Edge Computing Basics Cheat Sheet
Introduces edge computing concepts, CDN vs edge compute, and common platforms like CloudFront Functions and Cloudflare Workers.
1 PageBeginnerFeb 12, 2026
Core Concepts
Why and how edge computing differs from centralized cloud compute.
- Edge Computing- Processing data physically closer to where it's generated/consumed, reducing latency
- CDN (Content Delivery Network)- Distributed cache of static content served from geographically nearby nodes
- Edge Function- Small units of code executed at CDN points of presence, close to the user
- PoP (Point of Presence)- A physical edge location where servers cache content and run edge compute
- IoT Edge Gateway- Local device that aggregates/processes sensor data before sending to the cloud
Common Edge Platforms
Where edge functions typically run.
- Cloudflare Workers- V8-isolate-based JS/WASM runtime deployed to Cloudflare's global edge network
- AWS CloudFront Functions- Lightweight JS functions for viewer request/response manipulation at the CDN edge
- AWS Lambda@Edge- Full Lambda functions triggered by CloudFront events, more capability than CloudFront Functions
- Fastly Compute- WASM-based edge compute platform built on Fastly's CDN
- Vercel Edge Functions- Edge runtime for Next.js apps, deployed globally close to users
Cloudflare Worker Example
A minimal edge function that modifies a response header.
javascript
export default { async fetch(request) { const response = await fetch(request); const newResponse = new Response(response.body, response); newResponse.headers.set('X-Served-By', 'edge'); return newResponse; },};
Pro Tip
Edge runtimes are typically stateless and impose strict CPU-time limits (often tens of milliseconds) — keep edge functions to routing, header manipulation, or simple auth checks, and delegate heavier logic back to origin.
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