Glossary · Network

CDN (Content Delivery Network)

Also calledcontent delivery networkcdn meaning

Definition

A CDN is a globally distributed network of edge servers that caches website content close to end users — reducing latency and origin server load.

Explanation

In depth

When a site uses a CDN (Cloudflare, Fastly, Akamai, Bunny), a request from Jakarta hits a Singapore edge server that has a cached copy of the site rather than travelling all the way to an origin server in Virginia. First hit is a cache miss and slower; subsequent hits within the cache TTL are fast. CDNs also provide DDoS protection, TLS termination, image optimisation, and edge compute. The proxy pattern powering CDNs is technically a reverse proxy — CDN sits in front of the origin, hiding origin IPs and terminating client TLS. AnyProxy uses CDN concepts on its edge for the free-tier CSS/JS/image assets, but the proxied session itself always fetches destinations live per request.

Related terms

Reverse proxyA reverse proxy sits in front of servers — it hides server identity from clients and handles TLS, load balancing, and caching.Edge serverAn edge server is a physical server placed geographically close to end users — the network "edge" — to reduce latency compared to a distant origin.PoP (Point of Presence)A PoP is a physical location where a network provider has installed equipment — routers, servers, transit connections — that other networks can peer with.LatencyLatency is the time it takes for a packet to travel from one point on the network to another and back — usually measured in milliseconds.

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