HTTP

Content Delivery Networks: Speeding Up Global Access Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) place copies of your files on servers around the world. When a user visits your site, a nearby server delivers the content instead of your origin. This reduces travel time and speeds up pages, especially for visitors far from your main server. How CDNs work Edge servers store cached versions of static assets like images, scripts, and styles. The routing system points each request to the closest edge location. For dynamic content, some CDNs offer edge computing or pull content from your origin as needed. Cache rules tell edge servers how long to keep content and when to refresh it. Benefits Faster page loads and better experience for users everywhere. Lower bandwidth use and less pressure on your origin server. Higher reliability during traffic spikes or sudden demand. Built-in security features, such as DDoS protection and TLS termination. When to use a CDN If your audience is global or spread across regions. For sites with large images, video, or downloadable files. When you want faster delivery for software updates or media. If you care about security and uptime in addition to speed. Choosing a CDN Check how many regions you need and the testing data for those regions. Compare pricing models: data transfer, requests, and features. Look for modern protocol support (HTTP/2, HTTP/3) and strong security options. See how easy it is to integrate with your site and to purge or update caches. Run a quick pilot: measure load times with and without the CDN, and watch cache hit rates. Common pitfalls Caching content that updates often without proper cache rules. Not setting proper cache headers, leading to stale content. Hard-to-purge caches that delay updates. Unexpected costs from high traffic or expensive edge features. Getting started For static assets, point your asset URLs to a CDN domain (for example, cdn.yoursite.com). Enable cache-control headers, choose a sensible TTL, and use versioned file names to bust caches when content changes. Pair this with a simple origin pull setup to keep things easy at first. ...

gRPC and Protocol Buffers for Efficient APIs gRPC is a modern framework for remote procedure calls. It uses Protocol Buffers as its default data format. Together, they help teams build fast, reliable APIs for microservices and cloud apps. The binary messages are smaller and faster to parse than JSON, and HTTP/2 brings multiplexing, streaming, and strong flow control. This makes gRPC a good choice when speed, consistency, and cross-language support matter. ...

Communication Protocols Every Developer Should Know Protocols are the rules that govern how apps talk to each other. They define message formats, how connections start and stay open, and how errors are reported. For developers, a solid grasp of a few core protocols helps you design reliable APIs, diagnose issues faster, and build scalable services. HTTP and HTTP/2 Most web apps rely on HTTP. HTTP/1.1 uses a text-based request/response model with headers. HTTP/2 adds multiplexing, header compression, and server push, which reduce latency in many apps. When you call a public API or load a web page, HTTP is usually the carrier. TLS (HTTPS) protects the data in transit. ...

Communication Protocols that Power the Internet The Internet runs on a small set of rules, called protocols. These rules tell devices how to talk, how to share data, and how to stay safe. At the core is the TCP/IP family, which describes how data is packed, addressed, and moved from one computer to another. With these rules, a browser can fetch a page, an email can travel, and a chat app can stay in touch. ...

Web Servers How They Work and How to Optimize Them Web servers are the entry point for most online apps. They listen for requests, fetch data or files, and return responses. They must handle many connections at once, so speed and reliability matter for every visitor. There are two common processing models. A thread-per-request approach is simple: one thread handles each connection. It works for small sites but wastes memory as traffic grows. An event-driven model uses a small pool of workers that manage many connections asynchronously, which scales better with traffic. ...

Communication Protocols You Should Know In today’s digital world, devices talk to each other using rules called communication protocols. They tell data how to be formatted, how to travel, and how to be checked for mistakes. Knowing a few basics helps you troubleshoot, design better systems, and protect information. Think in layers. The Internet Protocol (IP) moves data from one machine to another. The Transport layer decides how to deliver that data: TCP creates a reliable, ordered channel; UDP sends short messages quickly but without guarantees. Newer options like QUIC run on UDP to blend speed with reliability. ...

Content delivery networks and global performance A content delivery network (CDN) places copies of your files on servers around the world. When a user requests a page, the CDN serves assets from the edge location closest to that user. This shortens travel distance, reduces round trips, and helps pages load faster. The result is better experiences for visitors, regardless of their location or device. CDNs are useful for blogs, storefronts, and apps alike. ...

Content Delivery Networks: Speeding Up the Internet Content Delivery Networks, or CDNs, speed up the web by storing copies of your site’s files on servers around the world. When a user opens a page, the CDN tries to serve images, scripts, and pages from the nearest edge server. This shortens travel distance, lowers latency, and makes pages feel faster even for visitors far away. How it works: edge servers cache static files like images, CSS, and JavaScript. If the file is in cache and fresh, it is sent directly. If not, the edge fetches it from your origin server, forwards it to the user, and saves a copy for the next request. Many CDNs also handle dynamic content by smart routing and light processing at the edge, so personalized data can travel quickly while keeping security high. ...

Communication Protocols You Need to Know Protocols are the rules that let devices talk. They describe how data is packaged, when to send it, how to confirm it arrived, and how to keep it safe. Without clear protocols, a web page, an app, or a smart device would fail to cooperate. What is a protocol? A protocol is a formal agreement. It defines how to start a conversation, what to send, how to acknowledge receipt, and what to do when errors occur. It also sets limits on message size and timing, so conversations stay orderly. ...

Communication Protocols Across the Internet and Enterprise The Internet and enterprise networks depend on a structured set of rules. Protocols are the agreed methods that devices use to talk to each other. They work in layers, from how data is addressed and moved to how applications request information and how security is kept intact. In practice you will hear about the TCP/IP stack, the web language HTTP, and the way names are found with DNS. Together, these rules keep data flowing reliably and safely. ...