Earlier, it would be extremely rare for companies to have their own Content Delivery Network (CDN) due to its high costs and complicated IT infrastructure. But now, AWS CloudFront has enabled users to request data resulting in low latency, low network traffic, and quick data access with minimal cost. Thus, making it a very popular network.

In this blog, we have a look at what Amazon CloudFront is, and how it enables publishers and users to consume content smoothly.

What is Amazon CloudFront?

Amazon CloudFront is a fast content delivery network (CDN) service that securely delivers data, videos, applications, and APIs (such as .html, .css, .js, and image files) to customers globally with low latency, high transfer speeds, all within a developer-friendly environment. 

When a user requests content that you’re serving with CloudFront, the request is routed to the edge location that provides the lowest latency (time delay), so that content is delivered with the best possible performance.

Understanding how CloudFront delivers content

Starting with the user accessing a website and requesting an object to download a file, the Domain Name System (DNS) routes the user’s request to the nearest CloudFront edge location. From here, CloudFront checks its cache for the requested file and if it is found- is returned back to the user.

If not, then CloudFront forwards the request to the origin server to match the corresponding file type. The files are then sent back to the CloudFront edge location, which is then forwarded to the user. It also caches this file for the next time someone from a similar location requests it. CloudFront also checks for updates on the file from the origin server to ensure users receive the latest version of that object.

CloudFront tackles exactly and speeds up the distribution of your content by routing each user request through the AWS backbone network to the edge location that can best serve your content.

Using the AWS network dramatically reduces the number of networks that a users’ requests must pass through, which improves performance significantly. Users get lower latency—the time it takes to load the first byte of the file—and higher data transfer rates.

Benefits of using CloudFront
Global Scaled Network for Fast Content Delivery

Amazon CloudFront is massively scaled and globally distributed. It automatically maps network conditions and intelligently routes your user’s traffic to the most performant AWS edge location to serve up cached or dynamic content. CloudFront comes default with a multi-tiered caching architecture that offers you improved cache width and origin protection.

Security at the Edge

Amazon CloudFront is a highly secure CDN that provides both network and application level protection. All your CloudFront distributions are defended by default against the most frequently occurring network and transport layer DDoS attacks that target your websites or applications with AWS Shield Standard. 

Highly Programmable and Secure Edge Computing

Amazon CloudFront offers the programmable and secure edge CDN computing capabilities through AWS Lambda@Edge. Lambda@Edge comes with advanced, built-in security isolation to protect your data from side-channel attacks such as Spectre and Meltdown.

Deep Integration with AWS

Amazon CloudFront is integrated with AWS services such as Amazon S3, Amazon EC2, Elastic Load Balancing, Amazon Route 53, and AWS Elemental Media Services for easy set-up.

Cost-Effective

CloudFront offers a simple, pay-as-you-go pricing model with no upfront fees or required long-term contracts, and support for the CDN is included in your existing AWS Support subscription. 

Edge Use Cases

Think about Edge Services when you hear the following customer requests:

1.Content Acceleration – Amazon CloudFront should be used for static (images, video, CSS, JS) and dynamic (API, ecommerce, profile pages) content acceleration.

2.Security – Amazon CloudFront and Perimeter Protection should be deployed simultaneously.

3.Media – Amazon CloudFront and AWS Elemental Media Services

Renova Cloud & Cloudfront Offering

– Cut data transfer costs with Renova Cloud & CloudFront and save up to 50% on your bill. 

– Enabling of Origin Shield to minimize Origin’s load, increase availability, and reduce operating cost

– Get Free Security Consultation on WAF/ DOS mitigation

– Leverage automated serverless reporting and analysis

Partnering with Renova Cloud

RENOVACLOUD provides services towards transition of the legacy workloads to frontline technologies in Cloud, DevOps and Automation.

Renova Cloud is one of the leading AWS Service Delivery Partners in South East Asia helping customers in driving innovation on AWS Cloud through Amazon CloudFront Service Delivery.