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What Is An Edge Server?

An edge server is a computer that sits at the outer boundary of a network, positioned geographically close to end users rather than in a centralized data center. Its primary job is to deliver content quickly by reducing the distance data has to travel. 

When you load a website or stream a video, that content doesn’t always come directly from the website’s origin server. Instead, it may be served from an edge server located in or near your region. This dramatically cuts down on the time it takes for data to reach your device, which is why edge servers are a core component of any CDN, or content delivery network. 

The closer a server is to the user making a request, the less latency is introduced. Edge servers take advantage of this by caching copies of frequently requested content, such as images, scripts, and video files, so they can respond to requests without reaching back to the origin server every time.

Edge servers are also increasingly used for security functions, including filtering malicious traffic before it ever reaches the core network.