May 2012 Summaries

CloudFlare, a web traffic management service, has the ability to provide accurate reports on Unique IPs and Hits due to its comprehensive view of all web traffic. Unlike Google Analytics, which relies on beacon-based tracking that may miss certain visitors or requests, CloudFlare's hits number is an exact count as it sees every request from every visitor. However, the challenge for CloudFlare lies in classifying which "hits" should actually count as page views. The company has recently made refinements to its algorithm to improve accuracy and align its page view stats more closely with those reported by Google Analytics.

On June 6, 2012, World IPv6 Day was observed. CloudFlare issued a challenge to every website on the internet to support IPv6 and embrace the future. They made enabling IPv6 free and easy for users. Over the next twelve days, they migrated all non-IPv6 enabled CloudFlare users to SAFE IPv6 mode. This mode mimics the strategy used by major sites like Google and Facebook. Users were encouraged to try FULL IPv6 mode before the deadline. The IPv6 Network Testing app was launched to test ISPs that didn't properly support the protocol. CloudFlare aimed to help build a better web by making it easy for anyone with a website to be available on IPv6 for free, and hoped others would join them in enabling IPv6 support.

On May 24, 2012, CloudFlare introduced its first-ever app in their marketplace, Experimently, which provides free heat maps and A/B testing for websites. The app allows users to visually see where visitors are clicking on a website, create online tests without needing HTML or graphic design knowledge, and offers Single Sign-On (SSO) provisioning for easy sign up. Experimently's features include point-and-click editing, element replacement, automatic experiment building, conversion tracking, and various pricing plans to cater to websites of all sizes.

On May 23, 2012, Google celebrated Bob Moog's birthday with an interactive doodle, leading to increased traffic for MoogMusic.com. The site was initially designed to handle half a million hits per day but underwent several improvements by web developers PurpleCat.net to increase its capacity. Upon the doodle going live in Australia and the embargo being lifted, MoogMusic.com went behind CloudFlare's protection. Although initial traffic was manageable, as the sun rose in Asia, errors started to appear due to the site's VPS being overwhelmed. Through the use of Page Rules and advanced caching, CloudFlare managed to serve 92% of requests directly from its infrastructure, reducing bandwidth usage by over 90%. As a result, MoogMusic.com is now averaging more than 100 requests per second, with traffic every 15 minutes exceeding the VPS's designed capacity for an entire day.

On May 20, 2012, Matthew Prince provided an update on the collaboration between CloudFlare, OpenDNS, and the DCWG to combat DNSChanger malware. In one week, over 11,000 websites utilized the Visitor DNS Changer Detector App through CloudFlare, resulting in more than 56 million page views. Out of these visitors, approximately 4% have been notified and cleaned up their infection. Despite hundreds of thousands of computers still being infected, this initiative has made a significant impact on raising awareness and helping users remove the virus.

The text discusses how CloudFlare, an internet service provider, uses Domain Name Service (DNS) to enhance performance and security for its customers. One of the unsung advantages of using CloudFlare is that it eliminates the need to wait for TTL record expiration and DNS propagation when changes are made to a site's DNS records. This significantly speeds up development and deployment processes, making website management easier. Additionally, recent improvements have been made to CloudFlare's DNS management interface, and users can also manage DNS via API.

On Thursday, May 31, a meetup will be held in San Francisco for publishers interested in boosting their revenue. Experts from VigLink, SayMedia, and CloudFlare will discuss best practices for site monetization, including advertising and affiliate programs. The event takes place at the CloudFlare office in SOMA at 6:30pm, with doors opening at 7:00pm. Attendees can learn tips on increasing revenue and avoid common pitfalls. To sign up or suggest a meetup topic, visit the provided link or email the organizers.

In 2012, a family of malware called DNSChanger affected hundreds of thousands of internet users by changing their recursive DNS server settings to direct traffic to fake websites controlled by cyber criminals. Law enforcement arrested the suspects and seized control of the rogue servers, but many systems were still using them. On July 9, 2012, these servers were scheduled to be shut down, potentially cutting off internet access for affected users. Two internet infrastructure startups, CloudFlare and OpenDNS, collaborated with the DNS Changer Working Group (DCWG) to help inform infected users about their situation and provide resources to fix their systems before the shutdown date. The incident highlighted the importance of DNS in maintaining a secure and functional internet.

CloudFlare experienced an outage on May 2, 2012, affecting approximately 75% of its network traffic for a maximum duration of 15 minutes. The issue occurred due to a bad route announced by one of their routers during scheduled maintenance in Hong Kong. This caused global traffic to be directed to the offline data center. To prevent future occurrences, CloudFlare is implementing verification systems and discussing additional checks with upstream providers.

Cloudflare is a comprehensive Web Operations (WebOps) solution that addresses various operational challenges faced by website owners, regardless of the size of their websites. It offers five main services - Security, Metrics, Acceleration, Reach and Transformation (SMART). The platform provides robust security features against hackers, DDoS attacks, and SSL encryption setup. Additionally, it simplifies metrics tracking with seamless integration of popular analytics tools like Google Analytics or Clicky. Cloudflare also accelerates website content by caching and optimizing it for faster delivery to visitors worldwide. It ensures global reach through its network of data centers and provides automatic IPv6 enablement. Lastly, the platform offers various transformations such as content protection, hotlink protection, and device-specific page reformatting.

On May 1st, 2012, CloudFlare announced its partnership with GoSquared, a real-time web analytics service based in London. The integration of GoSquared into the CloudFlare platform allows users to easily enable real-time analytics for their websites. GoSquared's features include a scalable dashboard that displays essential metrics and an API for integrating real-time data. Users can monitor visitor activity, track campaigns, receive alerts, and react promptly to site engagement. The service is accessible via CloudFlare Apps with instant activation and customizable plans.