CDN and DDoS Protection Synergy: Building Highly Available Network Architecture
The Relationship Between CDN and DDoS Protection
CDN (Content Delivery Network) and DDoS protection are two complementary key components in modern network architecture. CDN is responsible for accelerating content delivery and improving user access experience; DDoS protection is responsible for resisting malicious traffic and ensuring service availability. When they work together synergistically, they achieve a network infrastructure that is "both fast and secure."
CDN's Security Value
CDN inherently possesses certain security protection capabilities:
- Distributed nodes: Naturally disperses attack traffic, significantly reducing the attack pressure on individual nodes
- Edge caching: Static resources cached at edge nodes reduce origin server request pressure and lower the attack surface
- Traffic buffering: CDN nodes serve as a front-end buffer for the origin, absorbing sudden traffic shocks
- IP hiding: Origin server IPs are not directly exposed, increasing the difficulty for attackers conducting reconnaissance
DDoS Protection's Acceleration Value
DDoS protection can also positively impact the acceleration experience:
- Intelligent routing: Automatically optimizes traffic paths during attacks, bypassing congested nodes
- TCP optimization: Improves access speed in high-latency environments through TCP connection multiplexing and protocol optimization
- Caching acceleration: Protection nodes simultaneously provide caching capabilities, reducing origin requests
- Health checks: Real-time monitoring of origin server health status, automatically removing abnormal nodes
Synergistic Architecture Design
Recommended Architecture
Users → Anycast DNS → CDN Edge Nodes → DDoS Scrubbing Layer → Origin Server
Key Configuration Points
DNS Layer Configuration
Use Anycast DNS to distribute traffic, configuring appropriate TTL values and failover strategies. The DNS layer is the entry point of the entire architecture, and its stability and response speed directly impact user experience.
CDN Layer Optimization
Configure reasonable caching policies and origin pull rules. Set longer cache times for static resources, use cache key optimization for dynamic content to reduce origin requests. Enable HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 for improved connection efficiency.
Protection Layer Strategy
Set appropriate protection thresholds and scrubbing strategies. Configure alert thresholds based on business traffic baselines, ensuring rapid response when attacks occur. Hiddos supports seamless integration with mainstream CDNs.
Architecture Comparison
| Architecture Solution | Security | Performance | Complexity | Applicable Scenarios |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDN Only | Low | High | Low | Small websites, low security requirements |
| DDoS Protection Only | High | Medium | Medium | API services, non-content-based businesses |
| CDN + DDoS Protection in Series | High | High | High | Large websites, high security + high performance needs |
| Integrated Solution | High | High | Low | All scenarios (recommended) |
Performance Optimization Recommendations
Transport Optimization
- Enable Brotli/Gzip compression: Reduce transfer size; Brotli has 15-25% higher compression ratio than Gzip
- Configure HTTP/2 or HTTP/3: Improve connection efficiency and reduce latency. HTTP/3 is based on the QUIC protocol and performs better in weak network conditions
- Use edge computing: Process dynamic requests (such as A/B testing, user authentication) at edge nodes to reduce origin round-trips
Caching Strategy
| Resource Type | Recommended Cache Time | Cache Key | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static images/video | 30-365 days | URL | Long-term caching, update with version numbers |
| CSS/JS | 7-30 days | URL + content hash | Precise caching with content hash |
| HTML pages | 1-5 minutes | URL + device type | Short cache to ensure content freshness |
| API responses | 10-60 seconds | URL + query parameters | Flexible configuration based on business needs |
Hiddos Synergy Solution
Hiddos provides an integrated solution with deep fusion of CDN and DDoS protection:
Global Anycast Network
68 edge nodes across 45 countries and regions. Anycast technology automatically routes users to the nearest node, ensuring low-latency access for global users.
Intelligent Caching Acceleration
Smart caching strategies based on business characteristics, automatically identifying cacheable content. Supports edge computing and dynamic content acceleration, reducing origin latency.
Unified Management
CDN acceleration and DDoS protection managed in a unified console, eliminating the need to switch between multiple platforms. Real-time monitoring dashboards display acceleration effectiveness and protection status.
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