Software behind Facebook

Given its massive scale, it isn’t surprising that Facebook has cooked up some custom software. What I just learned – which is encouraging – is that Facebook is sharing some of its technologies. One particularly interesting example is HipHop. This software takes the PHP code used by many modern websites (including those running on WordPress and MediaWiki) and compiles it into highly optimized C++ which servers process more quickly. While I don’t know much about it, it seems like something that WordPress might be able to usefully incorporate or reproduce in a future version.

Facebook also contributed to highly distributed database Cassandra, which Twitter also uses, as well as a number of other pieces of open source software.

It is nice to see Facebook providing potentially useful code to the wider web community.

Author: Milan

In the spring of 2005, I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in International Relations and a general focus in the area of environmental politics. In the fall of 2005, I began reading for an M.Phil in IR at Wadham College, Oxford. Outside school, I am very interested in photography, writing, and the outdoors. I am writing this blog to keep in touch with friends and family around the world, provide a more personal view of graduate student life in Oxford, and pass on some lessons I've learned here. View all posts by Milan