Azure Content Delivery Network (CDN)

Overview

Azure CDN is a global solution for rapidly delivering high-bandwidth content to users by caching content at strategically placed physical nodes across the world. It improves performance, scalability, and security for web applications and content delivery.

Core Functionality

1. CDN Profile Creation: Create an Azure CDN profile in the Azure portal. Choose the appropriate pricing tier based on your performance and budget requirements.
2. Endpoint Configuration: Configure CDN endpoints to represent your content delivery origins, such as Azure Blob Storage, Azure Web Apps, or any publicly accessible web server. Each endpoint will have a unique URL that users will access.
3. Caching Rules: Define caching rules to control how content is cached and served from the CDN. For example, set cache expiration policies to ensure that frequently accessed content is served quickly from the edge servers.
4. Custom Domains and SSL: Configure custom domains and SSL certificates to provide a secure and branded experience for your users. This ensures that content is delivered over HTTPS, enhancing security and trust.
5. Geo-Filtering: Implement geo-filtering to restrict content delivery to specific regions or countries. This is useful for complying with regional content licensing agreements and regulations.
6. Monitoring and Analytics: Use Azure Monitor and CDN analytics to track the performance and health of your CDN endpoints. Set up alerts to notify you of any issues, ensuring proactive management of your content delivery network.

Pricing

Azure CDN offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model, allowing you to optimize costs by only paying for the resources you use. Caching content at edge servers reduces the load on your origin servers, lowering bandwidth costs.

References

• Azure CDN Overview
• How to use Azure CDN