A CDN reduces origin server load by caching and serving content from distributed edge locations, minimizing direct requests to the origin server.
A CDN reduces the load on an origin server by caching and delivering frequently requested content from edge locations distributed across the globe. When users request static assets such as images, scripts, or style sheets, those requests are served directly from the nearest CDN Point of Presence (PoP) instead of the origin. This offloading significantly decreases the number of direct connections and data transfers handled by the origin server.
For dynamic or uncached requests, the CDN still optimizes delivery by maintaining persistent connections and reusing transport sessions with the origin. This minimizes repetitive handshakes and reduces computational overhead. As a result, the origin handles fewer total requests and can dedicate more resources to processing truly dynamic workloads.
By absorbing a large portion of traffic at the edge, a CDN helps prevent server bottlenecks, lowers bandwidth consumption at the origin, and improves the overall efficiency and scalability of backend infrastructure.