Persistent Connections (PConns) between an ​Akamai​ edge server and the origin server improves performance and utilizes server resources more efficiently.

Note that this behavior is separate from Persistent Connections: Client to Edge, which covers the connection between a client and ​Akamai​ edge server.

How it works

By default, Persistent Connections are open between ​Akamai​ and your origin to provide better performance and resource use; ​Akamai​ will end an idle connection after 5 minutes, which is the default timeout period.

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There may be fewer connections from the edge server to your origin server than there are from the edge server to the client. It is more important to maintain the edge to origin connection so your origin server isn’t busy opening, closing, or maintaining those connections with the edge.

Establishing a TCP connection starts with a small congestion window; once the TCP protocol finds the connection to be reliable, the TCP congestion window increases to let more packets through. This allows optimal performance of the open connection. The edge to origin behavior lets you keep that already established full connection open longer, so you can maintain the optimal flow.

Disabling this behavior or leaving the connection open excessively isn't recommended because it wastes valuable browser resources and open connections are more susceptible to attacks.

Implementation

Persistent Connections is a locked behavior, which means that you can't edit it yourself. If you wish to disable Persistent Connections, please contact your Account Representative to discuss the effects this may have on your service.