What is the difference between CDN and caching?

Question

Accepted Answer

**CDN** — Content Delivery Network. **Caching** — storing copies for reuse.

**CDN:**
- Distributed network of servers.
- Content served from nearest edge.
- Reduces latency.
- Handles high traffic.

```
CDN:
User (Tokyo) → Edge Server (Tokyo)
User (NYC) → Edge Server (NYC)
(Content served from nearest location)
```

**Caching:**
- Storing copies of data.
- Can be local or distributed.
- Reduces server load.
- Various strategies.

```
Caching Levels:
Browser Cache → App Cache → Database Cache
CDN Cache → Reverse Proxy Cache
(Multiple caching layers)
```

**CDN is a type of caching:**
- CDN = distributed caching for static content.
- Caching = general concept.

**Key differences:**
- **CDN** — distributed network.
- **Caching** — storage technique.
- **CDN** — for static content.
- **Caching** — for any data.

Systems Analyst: What is the difference between CDN and caching?