CDN Up and Running is a tutorial project that teaches how content delivery networks work by building one from scratch using nginx, Lua, Docker, Prometheus, and Grafana.
The project addresses the challenge of understanding CDN architecture and operation through hands-on implementation. It starts with a single backend service and progressively expands to a multi-node system with latency simulation, observability, and load testing. The approach uses nginx as a reverse proxy with caching capability, Lua scripting to add custom logic, Prometheus for metrics collection, and Grafana for visualization. This stack demonstrates how CDNs improve loading times, handle traffic spikes, reduce costs, and achieve scalability by placing cached content closer to users through intelligent routing.
This project suits developers and operators who want to understand CDN internals rather than use a production CDN service. It works well for learning purposes, as a reference architecture, or as a foundation for building custom content delivery solutions. The tutorial format with progressive complexity makes it accessible to those new to CDN concepts while covering real operational concerns like trade-offs in caching, routing decisions, and system observability.
The project maintains a structured educational approach with clear progression through each concept, supported by concrete examples and configuration files that readers can run locally. The inclusion of monitoring and metrics from early stages reflects attention to operational visibility as a core learning objective.
