CDN
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a distributed network of servers strategically positioned to deliver web content, such as images, videos, stylesheets, and scripts, to users based on their geographic location. The primary purpose of a CDN is to enhance the performance, reliability, and scalability of content delivery.
It's key functions include:
- Content Distribution
- Reduced Latency
- Load Balancing
- Security
- Scalability
- Bandwidth Optimization
When a user makes a request for a specific piece of content, the CDN uses intelligent routing algorithms to determine the optimal server to fulfill the request. CDNs cache content on their servers, storing copies of frequently accessed files. This reduces the need to fetch content from the origin server for each user request. CDNs handle both static content and dynamic content.
CDNs play a crucial role in enhancing the speed, reliability, and security of web applications, making them a fundamental component for modern online services. Popular CDN providers include Akamai, Cloudflare, and Amazon CloudFront.