Glossary

Glossary of Commonly Used Terms in CDNs, Multi-CDNs, and DNS

A

Anycast

A network addressing and routing methodology where a single destination address can route traffic to multiple locations, typically used in CDNs to direct users to the nearest edge server.

API Gateway

Facilitates management of APIs, including traffic management and security.

B

Bandwidth

The amount of data that can be transmitted over a network in a given amount of time, usually measured in Mbps or Gbps.

C

Cache

A storage layer that stores copies of content closer to end-users to reduce latency and load on the origin server.

Cache Hit

When requested content is found in the cache, allowing for quicker delivery to the user.

Cache Miss

When requested content is not found in the cache, requiring the edge server to fetch it from the origin server.

CDN (Content Delivery Network)

A system of distributed servers that deliver web content and applications to users based on their geographic location.

CNAME (Canonical Name)

A type of DNS record that maps an alias name to a true or canonical domain name, often used to route traffic to CDN servers.

D

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service)

A type of cyber attack where multiple systems overwhelm a target system with a flood of internet traffic, often mitigated by CDNs.

DNS (Domain Name System)

The system that translates human-readable domain names (e.g., www.example.com) into IP addresses that computers use to identify each other on the network.

DNS Resolution

The process of translating a domain name into an IP address.

E

Edge Computing

Allows for execution of code closer to end-users.

Edge Server

A server located at the “edge” of a network, used in CDNs to store cached content closer to end-users.

F

Failover

A backup operational mode in which the functions of a system switch to a standby system upon the failure or abnormal termination of the currently active system.

G

Geo-Location Routing

Directing user requests to the nearest server based on their geographic location to minimize latency.

H

HTTP/2 and HTTP/3

Major revisions of the HTTP network protocol, designed to improve web performance and efficiency. HTTP/3 uses QUIC to improve performance and security.

I

IP Address (Internet Protocol Address)

A numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication.

Image

Optimization Automatically optimizes images for faster loading.

L

Latency

The time it takes for data to travel from the source to the destination, typically measured in milliseconds (ms).

Load Balancer

A device or software that distributes network or application traffic across multiple servers to ensure no single server becomes overwhelmed.

M

Multi-CDN

The strategy of using multiple CDN providers simultaneously to enhance performance, reliability, and global reach.

O

Origin Server

The original server where content is hosted, which serves as the source for content delivered through CDNs.

Origin Shield

An extra caching layer to reduce the load on the origin server.

P

PoP (Point of Presence)

A physical location where CDN servers are housed, typically in data centers around the world, to cache and deliver content closer to users.

R

Real-Time Analytics

Provides insights and analytics on traffic and performance.

Redundancy

The duplication of critical components or functions of a system to increase reliability, usually implemented by using multiple CDN providers.

S

SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security)

Protocols for establishing authenticated and encrypted links between networked computers, ensuring secure data transmission.

T

Traffic Manager

A system that manages the distribution of network traffic to optimize performance, often used in multi-CDN setups.

TTL (Time-to-Live)

The duration for which content is cached before being refreshed or fetched anew from the origin server.

U

Uptime

The amount of time a server or service is operational and available.

W

WAF (Web Application Firewall)

A security system that monitors and filters HTTP traffic between a web application and the Internet, protecting against common attacks.

Web Application Firewall

Security feature that monitors and filters HTTP traffic between a web application and the Internet.