Content Delivery Network

What is a Content Delivery Network?

(CDN)

Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a distributed server system that delivers digital assets to users from geographically optimized locations, reducing latency and improving load times for applications requiring large-scale content distribution.

How does a Content Delivery Network work?

This infrastructure service replicates static assets across multiple server nodes strategically positioned worldwide, automatically routing user requests to the nearest or most efficient delivery point.

For application developers, CDNs provide critical performance benefits through reduced bandwidth costs, improved page load speeds, protection against traffic spikes, and enhanced reliability through redundant content availability.

How is a Content Delivery Network used?

Implementation typically involves configuring origin servers, establishing caching rules, managing content invalidation strategies, and integrating with existing build processes to automate asset deployment.

Beyond performance improvements, modern CDNs often provide additional services including DDoS protection, SSL/TLS certificate management, image optimization, and detailed analytics about content consumption patterns.

As applications serve increasingly global audiences with bandwidth-intensive assets like high-resolution images, videos, and downloadable content, effective CDN implementation has become essential for maintaining consistent performance regardless of user location or network conditions.