What is the function of a CDN in web development?

The function of a Content Delivery Network (CDN) in web development is primarily to store and deliver web content efficiently. A CDN achieves this by caching content across multiple distributed servers located in various geographical regions. When a user requests content from a website, the CDN serves that content from the nearest server to the user, which significantly reduces loading times and improves the user experience.

CDNs optimize content delivery by reducing the physical distance between the server and the user, leading to faster access to web pages, images, videos, and other multimedia elements. Moreover, by distributing the content across a network of servers, a CDN can handle high traffic loads efficiently and ensure consistent performance, even during peak times.

While other options such as managing user accounts, preventing data breaches, and creating backups may involve other aspects of web development and site management, they do not accurately describe the core function of a CDN. The primary role of a CDN is to enhance content delivery, making it a crucial component in modern web infrastructure.