Basics of a Content Delivery Network

A Content Delivery Network (CDN), is a group of servers that are located around the world. Their purpose is to store copies of webpages on them so that they can deliver them quickly, and locally. This article will dive into the basics of what constitutes a content delivery network (CDN), and we will provide an brief overview of how a content delivery network is. We will also help you determine what type of content Delivery Network is right for your project.

Table Of Context

CDN’s are not Optional

Content delivery networks (CDN’s) are essential for not only fast websites, but also security. They’re one of the best methods used to prevent denial of service attacks by malicious hackers, and can lower hosting costs as well as time to recover after such attacks occur.

How Content Delivery Networks Work

CDN’s capture or “cache” a copy of a website the first time its requested. It then serves that local cached version thus avoiding contacting the original server. This copy is thus able to be retrieved faster resulting in faster page loads, and less traffic.

Do Analytics Work With CDNs?

Any Analytics option that is worth using will support CDN’s and operate using JavaScript so that copies of the website can still gather data.

What Content Delivery Network Should You Use?

Cloudflare

Cloudflare is one of the largest content delivery networks available, and has a free option for many websites to use. Their paid versions support next generation images, and offer HTTP/3 support.

Amazon

With the growing popularity of Amazon Web Services (AWS), America’s largest online retailer has become a great choice for those wanting a CDN.

IBM

IBM also provides a Content Delivery Network, that can have its advantages. See their website for more.

Google

For those that are a fan of Google Web Services, their Cloud CDN might be a great choice for you.

Others

We’ve mentioned a few, but there are many others.

More Articles

See our many articles on Content Delivery Network’s.