AWS Edge Locations Vs Local Zones

Question

I'm new to AWS, and learning about it's global infrastructure. By reading online, I get the basic definition of edge locations and local zones. However couldn't find any forum / article detailing the difference between these services. Both seems to serve the purpose of running latency-sensitive applications, with edge locations primarily built for CDN.

What's the difference between Edge Locations and Local Zones?

Answer 1

AWS Edge Locations

Edge locations are endpoints for AWS which are used for caching content and used as Content delivery network (CDN).

This consists of Amazon Cloud front (CF).There are many more edge locations than regions (217 Points of Presence (205 Edge Locations and 12 Regional Edge Caches)) across globe.

Edge locations serve requests for CloudFront and Route 53. CloudFront is a content delivery network, while Route 53 is a DNS service. Requests going to either one of these services will be routed to the nearest edge location automatically. This allows for low latency no matter where the end user is located.

AWS Local Zones

AWS Local Zones allow you to use select AWS services, like compute and storage services, closer to more end-users, providing them very low latency access to the applications running locally.

AWS Local Zones are also connected to the parent region via Amazon’s redundant and very high bandwidth private network, giving applications running in AWS Local Zones fast, secure, and seamless access to the rest of AWS services.

AWS Local Zones have their own connection to the internet and support AWS Direct Connect, so resources created in the Local Zone can serve local end-users with very low-latency communications.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Local Zones

• AWS Local Zones place compute, storage, database, and other select AWS services closer to end-users.

use Case -> Applications which require single-digit millisecond latencies to your end-users, latency-sensitive applications

Read this for more clarity

Edge Locations

• A site that CloudFront uses to cache copies of your content for faster delivery to users at any location.Edge Locations are usually deployed in major cities and highly populated areas across the globe. There are more edge locations than regions.

• Edge locations serve requests for CloudFront and Route 53. CloudFront is a content delivery network, while Route 53 is a DNS service. Requests going to either one of these services will be routed to the nearest edge location automatically. This allows for low latency no matter where the end user is located.'