Amazon CloudFront

Amazon Cloud Front is a content delivery network (CDN) service built for high performance, security, and developer convenience.

AWS CloudFront is a globally-distributed network offered by Amazon Web Services, which securely transfers content such as software, SDKs, videos, etc., to the clients, with high transfer speed.

How it Works 

Benefits of AWS CloudFront

• It will cache your content in edge locations and decrease the workload, thus resulting in high availability of applications.
• It is simple to use and ensures productivity enhancement.
• It provides high security with the ‘Content Privacy’ feature.
• It facilitates GEO targeting service for content delivery to specific end-users.
• It uses HTTP or HTTPS protocols for quick delivery of content.
• It is less expensive, as it only charges for the data transfer.

Step 1

The client accesses a website and requests to download a file (like image file).

Client access

Step 2

Now, the DNS routes the client request to the nearest edge location through CloudFront to serve the user request.

Serve user request

Step 3

At edge location, CloudFront looks for its requested cache file. Once the file is found, CloudFront sends the file to the user.

Cache file - CloudFront

Step 4

But, if the file is not found then CloudFront compares the requirements with the specifications and shares it with the respective server. 

Web server - CloudFront

Step 5

The web server responds to the request by sending the files back to the CloudFront edge location.

Share file

Step 6:

As soon CloudFront receives the file, it shares it with the client and adds the file to the edge location.

Receives file - CloudFront

How to Create a Distribution Network for CloudFront? 

• Go to the AWS Management Console and sign in. Then, open the CloudFront console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/cloudfront/.
• Then, click on the Create Distribution button.

• Next, click on Get Started on the web section of the Create Distribution Wizard.

• Specify required settings for the CloudFront distribution and save it.
• Once distribution is created, the Status column will change from In-Progress to Deployed. 
• When you enable the distribution option, the status switches to the Deployed mode and will be ready to process requests.