What is AWS CloudFront? Everything You Need to Know [Updated]

What is AWS CloudFront?

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.

Logo - CloudFront

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.

How Does AWS CloudFront Work?

The following steps explain how CloudFront delivers the content:

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

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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. 

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Companies Using CloudFront

Spotify

With the help of CloudFront, Spotify instantly gives the facility of updating new features and access to a million songs.

Jio Saavan

It uses Amazon CloudFront to deliver 15 petabytes of audio and video to its subscribers globally.

Sky news

It uses the service to unify the content for faster distribution to its subscribers.

TV1-EU

The CloudFront service helps in improving latency and performance, which results in faster delivery of content.

AWS CloudFront is Amazon's content delivery network, accelerating the distribution of web content globally. Enhance your expertise in this service through dedicated cloud computing courses, mastering efficient content delivery strategies.

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Conclusion

That concludes the AWS CloudFront article. In this write-up, we learned what AWS CloudFront is, some of its benefits, how CloudFront works, how to create a distribution network for CloudFront, and finally, we saw some of the companies using CloudFront service. 

AWS is one of the biggest cloud computing companies in the world. If you want to start a Career in AWS, we highly recommend you check out the AWS Cloud Architect Certification Course by Simplilearn, and get ahead in the career of Cloud.

Do you have any questions regarding this topic? Please feel free to put it in the comments section of this article, our experts will get back to you at the earliest.