How JioCinema live streams IPL to 20 million concurrent devices w/ Prachi Sharma | Ep 7

Summary

The video script offers an in-depth look into the world of sports streaming, focusing on the technical and engineering aspects behind live event broadcasting. It discusses the preparation and execution of a major sports event, including infrastructure setup, scaling, and performance tuning. The speaker, Prachi, a senior engineering director at Jio Cinema, shares insights on the challenges and strategies involved in delivering a seamless viewer experience, emphasizing teamwork, meticulous planning, and continuous improvement.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker expresses excitement about discussing the IPL and the technical and preparatory aspects behind running the event.
• 🎯 Prachi, a Senior Engineering Director at Jio Cinema, leads the discovery, personalization, and recommendation platforms, emphasizing the importance of engineering in enhancing user experience.
• 📅 The IPL event consists of 74 matches spread over weekends, requiring meticulous planning and execution to manage the scale and performance.
• 🔍 The speaker highlights the need for an extensive metrics review to ensure everything runs smoothly, including pre-match preparation and post-match analysis.
• 🚀 The discussion touches on the challenges of scaling infrastructure, the importance of feature flags for managing live game features, and the strategy behind them.
• 🛠️ The role of audits in ensuring service reliability is underscored, with the speaker detailing the process of auditing systems and defining breaking points.
• 🌐 The script mentions the importance of load testing and case testing to understand system limits and prepare for unexpected spikes in demand.
• 🤖 The use of simulators and feature simulations to manage live game sessions and the need for real-time adjustments based on user behavior and system performance.
• 🛡️ The speaker discusses strategies for graceful degradation, ensuring that the user experience remains intact even when certain non-critical features are not functioning.
• 👥 The human aspect of engineering is highlighted, with the need for a team that can manage the complexities of live streaming and the unpredictability of user demand.

Q & A

What is the significance of the IPL as a sporting event?

The IPL is the biggest sporting event in India, featuring a ton of tech and prep data, showcasing the science, art, and engineering behind the scenes to provide an exciting experience for viewers.

What is the role of Praachi in the context of the IPL?

Praachi is a senior engineering director at Jio Cinema where she leads the discovery and personalization, platform pods, and today she will be discussing all things IPL from infra setup to scaling to designing of fall boxes.

What are the challenges faced during the IPL matches in terms of technology and infrastructure?

The challenges include managing the infrastructure to handle the load during matches, ensuring seamless streaming, performance tuning, match prep, and room storage, as well as addressing issues that may arise during the game.

How does the preparation for an IPL event differ from a usual day?

The preparation for an IPL event involves an extensive round of metrics review, understanding the goals for the day, and ensuring that every system is green and good to go before the match starts.

What is the process like for handling the backend systems during an IPL match?

Handling the backend systems involves monitoring the compute and data bases, performing metrics review, and ensuring that the systems are scalable and can handle any spikes in traffic or demand during the match.

How does the team ensure a smooth streaming experience for viewers during an IPL match?

The team ensures smooth streaming by conducting an extensive audit of the systems, including the front and back ends, and by implementing strategies to mitigate any potential issues that may arise during the match.

What is the importance of feature flags in managing the IPL streaming platform?

Feature flags are crucial as they allow the team to control the features that are live during the match, enabling them to turn features on or off based on the performance and user demand.

How does the team handle the traffic and ensure stability during an IPL match?

The team handles traffic by conducting load tests, case tests, and by having a series of performance tests to understand the breaking points of their systems and networks, and by planning for capacity in advance.

What is the strategy for scaling down after an IPL match?

The strategy for scaling down involves not immediately reducing resources but rather observing the traffic and user behavior after the match to ensure a smooth transition and to manage costs effectively.

How does the team prepare for the unexpected during an IPL match?

The team prepares for the unexpected by having a panic mode strategy in place, which includes taking a snapshot of the API responses before the match, and having a static storage ready to handle any sudden spikes in traffic.

What is the process for ensuring the quality of the stream and the user experience during an IPL match?

Ensuring quality involves having a well-planned audit process, not just on the back end but also on the front end, and by focusing on user experience and feedback to make necessary adjustments during the match.