Inside MySpace: The Story

Booming traffic demands put a constant stress on the social network’s computing infrastructure. Yet, MySpace developers have repeatedly redesigned the Web site software, database and storage systems in an attempt to keep pace with exploding growth – the site now handles almost 40 billion page views a month. Most corporate Web sites will never have to bear more than a small fraction of the traffic MySpace handles, but anyone seeking to reach the mass market online can learn from its experience.

Story Guide:

  • A Member Rants

  • The Journey Begins

    Membership Milestones:

  • 500,000 Users: A Simple Architecture Stumbles
  • 1 Million Users:Vertical Partitioning Solves Scalability Woes
  • 3 Million Users: Scale-Out Wins Over Scale-Up
  • 9 Million Users: Site Migrates to ASP.NET, Adds Virtual Storage
  • 26 Million Users: MySpace Embraces 64-Bit Technology
  • What’s Behind Those "Unexpected Error" Screens?

    Also in This Feature:

  • The Company’s Top Players and Alumni
  • Technologies To Handle Mushrooming Demand
  • Web Design Experts Grade MySpace
  • User Customization: Too Much of a Good Thing?

    Reader Question: Is MySpace the future of corporate communications? Write to: [email protected]

    Next page: A Member Rants