Why We Run FreeBSD current at Netflix – Drew Gallatin

Step-by-Step Tutorial: Running FreeBSD Current at Netflix

1. Introduction to FreeBSD and Netflix:

   • Drew Gallatin, who has been working at Netflix for over 8 years, specializes in FreeBSD.
   • Netflix uses FreeBSD for their Content Distribution Network (CDN) known as Open Connect.

2. Understanding Netflix CDN Servers:

   • Netflix uses appliances called Open Connect Appliances (OCAs) for their CDN.
   • OCAs serve popular content and store video assets in data centers and internet interchange points.
   • Netflix has different types of OCAs including all-flash, storage, and global OCAs.

3. Why Netflix Runs FreeBSD Current:

   • Netflix runs FreeBSD Current for performance reasons and to collaborate with upstream developers efficiently.
   • They use UFS for content partitions and Nginx as the web server for their CDN servers.

4. Maintenance and Development:

   • The OCA Dev team at Netflix maintains software for the OCAs and tracks FreeBSD Current for development.
   • They contribute code back to the FreeBSD community for improvements and optimizations.

5. Challenges and Solutions:

   • Transitioning from stable branches to FreeBSD Current reduced technical debt and improved collaboration with upstream developers.
   • Tracking FreeBSD Current allows Netflix to catch issues early and contribute changes back to the community efficiently.

6. Case Study: Identifying and Resolving Performance Issues:

   • Drew Gallatin shares a case where a performance issue was traced back to a sorting routine change in FreeBSD.
   • By bisecting the changes and identifying the problematic commit, they were able to resolve the issue promptly.

7. Community Interaction and Benefits:

   • Collaborating with the FreeBSD community helped in quickly identifying and fixing the performance regression.
   • By working closely with the FreeBSD community, Netflix ensures the stability and performance of their CDN servers.

8. Conclusion and Future Improvements:

   • Upgrading servers at Netflix is a coordinated effort by the operations team that ensures minimal downtime and maximum efficiency.
   • Continuous improvements and contributions to FreeBSD help Netflix maintain a high-performance CDN infrastructure.

By following these steps, you can understand the importance of running FreeBSD Current at Netflix and how it contributes to the efficiency and reliability of their Content Distribution Network.