Deep Dive
Why did Hackaderm move from a single server in Chris's basement to a more complex infrastructure?
The initial server, Alice, couldn't handle the rapid growth from 500 users to 36,000 during the Twitter exodus. The move was necessary to scale properly and avoid legal issues with the ISP.
What are the key components of Hackaderm's infrastructure?
The core components include a Postgres database on a Hetzner metal server, PG Bouncer for connection pooling, Redis for caching, Sidekiq for handling background jobs, and Puma for the web application. Media storage is handled by DigitalOcean Spaces, and a CDN is used for caching media files.
How does Hackaderm handle federation and scaling challenges?
Federation is managed through Sidekiq, which processes incoming and outgoing events across the Fediverse. Scaling challenges are primarily focused on Sidekiq queues, which can get backed up during high activity periods. The team is also working on redundancy for the Postgres database and web server.
What is the cost breakdown for running Hackaderm?
Hackaderm costs around $1,000 per month, with the majority of the expenses going toward media storage. DigitalOcean provides the storage at a discounted rate, but the CDN costs are significant.
How does Hackaderm fund its operations?
Hackaderm is part of the Nivenly Foundation, which receives donations and sponsorships. Contributions from individuals and organizations support the server's infrastructure and operations.
What are the main scaling challenges for Hackaderm?
The primary scaling challenges are related to Sidekiq, which handles federation tasks. The team is exploring auto-scaling options for Sidekiq queues to handle spikes in activity. The database also requires redundancy to ensure failover capabilities.
How does Hackaderm handle moderation and content filtering?
Hackaderm allows individual account blocks and server-wide defederation. The moderation team is critical for maintaining a healthy community. The server also subscribes to defederation lists to block problematic content from other servers.
What are the long-term risks for Hackaderm?
The main long-term risks include the rising cost of media storage and potential changes in legal jurisdictions. The team is also concerned about the sustainability of infinite storage and the impact on user experience.
How does Hackaderm handle backups and disaster recovery?
Hackaderm performs weekly full backups and daily incremental backups, retaining data for 21 days. The backups are stored in a way that allows for quick recovery in case of a disaster.
What is the current user base of Hackaderm?
Hackaderm has approximately 55,000 accounts, with around 11,000 monthly active users. The server has seen steady growth since its inception.
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- Scaling capabilities of Mastodon
- History of web rings
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