What is Edge Computing
Edge Computing is a pattern where code runs on the nearest node (edge) to the user — usually in a CDN provider data center within a few hundred km of the client. Difference from a plain CDN: a CDN only caches responses, edge computing executes arbitrary code. Platforms: Cloudflare Workers, AWS Lambda@Edge, Deno Deploy, Vercel Edge Functions, Netlify Edge. Latency drops from 100-300ms to 10-50ms.
Below: details, example, related terms, FAQ.
Details
- Cloudflare Workers — V8 isolates across 300+ data centers, cold start < 5ms
- AWS Lambda@Edge — Lambda functions inside CloudFront edge locations
- Vercel Edge Functions — Node.js/Deno, runs at-edge rather than in a region
- Typical use-cases: A/B tests (no round-trip to origin), auth, redirects, bot detection
- Limits: no direct DB access from edge (need an edge-enabled store like D1, Turso)
Example
addEventListener('fetch', e => e.respondWith(new Response('Hello edge')))Related Terms
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Frequently Asked Questions
Edge computing vs CDN?
CDN = static caching + network. Edge computing = CDN + execution. Edge computing includes CDN; CDN is only a piece.
Why use it if I have multi-region Kubernetes?
Multi-region K8s = tens of datacenters. Edge = hundreds. Plus edge platforms manage deploy for you (git push → live globally).
Any Russian edge providers?
Yandex Cloud Functions (not edge-native but regionally distributed). Selectel Object Storage + CDN. For true edge — Cloudflare (works in RU via Tier 2 ISPs).