Alibaba Cloud CDN accelerates content delivery for three main workload types: image and small file distribution, large file distribution, and on-demand audio and video streaming. Use the table below to match your use case to the right scenario.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Best for | File size |
|---|---|---|
| Image and small file distribution | Web portals, e-commerce, news, gaming | Any |
| Large file distribution | Game packages, app updates, ROM updates | > 20 MB |
| On-demand audio and video streaming | Video platforms, online education, short video | Any |
Distribute images and small files
Alibaba Cloud CDN accelerates the delivery of static content — images, CSS files, and small JavaScript files — on web portals, e-commerce websites, news sites, and gaming and entertainment websites. Separate static content from dynamic content on your origin server. CDN handles static delivery; use Dynamic Content Delivery Network (DCDN) for dynamic content.
Note: Static content is content that the server returns unchanged for every request, such as images, videos, HTML files, CSS files, JavaScript files, software installation packages, Android Package (APK) files, and compressed files. Dynamic content is generated per request and varies per user, such as ASP, JSP, PHP, Perl, and CGI files, API requests, and database interactive requests on websites. For more information, see What are static content and dynamic content?
This scenario addresses:
Slow page loads caused by a large number of small files
Inconsistent load speed and service quality across regions
Origin server outages during traffic spikes, such as flash sales and promotions
Inability to perform image optimization due to complex format and resolution requirements
Distribute large files
Alibaba Cloud CDN accelerates the delivery of files larger than 20 MB, including game installation packages, application updates, ROM updates, and app packages.
This scenario addresses:
Failed downloads or low download speeds
Interrupted downloads over unstable connections that force users to restart and waste bandwidth
Hotlinking and hijacking that cause business losses
High origin server bandwidth costs from handling large volumes of concurrent downloads or download spikes
Stream on-demand audio and video
Alibaba Cloud CDN distributes and accelerates audio and video content for film and television platforms, online education services, news sites, and short video applications. CDN supports mainstream formats, including MP4 and FLV.
This scenario addresses:
Playback errors and stalling when users request video content
Hijacking and unauthorized downloads that put video copyright at risk
High origin server bandwidth costs from high-concurrent access or access spikes
If you also need to upload, transcode, store, and distribute audio or video content through a single service, use ApsaraVideo VOD. For more information, see What is ApsaraVideo VOD?