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Netflix in the clouds

Kevin McEntee, VP Systems Engineering

August 2008 – DB Corruption

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High Availability?

Big DB

Big Java

Why Cloud?

AWS Virtuous Cycle

More Large AWSCustomers

AWSImprovements

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High Availability (and more!)

Availability+

Agility

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No Silver Bullet : 1986

Dr. Fred Brooks

Contrasts in complexity

Accidental vs. Essential

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Accidental Complexity Retired by 1986

moveq #0, d0 moveq #0, d1 loop: move.w (a0)+, d0 add.l d0, d1 dbra d2, loop

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Accidental Complexity Is Generational

What I was doing in the mid 90’s

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Accidental Complexity : Circa 2011

Issues for developers Running out of space Obsolete equipment Bad bet on equipment Running out of power Cooling capacity Data center moves

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Accidental Complexity : Circa 2011

Capacity Forecasting

Requires accurate business forecasting

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Netflix 2010 : 20 Million Subscribers!

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Netflix 2010

Data Center

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Opportunity To Eliminate Process and Control

Each engineering team owns their deployment

Software developers own capacity procurement

Netflix loves killing process!

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Netflix Culture : Freedom & Responsibility

Our model is to increase employee freedom as we grow,

rather than limit it

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Netflix Culture : Freedom & Responsibility

Responsible People Thrive on Freedom,

and are Worthy of Freedom

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Netflix Culture : Freedom & Responsibility

No single point of control over cloud spending

No HRC, No CARB

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High Availability

Eliminated Complexity, Process, Control

Found Agility Developer & Business

More Freedom!

Jobs.netflix.com