A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a network of geographically distributed servers that work together to deliver internet content, such as web pages, images, videos, and other resources, to users based on their geographic location. CDNs are designed to improve the performance, reliability, and security of content delivery by reducing the distance between the user and the server hosting the content.
When a user requests content from a website, the request is routed to the nearest CDN server rather than the website’s origin server. This reduces the latency of the request, as the content is served from a server that is physically closer to the user. CDNs also help to distribute the load on the origin server, reducing the risk of downtime during periods of high traffic.
CDNs are commonly used by websites and online services that require fast and reliable content delivery to users around the world. They are especially useful for websites with high traffic volumes, large media files, or global audiences. E-commerce sites, media streaming services, and news websites are examples of services that can benefit from using a CDN.