CDN

As explained in Building Web APIs with ASP.NET Core

A content delivery network is a geographically distributed network of intermediary servers that delivers or caches content from locations closer to clients.

A content-delivery network (CDN) is a geographically distributed network of proxy servers. It sits between clients and a web server, helping deliver content with higher availability and better performance. Its intermediate cache can reduce latency and the bandwidth used by the origin server. section 8.1 section 3.1.4

Figure 3.3 Updated MyBGList SOA using CDN and reverse proxy

The architecture diagram places a CDN and a reverse proxy between clients and the board-game API. The API still handles requests and data exchange, while the added layers can cache responses before requests reach it. section 3.1.4

For a production API, choosing a CDN means choosing an intermediate layer instead of binding the public domain directly to the web server’s IP address. Requests reach the CDN first and are then forwarded to the origin server. Depending on the provider and plan, the CDN may also mask the origin IP address, filter malicious requests with a web application firewall, and mitigate DDoS attacks. These benefits come with extra configuration and architectural complexity. section 12.1.3

Decide what the CDN should cache before relying on it:

• For a mostly static site, consider browser or CDN HTTP caching for HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and images. section 8.1
• For a RESTful API, consider HTTP response caching for frequently accessed GET endpoints or default-parameter requests. When clients request varied, specific data, server-side caching may do more to relieve the database. section 8.1

Board-game API deployment

The board-game website is hosted on a CDN, while a separate CDN layer is proposed in front of its API. For the API deployment, the goal is to serve content without directly exposing the hosting server and to support a secure edge-origin arrangement with encryption between the server and users’ browsers. Provider setup is a practical deployment task, not an API code change. section 1.1.2 section 3.1.4 section 12.5

A CDN is not equally useful for every protocol: gRPC responses are difficult to cache through intermediaries such as CDNs. Check the API’s request patterns and caching needs before treating an added layer as an automatic performance improvement. section 10.3.2 section 8.1

How Building Web APIs with ASP.NET Core covers it

How deep it goes

Defines the CDN and explains deployment trade-offs and common protections, without detailing a provider’s complete configuration sequence.

Examples

Uses a CDN-hosted board-game website and an architecture diagram placing CDN and reverse-proxy layers before its API.

What it assumes

Assumes a web API and deployment scenario, while defining a CDN before discussing its caching role.

What you can do after

Evaluate/understand whether CDN caching and security benefits justify an intermediate layer for an API deployment.

How it connects

Connects CDNs to reverse proxies, HTTP response caching, edge-origin architecture, web application firewalls, and DDoS protection.

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Also explained in

• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Pro ASP.NET Core 7, Tenth EditionA content delivery network is a distributed service that delivers web assets from geographically or topologically proximate servers.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  LatencyA content delivery network is a geographically distributed network of servers that caches and delivers content from locations near users.
• 

  liveBookmanning.com
  Server-Side WebAssemblyA content delivery network is a geographically distributed network of servers that caches and delivers content close to end users.

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Related concepts

• distributed file systemkind of · A distributed file system stores and manages files across multiple networked computers while presenting clients with a unified filesystem-like interface.
• static siteused by · A static site is a website primarily devoted to presenting content through fixed or prebuilt pages rather than pages dynamically generated for each request.
• meanaddresses · A mean is a measure of central tendency, calculated as the arithmetic average of values or, for a random variable, as the probability-weighted average of its possible values.
• cachinguses · Caching is the practice of storing reusable data or computation results so later access can avoid repeating retrieval or computation.
• replicationuses · Replication is the creation or maintenance of multiple copies of data, state, or functionality across separate locations or components.

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Building Web APIs with ASP.NET Core. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.