Post What is a CDN

What is a CDN Content Delivery Network is a group of geographically distributed servers that work together to provide fast delivery of Internet content. Instead of every user downloading data from a single central server (which might be halfway across the world), a CDN allows them to download the content from a "local" server near them. * Goal: Reduce latency (delay) and improve load speeds. * Key Concept: It moves the content physically closer to the user. The Flow: How it Works 1) User Request: You type a URL (e.g., e.com/image.jpg) into your browser 2) DNS Resolution: Instead of pointing directly to the main server (Origin), the DNS routes your request to the nearest CDN Edge Server based on your location. 3) Cache Check (Hit vs. Miss): 4) Cache Hit: If the Edge Server already has the image saved, it sends it to you immediately. (Fastest) 5) Cache Miss: If the Edge Server does not have the image, it requests it from the Origin Server, saves a copy for future users, and then sends it to you.