The video explains that Netflix’s core backend infrastructure is primarily built on Java, utilizing microservices, gRPC, and distributed data stores to ensure scalability and performance, while front-end applications use various languages like Swift and JavaScript. It highlights Netflix’s ongoing efforts to modernize their Java infrastructure through upgrades, adoption of virtual threads, and contributions to the Java ecosystem, demonstrating Java’s vital role in their success.
The video explains that Netflix’s infrastructure is primarily built on Java, especially for its backend systems, while the front-end applications are developed using various languages suited for different devices, such as Swift for iPhones and JavaScript or TypeScript for web browsers. The speaker clarifies that not everything at Netflix is Java, but the core streaming platform, production tracking, and internal studio applications heavily rely on Java, showcasing its importance in their architecture.
Netflix’s backend architecture involves a microservices approach, where a single GraphQL query from a device is broken down and routed to multiple microservices via an API gateway. These services communicate using gRPC, which is preferred over REST due to its speed and efficiency, especially for high-performance, schema-based communication. Netflix’s backend systems also utilize distributed data stores like Cassandra, Kafka, and Elasticsearch to handle their large-scale, multi-region data needs, ensuring low latency and scalability across the globe.
The video highlights Netflix’s significant efforts in modernizing their Java infrastructure. They migrated over 3,000 services to Spring Boot and upgraded their Java versions from JDK8 to JDK17 and beyond, which resulted in performance improvements such as reduced garbage collection overhead and lower error rates. Netflix also adopted newer garbage collectors like ZGC, which minimized pause times and increased system stability, directly impacting service uptime and reliability. These upgrades demonstrate their commitment to leveraging the latest Java features for better performance and maintainability.
A key focus is Netflix’s adoption of virtual threads, a recent Java feature, which they are enthusiastic about. Virtual threads provide easy parallelism and simplify concurrency management, replacing more complex reactive programming models like RXJava. Netflix rewrote their frameworks to utilize virtual threads by default, which improved scalability and debugging. They also addressed issues related to deadlocks and thread management by updating their synchronization mechanisms in JDK24, reaffirming their leadership in Java innovation at scale.
Finally, the video emphasizes Netflix’s deep involvement in the Java ecosystem, including contributing to Spring Boot and open-source projects. They actively participate in shaping the future of Java and Spring, ensuring their systems stay up-to-date with the latest developments. Netflix’s extensive use of Java, from streaming to hardware, and their proactive approach to upgrading and optimizing their infrastructure, exemplify how a large-scale application can successfully leverage modern Java features, debunking misconceptions that Java is outdated or dead.