Which method is best for ensuring high availability of cloud applications?

Utilizing a content delivery network (CDN) for global distribution is the best method for ensuring high availability of cloud applications because it enhances the performance and reliability of the applications by distributing content across multiple geographical locations. CDNs cache content in various nodes around the globe, allowing users to access it from the nearest location, which reduces latency and minimizes load on the origin servers. This distribution helps manage traffic spikes, provides redundancy, and ensures that if one node fails, others can still serve the content, thus maintaining seamless access to the application.

In contrast to this effective approach, implementing a single point of failure introduces a risk that can significantly impact availability. Regularly rebooting servers may temporarily refresh resources, but it does not solve underlying issues that could lead to downtime and can in fact cause disruptions during the reboot process. Minimizing redundancy can lower costs but directly undermines the resilience and uptime of applications because it increases the likelihood of service interruption in case of any failures or issues.