How do I estimate the bandwidth requirements of a conceptual website?
I'm supposed to come up with cost estimates ... at 100k users ... at 1 million users. I've estimated the hardware ... also the Amazon EC2 instances if we go that route.
But how do I estimate the bandwidth? I've tried measuring bandwidth I use in a given time using a "comparable" website (using Chrome's developer tools). My extrapolations have an "average" user using 480 MB/month from the regular server and 1.4 GB/month from the CDN. Cost calculations at that level are crazy high.
What is a good estimation method? Or do some of the big players publish their bandwidth usage?
But how do I estimate the bandwidth? I've tried measuring bandwidth I use in a given time using a "comparable" website (using Chrome's developer tools). My extrapolations have an "average" user using 480 MB/month from the regular server and 1.4 GB/month from the CDN. Cost calculations at that level are crazy high.
What is a good estimation method? Or do some of the big players publish their bandwidth usage?
Have you considered cached content in the context of an edge provider like Akamai?
They might even be able to help you answer your question - or at least tell you that it's too small for them or .....
They might even be able to help you answer your question - or at least tell you that it's too small for them or .....
ASKER
My "similar" site is Facebook. I'm accumulating the MB's that Chrome's Developer Tools say are downloaded ... which appears to be measuring what's actually downloaded, not what's cached on the browser.
But I agree my figures seem crazy for a single user. I really suspect my methodology is SERIOUSLY flawed.
How SHOULD I be estimating the usage?
But I agree my figures seem crazy for a single user. I really suspect my methodology is SERIOUSLY flawed.
How SHOULD I be estimating the usage?
Initial load count everything, subsequent loads count only the html page size.
You will have to guestimate the number of pages they will visit and what if any new content is on those pages e.g. images.
For example if the initial load is 500kb including all css, js, common images etc then subsequent pages are likely going to be around 10kb (or less) as all that is being downloaded is the HTML. If you said some of those pages had a few extra images then just add a rough figure to cover those images to the base html size.
And remember once the HTML is downloaded it won't be downloaded again unless it is changed.
If you do have constantly changing pages then think about implementing ajax to update that content.
(Based on a 30+ day cache)
Even comparing to Facebook where you might have real time communication you are only talking about bits and bytes.
If they visited every day for a month and visited the same 5 pages you are likely only talking a few Mb's a month.
You will have to guestimate the number of pages they will visit and what if any new content is on those pages e.g. images.
For example if the initial load is 500kb including all css, js, common images etc then subsequent pages are likely going to be around 10kb (or less) as all that is being downloaded is the HTML. If you said some of those pages had a few extra images then just add a rough figure to cover those images to the base html size.
And remember once the HTML is downloaded it won't be downloaded again unless it is changed.
If you do have constantly changing pages then think about implementing ajax to update that content.
(Based on a 30+ day cache)
Even comparing to Facebook where you might have real time communication you are only talking about bits and bytes.
If they visited every day for a month and visited the same 5 pages you are likely only talking a few Mb's a month.
ASKER
Gary, I have the strong feeling you're right.
Can you suggest how to verify or quantify that?
Can you suggest how to verify or quantify that?
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ASKER
Thanks!
What are they downloading? Are you accounting for cached content?