CDN (Content Delivery Network)
Definition
A geographically distributed network of servers that delivers web content to users from the nearest location, reducing latency and improving load times.
A Content Delivery Network is a system of distributed servers that cache and serve content from locations geographically close to end users. By reducing the physical distance between the server and the user, CDNs minimize latency and improve page load speeds.
CDNs handle various types of content including static assets (images, CSS, JavaScript), video streaming, software downloads, and increasingly dynamic content through edge computing. Major CDN providers include Cloudflare, AWS CloudFront, Akamai, and Fastly.
Beyond performance, CDNs provide additional benefits including DDoS protection, SSL/TLS termination, load balancing, and improved availability through redundancy. For websites with a global audience, a CDN is essential infrastructure that can reduce bandwidth costs while simultaneously improving the user experience.
Related Calculators
Related Terms
Cache
techA temporary storage layer that saves copies of frequently accessed data so future requests can be served faster without recomputing or re-fetching the data.
Latency
techThe time delay between a user's action and the system's response, measured in milliseconds, critical for user experience and application performance.
SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer / Transport Layer Security)
techCryptographic protocols that provide secure communication over computer networks, encrypting data between a web server and browser.
DNS (Domain Name System)
techThe internet's phone book that translates human-readable domain names like example.com into numerical IP addresses that computers use to communicate.
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