Social Network Development and Scaling Under Increased Load

Project Goals

The Social Network Development and Scaling project, code-named "Thrive," aimed to provide an alternative platform for Russian users following the blocking of popular social networks like Instagram and Facebook. The project's primary goal was to accommodate rapid growth, ensure platform stability, and implement measures to handle increased server loads and persistent security threats, while enhancing features that provide a comprehensive social networking experience.

Functional Capabilities

• Rapid Infrastructure Scaling: As user traffic surged by about 35 times in one week, the platform faced significant challenges regarding server infrastructure readiness. Urgent scaling measures included:
  • Vertical and Horizontal Scaling: Implemented vertical scaling to improve hardware capabilities and horizontal scaling to distribute load across multiple servers.
  • High-Performance Hardware: Upgraded hardware to meet the increased demand, ensuring the platform could handle explosive growth.
• Backend Optimization:
  • Redis Sentinel Caching: Added Redis caching to enhance performance and improve the efficiency of repeated queries.
  • SQL Optimization with Percona: Utilized Percona utilities for SQL optimization, ensuring queries ran efficiently and reducing database bottlenecks.
  • Service Migration to Go: Migrated the most resource-intensive services from PHP to Go, increasing execution speed and reliability.
• Load Balancing and Query Optimization: Distributed queries across multiple servers to alleviate pressure on the infrastructure, ensuring consistent response times for users.
• Comprehensive System Administration: Tasks included hardware upgrades, developing caching mechanisms, SQL query optimization, and migrating services to more efficient languages to improve system resilience and performance.
• System Features for End Users:
  • User-Generated Content: Users can create posts, share videos, and interact with other users on the platform.
  • Personalized Feeds and Interests: Developed algorithms to provide personalized content feeds based on user interests and behaviors.
  • Integrated Events, News, and Video Tiers: Users could access content from different tiers, including news, trending videos, and event listings, providing a diverse social experience.

Solution Concept

The "Thrive" project was designed as a scalable and resilient social networking platform for users in Russia seeking alternatives to blocked social networks. The initial system was developed on PHP and deployed via Docker Compose, which provided basic functionality but quickly proved insufficient for handling the surge in traffic.

The solution required significant optimization to accommodate the rapid influx of users. The system's backend was optimized by migrating critical services to Go, using Redis Sentinel for caching, and distributing queries across multiple servers to manage increased load effectively. Additionally, Percona tools were used to optimize SQL queries, enhancing database performance.

For infrastructure management, the platform adopted tools like Kubernetes for container orchestration, ensuring scalability, and Terraform and Ansible for infrastructure provisioning and automation. This allowed the system to adapt dynamically to the increased load and user activity.

The client-facing features were also enhanced, ensuring users had a smooth experience even during the rapid growth phase. The user interface, developed using Vue.js, offered a clear and responsive design, making it easy for users to interact with different content types, including news, videos, and events.

Results

• Effective Load Management: Within a month, the implemented measures successfully stabilized the platform, allowing it to manage a significantly increased load with minimal infrastructure changes.
• Enhanced System Resilience: The platform's architecture was efficiently adapted to the new requirements, demonstrating the team's agility and problem-solving skills.
• Improved Security: A proactive approach to security optimization was adopted to counter persistent cyber threats, including hacking attempts. Security enhancements included continuous monitoring for vulnerabilities and training employees on threat recognition, which strengthened the system's resilience beyond conventional measures.
• User Growth and Stability: Despite the surge in new users, the system remained stable, providing uninterrupted service and maintaining high performance throughout the most intense periods of growth.

Technologies and Architecture

• Backend Development:
  • PHP and Yii: Initially used for core platform development, later optimized to handle increased user demands.
  • Go and gRPC: Migrated resource-intensive services to Go to improve execution speed and efficiency, utilizing gRPC for robust communication.
  • MySQL with Percona Utilities: MySQL was used as the primary database, with Percona tools aiding in query optimization and improving overall database performance.
  • Redis Sentinel: Employed as a caching solution to improve response times and reduce server load.
• Frontend Development:
  • Vue.js: Used for building a responsive and interactive user interface, ensuring a smooth experience for users.
  • Kotlin (Android) and SWIFT (iOS): Used for developing native mobile applications, providing high-performance mobile experiences.
• Infrastructure and DevOps:
  • Kubernetes: Used for container orchestration, allowing for easy scaling and management of containerized services.
  • Terraform and Ansible: Employed for infrastructure provisioning, enabling automated scaling and environment management.
  • Kafka: Utilized for handling real-time data streams and messaging, ensuring efficient data processing.
  • Linux: Used for server environments, providing stability and flexibility.
• Development Methodology:
  • Scrum and Kanban: Adopted agile methodologies to manage development sprints, track tasks, and quickly adapt to changing requirements.

User Cases

• Users Seeking Social Media Alternatives: Following the blocking of major social networks in Russia, users migrated to "Thrive" to continue sharing content, connecting with others, and accessing information.
• Content Creators: Content creators used the platform to share videos, posts, and other media with a large audience, enabling them to maintain their presence and engagement despite the exit of major platforms.
• Event Organizers: Event organizers could promote activities through the Events tier, which included a comprehensive poster for local activities, allowing users to stay informed about events in their area.

Integration and Development Process

• Scalable Infrastructure Setup: Kubernetes was used to enable rapid scaling of containerized services as user numbers surged. This included adding nodes to the cluster dynamically to handle increased workloads.
• Migration and Optimization: The project involved migrating critical services from PHP to Go, significantly improving the performance of resource-intensive components. Additionally, Redis Sentinel was implemented for caching frequently requested data.
• System Security Enhancements: A continuous monitoring system was implemented to detect vulnerabilities and respond quickly to any attempted breaches. Employee training on cybersecurity was also conducted to further enhance the platform's security posture.

Client Benefits

• Rapid Adaptation to Market Shifts: The platform's ability to scale quickly in response to the sudden influx of users demonstrated the company's agility and resilience.
• Stable and Secure Platform: Despite increased threats, the platform remained stable and secure, providing users with a reliable alternative to other social networks.
• Improved System Performance: Optimizations, including language migration and caching mechanisms, significantly improved the platform's ability to manage traffic and provided a high-quality user experience during peak load periods.