What is a CDN?

A CDN is a group of geographically distributed proxy servers. A proxy server is an intermediate server between a client and the origin server. The proxy servers are placed on the network edgeThe network edge is the zone where a device or local network interfaces with the Internet.. Because the network edge is close to the end users, the placement of proxy servers helps quickly deliver the content to the end users by reducing latency and saving bandwidth. A CDN has added intelligence on top of being a simple proxy server.

Following are some of the advantages of a CDN:

  • Improves content delivery speed by leveraging a distributed network of servers.

  • Reduces server load by offloading static content delivery to the CDN.

  • Increases scalability and availability through load distribution and failover mechanisms.

  • Global reach and geo-targeting for faster and location-specific content delivery.

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