Definition

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a globally distributed network of servers designed to deliver web content to users with high availability and high performance.

Motivation

CDNs are used to overcome the limitations of traditional single-origin servers.

• High latency due to distance
• Congestion and overload on the origin server
• Slow loading of large files (videos, images)

Importance

• Reduces latency dramatically
• Increases page loading speed
• Provides consistent user experience globally
• Lowers bandwidth cost on the origin
• Improves website security and reliability

How a CDN Works

• Static files (images, JS, CSS, videos) are cached on edge servers
• User requests are routed to the nearest edge node
• Only cache-miss requests go to the origin
• Assets are delivered through high-speed global distribution

Video Demonstration

This video explains CDN concepts and performance improvement.