Content Delivery Network
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a geographically distributed network of servers that work together to deliver web content, such as images, videos, scripts, and stylesheets, to users more efficiently by reducing latency and improving load times. It caches content at edge locations closer to end-users, minimizing the distance data must travel and offloading traffic from origin servers. CDNs enhance performance, reliability, and security for websites and applications by handling high traffic loads and mitigating DDoS attacks.
Developers should use a CDN when building high-traffic websites, streaming services, or global applications to ensure fast content delivery and reduce server load, especially for static assets like media files and JavaScript libraries. It is crucial for improving user experience in e-commerce, media distribution, and SaaS platforms by minimizing latency and preventing downtime during traffic spikes. Additionally, CDNs provide security benefits like SSL/TLS encryption and protection against malicious attacks.