Geo Restrictions
Click Open country list to turn on or off countries to be blocked or allowed, then click Save. You can also enter a letter to navigate to the country code and choose to block or allow.
Allowed countries: DE , FR ,ES
6. Click Save to apply the CDN distribution configurations.
5. Point zone records to CDN
1. In the DCD, go to Menu > Network Services > CDN.
2. In the Distribution overview, select the created CDN distribution.
3. In the Details & Edit CDN distribution, copy the following IP addresses needed to configure the domain's DNS settings so that the CDN functionality can be active:
IPv4 address
IPv6 address
4. Create two new records in your DNS zone pointing respectively to the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses.
To create a record, follow these steps:
1. In the DCD, go to Menu > Network Services > Cloud DNS > Public zones tab.
2. Select the appropriate zone in the DNS ZONES column to create records. Alternatively, click Details & Records in the ACTIONS column. 3. Click Create Record in the Details & Records window. 4. Enter the following details in the Create Record window:
Component
Description
Example
Enabled/Disabled
Set the DNS record to either Enabled (default) or Disabled.
Enabled
Name
Enter a name for your DNS record. Leave empty for an Apex record. Use * for a wildcard record.
test
TTL
Set the Time-To-Live in seconds. The default is 3600 seconds.
60
Type
Choose from available DNS record types.
A
Content
Enter the content for the DNS record, typically an IPv4 address or relevant data depending on the record type.
192.0.2.1
5. Click Save to create the DNS record.
Result: Your DNS record is now created.
6. Verify the Result
Result: Now you can access the website https://test.example.com. You can verify the benefits and performance of the configured CDN using any CDN performance testing tools.
Conclusion
In this tutorial, you have successfully set up a CDN distribution for your domain using IONOS Cloud. Your website should now be accessible via the CDN, and you can enjoy improved performance and availability.
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