Datacenter Network Architecture @ Yahoo!: Past, present, and challenges for the future

As the number of people and applications on the internet grows exponentially, so do the complexities of serving vast amounts of information. From the progression to unlimited e-mail storage, 10+ MegaPixel photos and HD streaming video being stored and shared online, to semi-real-time page personalization and real time search applications, the storage and computing power requirements have grown by leaps and bounds over the past 15 years.

Ever wonder what the datacenter networks supporting these applications look like? This talk will provide a basic overview of large-scale datacenter network design principles, stepping through a history of how those designs evolved at Yahoo! over the years, the challenges that were faced, their solutions, as well as the challenges we anticipate in the (near) future.

Igor Gashinsky is a principal architect at Yahoo!, a global content provider, where he is involved in projects ranging from overall network design (including highly resilient switching and routing architecture, peering, MPLS, L4-7 load balancing), as well as scalable content delivery methodologies and DNS architecture. Prior to his 8.5 years with Yahoo!, Igor worked as a Senior Systems & Network Engineer for HotJobs.com, as well as consulted for a number of clients, working on network and systems architecture, network security, system clustering/HA, high-performance storage solutions, and general Unix system and network administration. Igor holds a BS in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology.