Web Server

Cloudflare Server

Overview

Cloudflare Server is an edge computing platform that integrates CDN (Content Delivery Network) and security features. It leverages a global network infrastructure to achieve high-speed content delivery while providing comprehensive security features such as DDoS protection and bot countermeasures. Unlike traditional web servers, it specializes in service delivery at the edge layer.

Details

Cloudflare was established in 2010 and currently operates data centers in over 320 cities worldwide. As of 2024, 23.4% of the world's websites use Cloudflare, continuing rapid growth at an annual rate of 23.9%.

Key Technical Features

• Global Anycast Network: Real-time distributed deployment worldwide
• AI-Driven Security: Machine learning-based bot detection and threat analysis
• Workers Platform: Serverless edge computing
• HTTP/3 Standard Support: Acceleration through latest protocols
• Zero Trust Architecture: Security-first design

Use Cases

• High-speed content delivery as CDN
• Protection from DDoS attacks
• Web Application Firewall (WAF)
• Edge computing and serverless execution
• API security and rate limiting

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

• Global High-Speed Delivery: Optimized content delivery from worldwide locations
• Powerful Security: Comprehensive protection from DDoS, bots, and malware
• Easy Setup: Can be deployed with just DNS changes
• Rich Analytics: Real-time traffic analysis and insights
• Scalability: Automatic load distribution during traffic spikes
• Edge Computing: Serverless execution via Workers

Disadvantages

• Vendor Lock-in: Risk of dependency on Cloudflare-specific features
• Cost Escalation: Can become expensive with large-scale traffic
• Configuration Complexity: Difficulty when using advanced features
• Impact During Outages: Entire service affected when Cloudflare is down
• Debugging Difficulty: Complex problem identification at edge layer

Reference Pages

• Official Site
• Cloudflare Docs
• Cloudflare Community

Configuration Examples

DNS Configuration (Basic Proxy Setup)

# Cloudflare DNS A record configuration
A record: example.com -> 203.0.113.1 (Orange Cloud ON)
CNAME: www -> example.com (Orange Cloud ON)

Page Rules Configuration

// Cache configuration
URL: example.com/static/*
Settings:
  - Cache Level: Cache Everything
  - Edge Cache TTL: 1 month
  - Browser Cache TTL: 4 hours

// Security configuration
URL: example.com/admin/*
Settings:
  - Security Level: High
  - Always Use HTTPS: On
  - IP Geolocation Header: On

Cloudflare Workers Sample

// Basic Worker script
addEventListener('fetch', event => {
  event.respondWith(handleRequest(event.request))
})

async function handleRequest(request) {
  const url = new URL(request.url)
  
  // API endpoint handling
  if (url.pathname.startsWith('/api/')) {
    return handleAPI(request)
  }
  
  // Static content handling
  return fetch(request)
}

async function handleAPI(request) {
  // Rate limiting check
  const clientIP = request.headers.get('CF-Connecting-IP')
  const rateLimitKey = `rate_limit:${clientIP}`
  
  // Add CORS headers
  const headers = {
    'Access-Control-Allow-Origin': '*',
    'Access-Control-Allow-Methods': 'GET,HEAD,POST,OPTIONS',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  }
  
  return new Response(JSON.stringify({message: 'Hello from Edge'}), {
    headers: headers
  })
}

WAF Custom Rules Configuration

// Cloudflare WAF custom rule examples
// SQL injection detection
(http.request.uri.query contains "union select" or 
 http.request.uri.query contains "drop table")

// Geographic blocking
(ip.geoip.country ne "JP" and ip.geoip.country ne "US")

// User-Agent blocking
(http.user_agent contains "bot" and not http.user_agent contains "Googlebot")

Transform Rules Configuration

// Request header transformation
// Add header: X-Real-IP
dynamic_value(ip.src)

// Response header transformation
// Add security headers
{
  "X-Frame-Options": "DENY",
  "X-Content-Type-Options": "nosniff",
  "X-XSS-Protection": "1; mode=block",
  "Strict-Transport-Security": "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains"
}

Load Balancing Configuration

# Load Balancer configuration example
load_balancer:
  name: "web-servers"
  description: "Main web server pool"
  fallback_pool: "backup-pool"
  
pools:
  - name: "primary-pool"
    origins:
      - name: "server-1"
        address: "192.168.1.10"
        weight: 100
      - name: "server-2" 
        address: "192.168.1.11"
        weight: 100
    monitor: "health-check"
    
  - name: "backup-pool"
    origins:
      - name: "backup-server"
        address: "192.168.2.10"
        weight: 100

monitors:
  - name: "health-check"
    type: "http"
    method: "GET"
    path: "/health"
    interval: 60
    timeout: 5
    retries: 2