The Amazon Technology Platform

Don420 writes "Jim Gray has an interview with Amazon CTO Werner Vogels for ACM Queue. It is filled with a lot of details about the Amazon architecture that we have not seen before: 'If you hit the Amazon.com gateway page, the application calls more than 100 services to collect data and construct the page for you.' But also quite a strong statements about developing software at Amazon: 'Developers of our services can use any tools they see fit to build their services. [...] Whatever tools are necessary, we provide them, and then get the hell out of the way of the developers so that they can do their jobs. [...] Developers are like artists; they produce their best work if they have the freedom to do so, but they need good tools.'"

Comments

100 Services ?

[jonv]

'If you hit the Amazon.com gateway page, the application calls more than 100 services to collect data and construct the page for you.'

and this a good thing ?

Re:100 Services ?

[simonjp]

It didnt say that it collected 100 pieces of personal data etc from your computer, more likely its all internal requests :) I mean it usually provides suggestions on your past orders, what pages you've recently viewed in the system (which isnt exactly personal data being collection IMO as its all "internal" to Amazon.

But the question is does this make for a better shopping experience?

When I've used Amazon it's always been helpful.

However, Amazon UK seem to be a little less reliable in shipping recently...

Re:100 Services ?

[a16]

I think that was the OP's point: one stinking page sucks down a shit load of badwidth for information that's not really needed or it's not need every time. It's kind of sickening when I bring up a custom page and it's hitting servers and using bandwith for information that's not updated that frequently.

It is worth noting that in TFA he mentions how services are cached, therefore presumably (for Amazon) the service delivering the data for "today's popular items" or similar to the main page wouldn't need to transfer it's full result, this would be cached where possible.

Re:Thanks

[stlhawkeye]

Or maybe I got you wrong and you meant that developers are like artists: Poor, starving, living for their work and only valued once they are no longer available.

Move away from the coasts. I make $75,000/year working 40 hour weeks. I'm not on-call, have flex hours, get 3 weeks of vacation, and unlimited sick time. Quit working for IT sweat shops. Move somewhere where family time is valued and it's impossible to hire people unless you are willing to give them that flexibility. I've been through four employers in the St. Louis area and been able to land jobs with a deal akin to this one at all four. Developers are "poor"? No. Elementary school teachers are "poor." Starting salary for a developer in a low-watt market is close to $40K without a degree. That's not "poor." That's not starving, and that's not living for their work, unless by "living for their work" you mean that you're expected to show up on time and do your job.