  Flexible and efficient CDNs are critical to facilitate content distribution
in 5G+ architectures. Current CDNs suffer from inefficient request mapping
based on DNS redirection, and inefficient content distribution from origin to
edge servers, through content reflection. We proposes a novel, flexible CDN
architecture that removes the need for DNS-based mapping and content
reflection. Instead, requests to/from the CDN are treated as service
transactions in the network, which utilises a routing function embraced from
emerging research in Information-Centric Networks (ICN) to route edge-to-edge
transactions to the true nearest service point. The same function is utilized
to establish path-based flows over a fast forwarding substrate; thereby,
eliminating the need for IP routing between service points within a single
domain, and potentially at peering points with other domains. We model our
architecture and formulate the resource placement problem as a variance of the
K-center problem. To address the problem, we propose a greedy algorithm, Swing,
that balances the placement of service points between highly and poorly
connected nodes. We evaluate the efficiency of our architecture in utilising
the CDN and network resources through Monte Carlo simulations that explore a
range of K values. Moreover, we compare the goodness of the placement solutions
provided by Swing with those provided by Largest First and Closest First
Algorithms. Evaluation results show the superiority of our fCDN solution in
reducing the edge-to-edge path length and the required network resources.
