The Write Path
- Decoupling media upload from tweeting.
- Segmented resumable uploads.
The Read Path
- Introduced a CDN Origin Server called MinaBird.
- Progressive JPEG was another option Twitter tried. It renders in successive scans. The first scan might be blocky, but it will refine itself with successive scans.
Lessons learned
- Doing the simplest thing that can possibly work can really screw you.
- Decouple. By decoupling media upload from tweeting Twitter was able independently optimize each pathway and gain a lot of operational flexibility.
- Move handles not blobs.
- Progressive JPEG is a real winner as a standard image format. It has great frontend and backend support and performs very well on slower networks.
Research on frequently seen technology.