Content Distribution Network (CDN)

Correct Answer: Enable cache hierarchy for the CDN

Enabling cache hierarchy for the Content Distribution Network (CDN) is the most effective way to optimize content distribution, especially during peak traffic periods like the holiday season. Cache hierarchy could help manage requests and deliver content fast regardless of increased traffic. The other options are incorrect. Disabling cache hierarchy would likely make content delivery slower, not faster, especially during peak traffic periods. Reducing the number of edge servers or removing geographically distributed edge servers would also likely slow down content delivery because the more spread out these servers are, the faster and more efficiently they can distribute content to users.

Correct Answer: Place an edge server near users' geographical locations

Placing an edge server near users' geographical locations is the best solution to reduce high latency during peak hours. This is because a Content Delivery Network (CDN) relies on a distributed network of edge servers to speed up content delivery by reducing the distance between users and the server they're connecting to, thereby reducing latency. On the other hand, removing caching would actually increase latency, because caching serves the purpose of storing content closer to the users to speed up delivery. Disabling load balancing would lead to an uneven distribution of network traffic, potentially overloading some servers and under-utilizing others, which would not aid in reducing latency. Lastly, decreasing server capacity would not be helpful as it could increase the risk of server overload, especially during peak usage hours.

Correct Answer: CDN misconfiguration

The most likely cause of the degraded performance is CDN misconfiguration. CDN stands for Content Delivery Network and is often used to improve the delivery of media content to users. If properly configured, it allows for fast and reliable delivery of video content. However, if it is misconfigured, it can lead to slower video playback. Cache Poisoning and Incorrect DNS settings can also cause performance issues, but they typically result in errors or denial of service rather than slower video playback. Incompatible streaming protocols can be ruled out because if this were the case, the videos would not play at all.