What is a CDN and what is its purpose?

• A. Content Distribution Network; caches and serves content from locations closer to users to reduce latency.
• B. Central Data Node; stores all content for a site.
• C. Content Delivery Network; caches and serves content from locations closer to users to reduce latency.
• D. Cross-Domain Node; manages cross-origin requests.

Answer: (C)

A CDN is a distributed network of servers that caches and serves content from locations closer to users to reduce latency. By placing edge servers around the world, the CDN delivers assets from the nearest location, so pages load faster because data travels a shorter distance. It also offloads traffic from the origin server, helps handle traffic spikes, and can add security benefits through distributed delivery. The term that describes this setup is Content Delivery Network, which specifically refers to delivering content efficiently using edge locations to minimize delay. The other options describe terms or roles that don’t fit how CDNs actually work—storing everything in one central node or managing cross-origin requests.