2.1.2. Edge Locations and Regional Edge Caches
š” First Principle: Edge Locations and Regional Edge Caches are global data centers that minimize latency and enhance application performance by serving cached content closer to users.
Edge Locations are a key part of the AWS Global Infrastructure designed to optimize content delivery and reduce latency for end-users. They are strategically positioned in highly populated areas around the world, closer to where users are located.
Key Concepts:
- Edge Locations:
- Purpose: Primarily used by Amazon CloudFront (a CDN) to cache copies of content (e.g., website images, videos, web pages) closer to users.
- Benefit: When a user requests content, it's served from the nearest Edge Location instead of the origin server in an AWS Region, significantly reducing latency and improving loading times.
- Regional Edge Caches:
- Purpose: Larger caches located between AWS Regions and Edge Locations.
- Benefit: Store content that is less popular than what's in Edge Locations but still accessed frequently enough to warrant caching outside a full Region. This reduces the load on origin servers.
- Service Using them: Amazon CloudFront is the primary AWS service that leverages Edge Locations and Regional Edge Caches.
Scenario: Imagine a global e-commerce site using Amazon CloudFront. Website assets like images and videos are cached at an Edge Location near a user in Sydney, ensuring rapid page loads and a superior shopping experience.
Reflection Question: How do Edge Locations and Regional Edge Caches, leveraged by Amazon CloudFront, fundamentally improve user experience and application performance for geographically dispersed applications by minimizing content delivery latency?