EdgeCDNs

EdgeCDN, short for edge content delivery network, is a distributed network architecture that places caching storage and sometimes compute resources at the edge of the internet, near end users. The goal is to reduce latency, lower bandwidth usage, and improve performance for static and dynamic content, especially in regions far from origin servers or with variable connectivity. An EdgeCDN operates through a global network of edge points of presence (PoPs). When a user requests content, the request is served from the nearest PoP; if a cached copy is not available, the edge retrieves it from the origin server and stores a copy for subsequent requests. Many EdgeCDNs also offer edge compute capabilities, enabling serverless functions, personalization, or API gateways to run at the edge.

Key capabilities include content caching, optimization for video and images, dynamic content acceleration, and support for protocols such as HTTP/2 and HTTP/3. They provide TLS termination at the edge, edge security features like DDoS protection and web application firewalls, and traffic security and integrity through encryption. EdgeCDNs also offer load balancing, cache purging and invalidation, and analytics. They support various caching strategies, including push and pull modes, cache-control directives, and purging workflows. Some providers offer origin shielding to reduce load on origin servers and edge rules for routing and content transformation.

Common use cases are media streaming, software updates, e-commerce acceleration, gaming and interactive applications, and API delivery. Benefits include lower latency, higher throughput, and improved reliability during traffic spikes, with potential privacy or regulatory advantages when content is served locally. Limitations include cache invalidation challenges for highly dynamic content, caching configuration complexity, and cost considerations tied to traffic and edge compute usage.