CDN (Content Delivery Network)
Definition
A globally distributed network of proxy servers that caches and delivers web content from locations nearest to users, dramatically reducing page load times.
A CDN reduces latency by serving content from edge servers located physically close to the requesting user rather than from a single origin server that may be thousands of miles away. When a user in Tokyo requests a page hosted in New York, the CDN delivers cached content from its nearest Asian edge node instead of routing the request across the Pacific Ocean.
CDNs handle far more than static file delivery. Modern CDN platforms offer edge computing for running code at the network edge, real-time image optimization, video transcoding, DDoS mitigation that can absorb terabits of attack traffic, web application firewalls, and bot management. Leading providers include Cloudflare, AWS CloudFront, Fastly, and Akamai.
For any website expecting traffic beyond a local audience, a CDN is essential infrastructure. Studies consistently show that each additional second of page load time reduces conversions by seven percent and increases bounce rates. CDNs also reduce origin server load and bandwidth costs, often paying for themselves through reduced infrastructure spending.
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Related Terms
CDN (Content Delivery Network)
techA geographically distributed network of servers that delivers web content to users from the nearest location, reducing latency and improving load times.
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.
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)
techThe foundational protocol for data communication on the web, defining how messages are formatted and transmitted between clients and servers.
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