Overview
As a Software Engineer II at Disney Streaming, I work on core infrastructure powering some of the world's most popular streaming platforms: Hulu, Disney+, ESPN+, and STAR+. My role focuses on modernizing legacy services and building scalable, reliable systems that serve 300M+ subscribers worldwide.
Key Responsibilities
Service Modernization with Kotlin
- Modernizing legacy services by migrating from older technologies to Kotlin to improve performance and maintainability
- Enhancing code quality through modern language features and best practices
- Reducing technical debt while maintaining backward compatibility
Infrastructure Architecture
- Architecting scalable infrastructure using Terraform for infrastructure as code
- Designing resilient systems that can handle traffic spikes during content releases
- Implementing automated deployment pipelines for consistent, reliable releases
Backend API Development
- Building robust backend APIs that power the streaming experience across platforms
- Optimizing API performance to handle large-scale concurrency
- Implementing comprehensive error handling and graceful degradation strategies
Observability and Monitoring
- Enhancing system observability using DataDog for comprehensive monitoring
- Implementing alerting systems to proactively identify and resolve issues
- Creating dashboards for real-time visibility into system health and performance
Production Stability
- Stabilizing production systems through systematic debugging and optimization
- Reducing system downtime and improving overall reliability
- Implementing automated recovery mechanisms for common failure scenarios
Cache Strategy Optimization
- Partnering with cross-functional teams to develop and implement cache strategies
- Optimizing data retrieval to reduce latency and improve user experience
- Balancing cache invalidation strategies to ensure data consistency
Key Achievements
- Successfully modernized critical services without impacting user experience
- Improved system reliability and reduced production incidents
- Collaborated effectively with distributed teams across multiple time zones
- Contributed to infrastructure that supports millions of concurrent streaming sessions
Technical Impact
Working at Disney Streaming has given me the opportunity to work on systems that serve millions of users globally. The scale and complexity of the streaming infrastructure has been an incredible learning experience, from handling traffic spikes during major content releases to ensuring consistent performance across multiple platforms.
Technologies Used
- Languages: Kotlin, Java, Python
- Infrastructure: Terraform, AWS, Kubernetes
- Monitoring: DataDog, CloudWatch
- Databases: Redis, PostgreSQL, DynamoDB
- Tools: Docker, Jenkins, Git