When should I use pagination, streaming, compression or a CDN?

Definition:

Pagination, streaming, compression and CDNs reduce different costs of moving data. Pagination returns fewer records, streaming avoids buffering the full payload, compression sends fewer bytes, and a CDN shortens the route for reusable content. Choosing the right technique requires knowing whether the problem is volume, memory, bandwidth or distance.

Key points:

• Pagination limits records; streaming limits memory used for large data transfers.

• Compression reduces suitable payload sizes but costs CPU.

• A CDN caches suitable content near users; private data needs careful cache rules.

• Already compressed formats may gain little from more compression, while CPU cost can increase under load.

Interview point:

• A stream can fix memory pressure without reducing total database work; describe which cost your change actually addresses.