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What Is AWS CloudFront?

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AWS CloudFront is a content delivery network service that speeds up the distribution of static(Mostly S3) and dynamic web content (EC2 for static/dynamic)  to the users. It keeps the content on the edge locations so that users can retrieve it easily whenever they request it. It delivers the content with the best possible performance by routing the user to the closest edge location. Amazon CloudFront will deliver the web content with low latency and with high transfer speeds.

Amazon-CLoudFront

How AWS CloudFront CDN Works?

Amazon CloudFront is a service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that is used to deliver your content across the networks of servers located across the world these servers are called edge locations. The content can be any of the following.

  • Images
  • Videos
  • Static and dynamic data.

The content that is delivered to the edge location will be stored in the origin servers and from the edge locations end users can access the content without latency.

At first end users will request the content from the web browser then the web browser will send a DNS request to resolve the domain name of the website then the DNS server returns the IP address of the nearest CloudFront edge location. Then the cached content will be delivered to the end user other it will fetch and deliver to the end user.

The user who requires the content will request the content from a web browser this request will be sent a DNS request and resolves the domain name of your website. Then the DNS will search and give the nearest cloudFront edge location. The web browser will request the content from the edge location and then content cached in the edge locations will be delivered to the end user. In Simplest terms, cloud computing means storing and accessing the data and programs on remote servers hosted on the internet instead of the computer’s hard drive or local server. It is also referred to as Internet-based computing.

AWS CloudFront WAF

AWS cloudfront can integrates with multiple aws services one of them is WAF (Web Application Firewall) which adds an additional layer of security to WAF.

Features of Integrating AWS CDN With WAF

  • Web Application Firewall(WAF): AWS Web Application Firewall(WAF) is used to protect the webapplication from the web vulnerabilities by applying the filters.
  • CloudFront WAF Integration: You can integrate the WAF with the cloudfront with the help of web ACL(Access Control List) which will acts as an filter to the web applications.
  • Web ACL (Access Control List): Web ACL allows you to apply the rules like which request can access the application and which need to be blocked.

AWS CloudFront Use cases

  • Delivers Static Web Content: Static content like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and images and be cached to the edge location and can be deliverd to the end users with out any latency. The static content can be chehed in the edge locations instead of fecthcing it form the origin form every request.
  • Streaming Media: Amazon cloudfront can integrate with the amazon S3 and can stream the videos and audio to the end users.
  • Dyanamc Content: With the help of Lambbda edge the dynamic content can be servered to the end users by using the Amazon CloudFront the example of the content was the data which is generated by the server-side application.
  • Global Delivery of Content: Amazon CloudFront will cache the content to the edge locations which are near to the users who are requesting the data across the gloab which will reduce the latency to the end users.

AWS CloudFront Features

  • No up-front investment (Non-mandatory)
  • Lowering operating cost
  • Highly scalable, resilient
  • Easy access
  • Reducing business risks and maintenance expenses

Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services is a subsidiary of Amazon.com that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms to individuals, companies, and governments, on a paid subscription basis.

How You Configure CloudFront to Deliver Your Content?

Step 1: When the user sends a request for an object like an image file, DNS routes the request to the closest CloudFront edge location to serve the user request.

Step 2: At the edge location, the requested files are checked in its cache. If the requested files are found then it is returned to the user otherwise below steps are followed

  • Cloudfront now forwards the request to the origin server for the particular file.
  • The origin servers send the requested files to the CloudFront edge location.
  • When the first byte of file arrives from the origin server, CloudFront starts forwarding it to the user and adds the files to the cache in the edge location for the next time when someone again requests for the same file.

Amazon-CLoudFront

Step 3: The object remains in the cache of edge location for the provided duration present in file headers. 

  • Cloudfront forwards the request for the object to the origin server to check if the file at the edge location is updated or not.
  • If the version of the file at the edge location is updated, then CloudFront delivers the requested file to the user.
  • If the version of the file at the edge location is not updated, then the origin server sends the latest version of the file to cloudfront edge location. Now cloudfront delivers the latest version of the object to the user and also stores it in the cache at the edge location.

Set up the AWS CloudFront On AWS Management Console

Step 1: Search for cloudfront in services and click on cloudfront link

ClodFront

Step 2 :  Click on create Distribution

Amazon CloudFront Started

Step 3: Click on Get Started

Click ON Get started

Step 4: Choose the origin domain name of the S3 bucket you created. Keep all the settings as default. Click on create a distribution.

Origin domain name

Step 5: Our AWS cloudfront is created. 

CloudFront Distributions

Set Up The S3 Bucket On AWS Management Console

Step 1: Go to services in the AWS management console and type S3. Click on S3 services link.

S3 Bucket

Step 2 :  Click on create bucket

Create Bucket

Step 3: Write the name of the bucket, select the region. Click Create.

Configure the bucket details

Step 4: The S3 bucket is created. Click on link of the bucket name.

S3 bucket

Step 5: Click on upload to upload the desired files you want to store in S3.

Upload the Objects

Step 6: Click on Add files and add files from your system.

Add files

Step 7: The added file will be visible now. Now upload this file by clicking on the Upload button.

Added File

Step 8: The files are now uploaded in your S3 bucket and ready for use.

File was uploaded

AWS Cloudfront VS AWS Global Accelerator

AWS Cloudfront

AWS Global Accelerator

AWS cloudfront is used as content delivery network (CDN) which will delivers the data to the edge locations it may be static or dynamic.

AWS Global Accelerator is used to improve the availability of the application by routing the traffic over AWS global network.

Cloudfront usese edge location to cache and server the data t the users.

It useses anycast IP addresses and routes the traffic over the global network.

AWS cloudfornt will decrease the latency to the end-users.

AWS global accelerator will increase the availability of the application to the end-users.

Servert the data to the users from the nearest edge location.

Continusoly monitors the end points and delivers the the traffic to the only healthy end-points.

AWS CloudFront Pricing

Amazon CloudFront will be based on the following factors.

  • Data Transfer Out (DTO)
  • Data Transfer In (DTI)
  • Requests
  • Signed URLs
  • HTTPS requests
  • Invalidation Requests

Amazon CloudFront – FAQs

AWS CloudFront Create-Invalidation

AWS CloudFront Create-Invalidation is the processes of clearing the cache content from the edge locations before it experies by its self. By this you can reflect the content which is updated.

Amazon CloudFront CDN

Amazon CloudFront is a content delivery network (CDN) is an service offered by the AWS which will be used to deliver the content to the users across the world without any latency, with higher transfer speed.

Amazon CloudFront Dyanamic Content Delivery

With the help of AWS Lambbda edge the dynamic content can be servered to the end users by using the Amazon CloudFront the example of the content was the data which is generated by the server-side application.

Amazon CloudFront VS Azure CDN

Amazon CloudFront and Azure CDN are both used for the content delivery networks’s(CDN’s) both of the will offer global network of edge locations, low latency, and high transfer speeds.

Amazon CloudFront EdgeLocations

Content from your origin server is cached on servers called Amazon CloudFront Edge Locations, which are dispersed throughout the globe.



Last Updated : 24 Jan, 2024
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