Who Is This For?

This course is for developers, DevOps engineers, SREs, and platform engineers. They work with web apps and want to deeply grasp content delivery.

You may debug why an image won't update. You may plan a cache plan for a new service. You may ask why your CDN bill doubled last month. This course gives you the answers you need.

After this course, you'll be able to:

• Debug caching issues in production. Read response headers and learn why content caches or misses.
• Set caching headers right the first time. Set Cache-Control, ETag, Vary, and more with care.
• Plan multi-tier caching setups. Use edge, shield, and origin patterns for high-traffic apps.
• Set up Nginx and Varnish. Build production-ready caching proxy setups.
• Tune for each content type. Cover static assets, APIs, video streams, and dynamic content.
• Use CDN security tools. Set SSL/TLS, WAF rules, and DDoS shields.
• Talk well in buying talks. Rate vendors, read SLAs, and ask the right questions.
• Cut CDN costs. Know pricing models and design for speed and low cost.

You may ask why a tech course has a module on buying and cost. Here is the reason:

This isn't about becoming a buyer expert. It is about being the engineer who sees the full picture. You will learn to:

• Judge CDN vendors on tech needs, not just ads.
• Know commit-based vs. usage-based pricing and when each fits.
• Read SLAs with care and know which promises matter.
• Build setups that cost little from day one.
• Explain CDN costs to leaders in their own words.

This course assumes you have:

• Basic HTTP knowledge. You know requests, replies, status codes (200, 404, 500), and methods (GET, POST).
• Command line comfort. You can move through dirs, run commands, and read output.
• General web knowledge. You know what browsers, servers, and DNS do at a high level.

You don't need prior CDN skill. That is just what you are here to learn. If you are rusty on HTTP or DNS, we cover the basics as we go.

Match your role to a starting point.

For the labs in Module 8, you'll need:

• Docker Desktop or another Docker runtime. The labs run in containers.
• A code editor. VS Code works well, but any editor works.
• curl or HTTPie. Use them for HTTP calls from the command line.
• A modern browser. Use its dev tools to inspect network calls.

The full course has 71 lessons across 9 modules. Plan to spend:

• Core content: 8-12 hours of reading and interactive lessons.
• Hands-on labs: 4-6 hours of practical work.
• Quizzes and badge: 2-3 hours.

Work at your own pace. Most people finish in about 2-4 weeks of part-time study.