What is Azure CDN (Content Delivery Network) and why to use it?

Azure CDN (Content Delivery Network) is a globally distributed network of servers designed to deliver web content to users quickly and efficiently by caching content at strategically positioned physical nodes, known as Points of Presence (PoPs), around the world. This reduces latency by bringing the content closer to the end users, thereby improving the speed and performance of web applications and services.

Key Features of Azure CDN

1. Fast Content Delivery: Azure CDN caches static content at locations near the user base, which significantly improves the speed of content delivery. This is particularly beneficial for high-bandwidth content such as videos, images, and large files[1][2].

2. Dynamic Site Acceleration: Azure CDN can also accelerate dynamic content that cannot be cached by using various network optimizations such as route optimization, TCP optimization, and object prefetch[1][2].

3. High Availability and Reliability: Azure CDN ensures high availability and reliable uptime by distributing user requests and serving content directly from edge servers. This reduces the load on the origin server and helps maintain consistent performance even during traffic spikes[1][2].

4. Scalability: Azure CDN can handle sudden traffic spikes and high loads without the need for additional infrastructure. This makes it ideal for events like product launches or global sporting events[2][3].

5. Enhanced Security: Azure CDN offers features like custom domain HTTPS, DDoS mitigation, and geo-filtering to protect the origin server from malicious attacks and ensure secure content delivery[2][4].

6. Ease of Use and Integration: Azure CDN is easy to set up and manage, leveraging Microsoft’s global presence. It integrates seamlessly with other Azure services such as Azure Storage, Web Apps, and Media Services[1][2][12].

Why Use Azure CDN?

1. Improved Performance: By caching content closer to users, Azure CDN reduces latency and improves load times, providing a better user experience. This is crucial for retaining users and improving engagement on websites and applications[1][2][3].

2. Cost Efficiency: Azure CDN reduces the bandwidth consumption on the origin server by serving cached content from edge servers. This can lead to significant cost savings, especially for websites with high t...