A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a distributed network of servers that work together to deliver content to users with high performance and high availability. This tutorial will cover the basics of CDN, its benefits, and how it works.
What is a CDN?
A CDN is a system of servers that are geographically distributed. When a user requests content, the CDN routes the request to the server that is closest to the user, reducing latency and improving load times.
Benefits of CDN
- Improved Performance: CDN servers are located closer to users, reducing the time it takes to load content.
- Increased Availability: CDNs are distributed across multiple locations, making them more resilient to outages.
- Scalability: CDNs can handle high traffic volumes without experiencing performance issues.
- Security: CDNs can help protect your website from DDoS attacks.
How CDN Works
- Request Routing: When a user requests content, the CDN routes the request to the closest server.
- Caching: The CDN stores copies of the content on its servers, so it can be delivered quickly to users.
- Origin Pull: The CDN periodically checks the origin server for updates to the content.
- Edge Caching: The CDN caches content at the edge of the network, closer to the user.
Example of CDN Usage
Imagine you have a website with a lot of traffic. Without a CDN, each user would have to download the entire website from your server, which could be slow and expensive. With a CDN, the content is stored on servers around the world, so users can download it from the closest server.
Learn More
For more information on CDNs, check out our CDN Best Practices Guide.