How do CDNs improve reliability?
CDNs distribute content across many servers in multiple locations, providing redundancy. If one server fails, the CDN automatically routes traffic to other available servers, ensuring continuous availability.
CDN load balancing
CDN load balancing distributes incoming traffic across multiple servers to prevent any single server from becoming overwhelmed. Load balancers can route requests based on server health, geographic proximity, current load, and content availability.
Origin failover
If the origin server becomes unavailable, CDNs can serve cached content, ensuring users continue to access the website even during origin outages. This capability is often referred to as "always-on" or "origin shield" functionality.