1. SwiftCache Enabling application-aware networks
This document contains proprietary information of Conversant and may not be reproduced in any form or disclosed to any third party without the expressed written permission of a duly authorized representative from Conversant

2. Agenda
About Conversant
Industry Trends
Introduction to Caching
Next generation caching - SwiftCache

3. About Conversant Established in 2002
Conversant is a Singapore based company with an R&D centre in Cambridge (UK)
Focus on developing products & software services for the telecommunication industry
Products developed by same team that founded
SwiftCache is our flagship product for the Telco market
Market leading performance and efficiency
Building customer momentum
Conversant is a highly innovative and successful company. We are based in Singapore and focus on the SE Asia region.
We have an R&D team in UK who develop our SwiftCache and SwiftServe products for the telco market. This team has been developing high performance web, caching and CDN infrastructure for the telco market for over 15 years. Most recently, Velocix was acquired by Alcatel-Lucent.
Our flagship product, SwiftCache is a proven, high performance web and video caching product deployed by leading service providers in the region
which has successfully sold to a handful of Tier One Telcos in Singapore and in the region.

4. Industry Trends

5. Pressure on Operator networks
Introduction Phase
Penetration of Internet access
Early Growth Phase
Pervasive access
Explosive usage growth
Late Growth Phase
Cost exceeds ARPU growth
Challenge to profitability…
1995
2000
2005
2010
Usage
Cost
ARPU
As we move into 2011 we find ourselves still in the early stages of the Internet. Traffic is growing at a phenomenal rate and shows no signs of decelerating.
This is having a big impact on network operators who are seeing their network investment trending in the same direction.
However even more concerning is that operators are facing revenue pressure. Access markets are highly competitive and often saturated, this drives down ARPU and means that subscriber numbers are flat.
As costs continue to rise, operators are finding that their margins are under pressure.
Sustained growth in Internet traffic over next 5 years
100% CAGR in SE Asia
ARPU is flat/declining in majority of mature markets
>> Operator margins declining

6. Drivers of growth
Video is responsible for majority of traffic growth
Majority of video delivered over HTTP
<5% uses proprietary streaming protocols (e.g. RTMP, RTSP)
File sharing is declining as an overall percentage of traffic
Migration from P2P to HTTP file-sharing
HTTP is the dominant Internet protocol >> Highly suited to caching
To understand how to increase the profitability of their network we need to first understand what is causing the increase in costs.
From this Cisco chart you can see that almost 70% of traffic in 2014 will be video (a large portion of file sharing traffic is video). People are consuming more and more video content online and with the advent of Internet connected TVs this consumption is only going to accelerate.
HTTP has emerged as the preferred technology to deliver content to the widest range of devices. Microsoft, Adobe and Apple have all adopted HTTP as their preferred delivery technology, replacing their own legacy streaming protocols.
We are also seeing within the file sharing category that many users are migrating from the legacy P2P networks to the simple one-click HTTP file sharing sites like Megaupload and Rapidshare.
For an operator the dominance of HTTP is good news as it means that this traffic can be cached within the network

7. Introduction to Caching

8. Benefits of Caching Bandwidth Savings Improved end user experience
Localising popular content within network reduces need for International bandwidth
Improved end user experience
Content served from cache offers lower latency and higher throughput, delivering a better Quality of Experience
Value added services
Caching provides a platform upon which new revenue generating services can be developed
Caching delivers three main benefits to ISPs:
Reduced International bandwidth costs as we store the content within the network and don’t have to go out onto the Internet to retrieve it for every request
End users get a great experience as the content that they are requesting is held locally and is delivered with lower latency and higher throughput
Ability to introduce new value added services into their network and to generate revenue from them

9. How does caching work? 1
Content requests are redirected to cache
If content not cached, requested from origin server 2 2 3
Cache serves requested content to client 1
Localisation of content within an operator network
Avoids multiple requests over expensive International links
Stores content closer to end user reducing latency
Avoids bottlenecks to provide a higher quality delivery 3
Caching is an integral part of the Internet and was formally defined within the original HTTP 1.1 specification in 1999, RFC 2616.
Many different types of caching exist, for example within the local browser on the client device or on the origin server to reduce database requests. However we are looking at network based caching that allows operators to manage the traffic within their network more effectively.
In this simple flow you can see client requests are transparently directed to the caching infrastructure within the ISP network. If the content is not stored locally then the cache connects out to the Internet and requests the file. Once the file is help locally the cache will respond directly back to the client and future requests will be satisfied directly without needing to connect back to the origin server.

10. Next Generation Caching

11. About SwiftCache
SwiftCache is a high performance media caching appliance
Designed for carrier market
Handles all traffic types
Web2.0, one-click file sharing, large video portals etc
Optimised for Internet-scale data volumes
Ease of management
SwiftCache is a next generation caching solution. We’ve entered the market more recently than some of our competitors and have designed our product from the ground up to cope with the traffic patterns that we see in operator networks today - rather than adapting a solution that was designed for a different environment (Internet in 2000, enterprise market or P2P).
SwiftCache is a single appliance to handle all HTTP traffic types: web and video, dynamic URLs, file sharing etc. We’ve analysed what types of site are driving traffic trends today and have built a highly flexible caching engine that can handle today’s demands and future innovations.
SwiftCache is the preferred solution for the ISP market and we are innovating fast to make sure that we stay ahead of the competition

12. High Performance & Efficiency
Scenario 1: General Web Traffic
Bandwidth Saving: 35%
Throughput: 500Mbps
Scenario 2: Bypass uncacheable content
Bandwidth Saving: 50%
Throughput: 1Gbps
Scenario 3: Selected large file sites only
Bandwidth Saving: 80%
Throughput: 2Gbps
The ROI for SwiftCache is extremely positive. Assuming an average International bandwidth cost of $30/Mbps, the basic monthly bandwidth savings are typically $5,250 per appliance. (500Mbps * 35% * $30/Mbps)
However by following the SwiftCache deployment recommendations (e.g. bypass dynamic content at LB) it is possible to triple the monthly savings as we don’t waste resources trying to store uncacheable content (e.g. Facebook chat)
By focusing on only the most cacheable content it is possible to triple the monthly savings again to over $45k per appliance. N.B. this deployment model isn’t widely recommended as it ignores a large portion of the traffic where reasonable savings can be achieved.

13. SwiftCache Key Features
Benefit
Dynamic Sites
Improve cache efficiency through ability to cache dynamic URL patterns, including support for video seek requests.
Dynamic Filtering
Develop new value-add services through real time URL classification and filtering
Cluster Management
Reduce operational overhead and avoid errors by managing a large cluster of machines as a single entity
SwiftSense
Maximise cache efficiency through a cloud service that recommends optimised caching policies
ICC
Improve cache efficiency by intelligently using cluster resources to avoid double-caching
Overload Protection
Protect your infrastructure in the event of traffic surges and provide predictable behaviour under extreme load
SwiftCache has the most complete set of functionality for the carrier market of any caching solution. We have specifically excluded a range of features that are better suited for the enterprise market, to allow us to focus on the key features that are important for ISPs.
Dynamic Sites. High traffic sites like Youtube, Tudou, Rapidshare, Megaupload etc make extensive use of query strings and other dynamic components of the URL that would normally make the objects uncacheable. SwiftCache includes a highly powerful policy engine which allows it to cache these dynamic URLs
Dynamic Filtering. Many ISPs have a regulatory requirement to block certain sites, however SwiftCache extends this functionality by allowing operators to offer end users the ability to control the categories of content that they want access to.
Cluster Management. To ensure that operational overhead is reduced, especially in large deployments, SwiftCache provides an innovative master/master clustering architecture that allows all machines to be managed as a single entity
SwiftSense. Regular updates to caching policies to ensure that bandwidth savings are maximised
ICC. Unique clustering technology that intelligently controls caching across a cluster of machines to optimise resource usage
Overload Protection. Key technology to ensure that SwiftCache is the most reliable and stable caching solution in the market, protecting the cache in the event of a traffic surge.

14. Beyond Caching - Swift Platform
SwiftServe
Content
Delivery
(Internet TV)
SwiftSense
Best practice
Site policies
Feedback
Cluster Management
Real time
Per-user
personalisation
Cache Farm
Cache Farm
SwiftCache Farm
Alert Framework
SPM
At its core SwiftCache is a highly efficient caching platform, that delivers great bandwidth savings. However one of the key differentiators over other caching solutions is the rich set of tools to manage the platform in operation, ensuring that SwiftCache has one of the lowest opex overheads.
With the introduction of SwiftSense we are able to ensure that every single device is able to take advantage of the best practice caching policies that our engineers are developing. This helps us stay ahead of the competition.
However we believe that SwiftCache is much more than simply a caching platform, it is deployed at a unique position in the network where it is able to interact transparently with the end user.
SwiftPolicy Manager is value added service that allows real time personalisation of the end user experience. This can be in the form of a custom filtering policy to block malware and phishing sites or could be a channel for the ISP to provide end users with personalised messages and recommendations (e.g. notification of maintenance, billing reminders, upsell offers).
SwiftServe is a telco content delivery service that combines with SwiftCache to inject content into the network and manage that delivery end to end. It provides operators the ability to deliver their own services (e.g. Internet TV), resell CDN to their own customers or generate a revenue share from 3rd party CDN traffic.
All of these components work together as a modular solution to deliver on our vision of an “application-aware” network that allows an operator to control costs and also innovate on the services that they offer.
Operational
Management

15. Why SwiftCache? Designed from ground-up for Telco market Local partner
Optimised for Internet traffic patterns today
Leading bandwidth savings and performance
Local partner
We are based within the region
Local sales, technical and support teams
Vision beyond traditional caching
Next generation of Internet applications
Enabling new revenue generating services
In conclusion we believe that SwiftCache is the best solution on the market today for ISP caching.
We have designed and built a clean solution on top of our years of experience. We have focused on delivering the features that will deliver key business benefits:
Maximum efficiency and performance
Simple management
High reliability
We are a local partner that you can trust to understand your requirements and to deliver you a great service.
And finally we are always looking to the future and innovating our product to ensure that our technology goes beyond traditional approaches to find new ways to manage cost and also deliver new services.

16. Singapore : 112 Robinson Road, #03-01, Singapore 068902
Thank You
Singapore : 112 Robinson Road, #03-01, Singapore
Tel: (65) Fax: (65)
United Kingdom: 26 Saint Thomas Place, Ely Cambridgeshire, CB7 4EX, England, United Kingdom Tel: (44) Fax: (44)
                                     

17. SwiftCache Features

18. Key Features Efficiency Operational Management Value Add SwiftSense
Inter-cache communication (ICC)
Cache bypass
Dynamic URLs
Video seek
GZIP compression
Async validation
Download completion
Operational Management
Cluster Management
Overload Protection
Alert Management + Notifications
SNMP Monitoring
Value Add
Dynamic Filtering
DSCP Traffic Marking
Advanced reporting
Connection redirect/rewrite
Safe Search

19. Dynamic Sites
Decodes dynamic request patterns to enable efficient caching
Content inspection enables caching of 100% dynamic URLs
Boosts cache efficiency by up to 80%

20. Technical: Dynamic Sites
Caching of semi and total dynamic URLs
Semi-Dynamic URL
100% Dynamic URL

21. Dynamic Filtering
Real time classification of Internet traffic based on content genre
Personalised category based filtering to block or redirect undesirable content
Value added service for consumer and business

22. Technical: Dynamic Filtering
Each request is inspected by the Filtering Manager against a local database of top URLs
Unclassified URLs are queried in real-time against a cloud service that covers over 90% of top 20million sites
Filtering policies are highly customisable, down to an individual end-user level
Requests may be Allowed, Redirected or Blocked

23. Cluster Management
Reduced operational overhead from advanced management toolset
Synchronises network configuration across many machines to avoid errors
Intelligent statistic and alert aggregation for simple network operator monitoring

24. Technical: Cluster Management
Master/Master architecture
Accelerates maintenance tasks
Reduces risk of operator error
Consolidated view of cluster performance/issues
An operator is able to manage an entire group of caches from any member of that group. This removes the need for a dedicated management appliance and shares the load over all members.
Regular heartbeat messages ensure that the caches are healthy and that configuration is synchronised. Conflicts are easily resolved through a cluster voting mechanism to determine “best” configuration.
For an operator the benefit is being able to make a change once and have it immediately applied to all machines. This reduces the chances of introducing accidental error by repeating the same procedure multiple times on individual machines and drastically reduces the time required to maintain the cache farm.
Additionally the operator can get a consolidated view of performance across the cluster from within a single interface

25. SwiftSense
Cloud service analysing millions of sites from around the world
Policies are crafted for the most popular sites to optimise cache efficiency
Ensures that caching policy is tailored to every trend in Internet traffic

26. Technical: SwiftSense

27. Inter-cache communication (ICC)
Intelligent clustering technology that optimises cluster resource utilisation
Eliminates “double caching” and increases cache efficiency by up to 15%

28. Technical: ICC Metadata about objects is pre-shared within the cluster
Most popular objects are replicated across cluster
Announce this URL
to other caches
through datagram
with cache index
and content length
URL request
URL entries synchronized

29. Overload Protection
Protects network infrastructure in the event of unplanned traffic spikes
Advanced defence mechanisms to ensure predictable operation under extreme load

30. Technical: Overload Protection
CPU and connection thresholds monitored constantly
On reaching threshold new requests are put into Bypass or Relay mode
Existing requests are unaffected
Once limit has cleared new connections are handled as per normal
Relay Threshold
Bypass Threshold