Image Files on a Different Server

Use a virtual directory or use a sub-domain?

[dataguy]

I've got 2 web servers, but the web site on server 1 needs to display images from a folder on server 2.

The 2 methods I see for making this work is to either set up a virtual directory on server 1 pointing to the image folder on server 2 (meaning the images will be fed across the network) or using a domain like 'img.example.com' on server 2 so web visitors will be downloading the images from a separate domain.

Are there any major reasons why one method is preferable to the other?

[mattur]

Using an img.example.com domain may be the most straightforward option. Splitting page components over two domains can also improve performance:

Maximizing Parallel Downloads in the Carpool Lane [yuiblog.com]