Content delivery network distributions - Amazon Lightsail
What can I do with Lightsail CDN distributions?What types of resources can I use as the origin of my distributions?Do I need to attach a static IPv4 address to my Lightsail instance in order to use it as an origin for my Lightsail distribution?How do I setup a Lightsail distribution with my WordPress website?Can I attach multiple origins?Do Lightsail distributions support certificate creation?Is a certificate required?Is there a limit to the number of certificates I can create?How can I configure my distribution to redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS?How can I configure my apex domain to point to my Lightsail distribution?What are the differences between Lightsail’s instance data transfer quotas and distribution data transfer quotas?Can I change the plan associated with my distribution?How do I know if my distribution is working?Can I delete cached content on my Lightsail distribution?When should I use Lightsail distributions versus Amazon CloudFront distributions?Can I move my Lightsail content delivery network (CDN) distribution to Amazon CloudFront?How is Lightsail CDN intended to be used?Do Lightsail CDN distributions support IPv6?Do the origins need to be IPv6 enabled to work with the Lightsail CDN distributions?

Content delivery network distributions

What can I do with Lightsail CDN distributions?

Lightsail content delivery network (CDN) distributions make it easy for you to accelerate the delivery of content hosted on your Lightsail resources by storing and serving it on Amazon’s global delivery network, powered by Amazon CloudFront. Distributions also help you enable your website to support HTTPS traffic by providing simple SSL certificate creation and hosting. Finally, distributions can help reduce the load on your Lightsail resources and help your website handle large traffic spikes. Like all of Lightsail’s features, setup can be completed with just a few clicks, and you pay a simple monthly price.

What types of resources can I use as the origin of my distributions?

Lightsail distributions allow you to use your Lightsail instances and load balancers as origins. Lightsail containers are not currently supported as origins. Resources outside of Lightsail, such as S3 buckets, are not supported.

Do I need to attach a static IPv4 address to my Lightsail instance in order to use it as an origin for my Lightsail distribution?

Yes, static IPv4 addresses are required to be attached to instances that are specified as origins. Lightsail distributions do not currently support IPv6.

How do I setup a Lightsail distribution with my WordPress website?

Create your distribution, select your WordPress instance as the origin, choose your plan, and you’re all set. Lightsail distributions automatically configure your distribution settings to optimize performance for most WordPress configurations.

Can I attach multiple origins?

Although you cannot attach multiple origins to your Lightsail distribution, you can attach multiple instances to a Lightsail load balancer and specify it as the origin of your distribution.

Do Lightsail distributions support certificate creation?

Yes. Lightsail distributions makes it easy to create, verify, and attach certificates directly from your distribution’s management page.

Is a certificate required?

A certificate is only required if you wish to use your custom domain name with your distribution. All Lightsail distributions are created with a unique Amazon CloudFront domain name that is HTTPS-enabled. However, if you wish to use your custom domain with your distribution, then you need to attach a certificate for your custom domain to your distribution.

Is there a limit to the number of certificates I can create?

Yes, refer to Lightsail service quotas for more information.

How can I configure my distribution to redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS?

Lightsail distributions automatically redirect all HTTP requests to HTTPS to ensure that your content is served securely.

How can I configure my apex domain to point to my Lightsail distribution?

In order to point your apex domain to your CDN distribution, you must create an ALIAS record in the domain name system (DNS) of your domain that maps your apex domain to your distribution’s default domain. If your DNS hosting provider does not support ALIAS records, you can use Lightsail DNS zones to easily configure your apex domain to point to your distribution’s domain.

What are the differences between Lightsail’s instance data transfer quotas and distribution data transfer quotas?

While data transfer IN and OUT count toward your instance’s data transfer quota, only data transfer OUT to your origin and to your viewers counts toward you distribution’s quota. In addition, all data transfer OUT in excess of your distribution’s quota is charged an overage fee, whereas some types of data transfer OUT are free for instances. Finally, Lightsail distributions use a different regional overage model, though the majority of the rates are the same as those charged for instance overage.

Can I change the plan associated with my distribution?

Yes, you can change your distribution's plan once per month. If you wish to change your plan a second time, you must wait until the beginning of the following month to do so.

How do I know if my distribution is working?

Lightsail distributions provide you with a variety of metrics that track the performance of your distribution, including the total number of requests your distribution has received, the amount of data your distribution has sent to clients and to your origin, and the percentage of requests that have resulted in errors. Additionally, you can create alerts that are linked to distribution metrics.

Can I delete cached content on my Lightsail distribution?

You can delete all cached content, but not specific files or folders.

When should I use Lightsail distributions versus Amazon CloudFront distributions?

Lightsail distributions are designed specifically for users who are hosting websites or web applications on Lightsail resources, such as instances and load balancers. If you’re using another service in AWS to host your website or app, have complex configuration needs, or have a workload that involves a high number of requests per second or large amount of video streaming, we recommend that you use Amazon CloudFront.

Can I move my Lightsail content delivery network (CDN) distribution to Amazon CloudFront?

Yes, you can move your Lightsail distribution by creating a similarly configured distribution in Amazon CloudFront. All of the settings that can be configured in a Lightsail distribution can also be configured in a CloudFront distribution. Complete the following steps to move your distribution to CloudFront.

How to move your Lightsail distribution to CloudFront

  • Take a snapshot of your Lightsail instance that is configured as your distribution's origin. Export the snapshot to Amazon EC2, and then create a new instance from the snapshot in Amazon EC2. For more information, see Export snapshots to Amazon EC2.

    Note

    Create an application load balancer in Elastic Load Balancing if you need to load balance your website or web application. For more information, see the Elastic Load Balancing User Guide.

  • Disable custom domains for your Lightsail distribution to detach certificates that you might have attached to it. For more information, see Disabling custom domains for your Amazon Lightsail distributions.

  • Using the AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI), run the get-distributions command to get a list of your Lightsail distribution’s settings. For more information, see get-distributions in the AWS CLI Reference.

  • Sign in to the CloudFront console and create a distribution with the same configuration settings as your Lightsail distribution. For more information, see Creating a Distribution in the Amazon CloudFront Developer Guide.

  • Create a certificate in AWS Certificate Managerc (ACM) that you will attach to your CloudFront distribution. For more information, see Request a Public Certificate in the ACM User Guide.

  • Update your CloudFront distribution to use the ACM certificate you created. For more information, see Updating your CloudFront distribution in the CloudFront User Guide.

How is Lightsail CDN intended to be used?

Lightsail CDN distributions are created using fixed-priced bundles of data transfer to make the cost of using the service simple and predictable. Distribution bundles are designed to cover a month’s worth of usage. Using distribution bundles in a way to avoid incurring overage fees (including, but not limited to, frequently upgrading or downgrading bundles, or using an excessively large number of distributions with a single origin) is beyond the intended scope of use and is not permitted. In addition, workloads that involve a high number of requests per second or large amount of video streaming are not permitted. Engaging in these behaviors may result in throttling or suspension of your data services or account.

Do Lightsail CDN distributions support IPv6?

All Lightsail CDN distributions have IPv6 enabled by default. The distribution host names resolve to both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. IPv6 can be disabled by using a toggle on the Networking tab of the CDN's management page.

Do the origins need to be IPv6 enabled to work with the Lightsail CDN distributions?

No. CDN distributions accept both IPv6 and IPv4 traffic, and seamlessly convert it to IPv4 when communicating with the origins in the backend. Hence, origins behind a distribution can either be dual-stack or IPv4 only.