Overview

CloudFlare is a performance and security service that (mt) Media Temple is offering to our customers for free. It is a CDN (content delivery network) with a security layer.

Once a website is part of the CloudFlare community, its web traffic is routed through CloudFlare's global network. CloudFlare's network stores a copy of static files closer to web visitors, which means they are delivered more quickly than before. CloudFlare caches resources such as CSS, JavaScript and images. CloudFlare's technology automatically decides which resources to cache based on file extension names so there is zero-configuration. CloudFlare also does compression for every request. CloudFlare's network also blocks threats and limits abusive bots before they hit the server, which means less wasted bandwidth and server resources.

Instructions

1. Log into your AccountCenter.
2. Hover over the Domains tab and click on Add New Domain or Service, see Figure 1.

   
   Figure 1.

3. Under the Add-On Services section, click the Activate button to the right of CloudFlare.

   
   Figure 2. Click the "Activate" button.

4. Click the Create CloudFlare Account button, see Figure 3 below:

   
   Figure 3.

5. Complete the form, check to agree to the Terms of Use, then click on the Enable CloudFlare button. See Figure 4 as an example.

   
   Figure 4. The sign up screen.

6. Your account is now active. CloudFlare will prompt you to activate your eligible domain(s), see Figure 5:

   
   Figure 5. Click the "Activate" button to continue.

   TIP:

   You may also want to install mod_cloudflare on your (dv)(ve). For more information, please see: http://www.cloudflare.com/wiki/Log_Files#For_Apache_Users.

7. Please be patient. This step can take a few minutes as CloudFlare scans your zone file. You will see "Contacting CloudFlare..." message like in Figure 6.

   
   Figure 6.

8. Next, CloudFlare will ask which domain(s) and subdomain(s) you'd like to activate, see Figure 7:

   
   Figure 7. Make your selection and click "Continue."

   
   

   NOTE:

   For the (dv) and (ve) Servers, you can only add www.example.com. If you would like custom DNS settings, you will need to point your nameservers to CloudFlare. You can find your CloudFlare nameserver information by going to the DNS settings option in your CloudFlare account dashboard (Settings->DNS Settings).

9. Select from the list of your subdomains.
10. Congratulations! You've successfully activated CloudFlare service on your domain. You will receive a confirmation similar to Figure 8:

    
    Figure 8.

11. You will now be in your Manage CoudFlare panel, see Figure 9:

    
    Figure 9. Your Manage CloudFlare panel with a list of your eligible domains.

Resources

• How do I add a subdomain to CloudFlare?
• CloudFlare Help
• CloudFlare Knowledge Base
• CloudFlare Wiki