Memcached is by now one of the most famous pieces of software on the internet. It’s a distributed memory caching system which Facebook (and a ton of other sites) use as a caching layer between the web servers and My. SQL servers (since database access is relatively slow).
What cloud provider does facebook use?
Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, said that it has deepened its ties to Amazon Web Services. The company said that it already uses AWS to complement its existing on-premises infrastructure, but will expand its use of the world’s largest cloud provider.
Facebook itself is a cloud application. You can access your photos, updates anywhere in the world so long as you have an access to internet. Secondly, Facebook also have their own data centers, managed with a security layer enhanced on it. Thirdly, Facebook provides inbuilt APIs for developers.
Facebook uses My. SQL, but primarily as a key-value persistent storage, moving joins and logic onto the web servers since optimizations are easier to perform there (on the “other side” of the Memcached layer).
Cold flash isn’t the only technology Facebook is investigating for its storage requirements. It’s also looking at using optical disks as part of its cold storage archive. There are plenty of good reasons for using optical storage archives: it’s persistent, long lasting and dense.
Where will Facebook and Microsoft build their cloud computing hub?
From there, Facebook and Microsoft will build junction points with new cables spider-webbing to Africa, the Middle East and Asia, where they will connect with other massive data centers. Cloud computing, despite its connotation, is hopelessly stuck to the ground with a web of cables, data centers and technology service providers.
And with Facebook’s public ambitions to grow the business into the developing world, it needs its data centers closer to the masses in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Microsoft is looking for the same type of reach for its cloud services Bing, Xbox, Office and the Azure public cloud.
Does Facebook have a voice in the design of the cloud?
As far and fast as cloud computing is embedding itself into the enterprise, there remain many cloud-resistant applications and services. Add it up and it’s clear Facebook’s approach has given it a lot of voice in how cloud datacenters are designed.