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1.1.1 The Age of Internet Computing

Netflix utilizes scalable computing through cloud services like AWS to efficiently deliver streaming content to millions of users. The company has evolved from traditional DVD rentals to a cloud-based architecture, employing high-performance and high-throughput computing for video encoding, real-time recommendations, and data analytics. By leveraging service-oriented architecture, virtualization, and distributed systems, Netflix ensures seamless performance and reliability across its platform.

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13 views

1.1.1 The Age of Internet Computing

Netflix utilizes scalable computing through cloud services like AWS to efficiently deliver streaming content to millions of users. The company has evolved from traditional DVD rentals to a cloud-based architecture, employing high-performance and high-throughput computing for video encoding, real-time recommendations, and data analytics. By leveraging service-oriented architecture, virtualization, and distributed systems, Netflix ensures seamless performance and reliability across its platform.

Uploaded by

shivaraj BG
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Scenario: How Netflix Uses Scalable Computing Over the Internet

Netflix is one of the largest streaming services in the world, delivering


videos to millions of users in different locations.

To do this efficiently, Netflix leverages cloud computing, high-performance


computing (HPC), high-throughput computing (HTC), and distributed
systems.

1.1.1.1 The Platform Evolution

Netflix’s transition from DVD rentals to cloud-based streaming mirrors the


evolution of computing platforms:

 Mainframes (1950–1970) – Early computing models were


centralized, much like how traditional television networks operated.
 Minicomputers (1960–1980) – More accessible systems enabled
businesses to handle data more efficiently, similar to Netflix's early
content recommendation systems.
 Personal Computers (1970–1990) – The rise of home computing
paved the way for users consuming digital content at home.
 Portable & Wireless Computing (1980–2000) – The internet
allowed services like YouTube and Napster to start disrupting
traditional media.
 HPC and HTC in Clusters, Grids, and Clouds (1990–Present) –
Netflix fully adopted cloud computing, shifting its infrastructure from
physical data centers to Amazon Web Services (AWS) for scalability
and efficiency.

Netflix Evolution Example:

Netflix initially operated its DVD rental service using traditional computing
models but later migrated entirely to AWS cloud infrastructure, reducing
the need for physical data centers.
1.1.1.2 High-Performance Computing (HPC) at Netflix

Netflix requires massive computing power for:

 Video Encoding & Transcoding – Converts movies into different


resolutions (480p, 720p, 1080p, 4K, HDR).
 Recommendation Engine – Uses machine learning models that
analyze user preferences in real-time.
 Data Analytics – Processes billions of events daily to optimize
content recommendations and streaming quality.

HPC Example at Netflix:

Netflix’s video encoding pipeline leverages GPUs and multi-core


processors, pushing performance from Gflops to Pflops to process high-
resolution video formats efficiently.

1.1.1.3 High-Throughput Computing (HTC) at Netflix

Netflix’s architecture prioritizes handling large volumes of tasks efficiently


rather than just maximizing raw speed.

 Millions of concurrent streams – Optimized for large-scale,


simultaneous user requests.
 Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) – Uses AWS CloudFront and
Open Connect to cache content closer to users, improving
throughput.
 Load Balancing & Traffic Routing – Efficiently distributes
requests across multiple data centers.

HTC Example at Netflix:

During the release of a new show (e.g., Stranger Things), millions of


requests are processed instantly, leveraging HTC strategies to balance
traffic and avoid service disruptions.
1.1.1.4 Three New Computing Paradigms at Netflix

Netflix leverages three modern computing paradigms to ensure seamless


performance:

 Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) – Microservices architecture


enables modular software updates without downtime.
 Virtualization – Netflix runs on AWS virtualized instances, allowing
scalability without needing dedicated hardware.
 Internet of Things (IoT) – Smart TVs, mobile devices, and
streaming sticks (like Roku) communicate with Netflix’s cloud
servers to provide seamless playback.

Netflix SOA Example:

If the recommendation service fails, the rest of the platform (video


streaming, billing, etc.) continues functioning due to Netflix’s
microservices approach.

1.1.1.5 Computing Paradigm Distinctions at Netflix

 Centralized Computing – Initially, Netflix operated from on-


premise data centers, similar to centralized computing models.
 Parallel Computing – Uses distributed encoding pipelines for
simultaneous video processing.
 Distributed Computing – Netflix’s architecture spans multiple
AWS regions, ensuring fault tolerance and redundancy.
 Cloud Computing – Leverages AWS for scalability, storage, and
compute power.

Parallel & Distributed Computing Example:

When Netflix encodes a movie, multiple servers process different parts in


parallel, significantly speeding up encoding times.
1.1.1.6 Distributed System Families at Netflix

Netflix’s distributed system is built on grids, clouds, and P2P-inspired


content delivery:

 Computational & Data Grids – Netflix uses AWS data grids for
processing massive amounts of viewing data.
 Massively Distributed Systems – Open Connect, Netflix’s custom
CDN, delivers content via a distributed network of caching servers
worldwide.
 Cluster Computing – Netflix runs large-scale computations (e.g.,
analytics, encoding) in clustered server farms.

Netflix Distributed System Example:

If a user in India requests a movie, Netflix serves it from the nearest CDN
(rather than a central US server), reducing latency.

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