Success Story
Harnessing AWS services to ensure smooth video content distribution for one of India’s largest fashion & apparel retailers
Services Used:
About the client
The client is a casual apparel wear brand, based in India. It is a manufacturer and retailer of a wide range of quirky apparel, mobile accessories, backpacks, badges, etc. that are designed with pop-culture themes like superheroes, movies, cartoons, TV shows, and more.
It is India’s largest brand for official, licensed merchandise for sports teams, comedians, and musicians with licenses from Disney, WWE, IPL teams, ViaCom18, etc. The company has 5 million monthly visitors to its digital channels (web & mobile).
- $15M+ Funding Raised
- 4M+ Customer
- 4X Growth in 2 Years
- 16+ Stores across India
Business Situation
The client confronted a critical challenge within their video content delivery process. The issue stemmed from their shared product videos being in MP4 format, which posed specific constraints, such as larger file sizes and potential latency issues on a large scale. These constraints rendered the MP4 videos incompatible with Content Delivery Network (CDN) services.
Recognizing the importance of leveraging CDNs for efficient global content distribution, the client sought to convert their video format from MP4 to M3U8 format for HTTP Live Streaming (HLS). However, the existing manual conversion process overseen by the DevOps team was not just time-consuming but highly inefficient, leading to an increased management overhead. Consequently, the client encountered difficulties in scaling resources to meet fluctuating demand, resulting in a cumbersome operational process.
With an expanding user base, The retailer sought to automate the conversion of shared product videos from MP4 to M3U8 format. The objective was to eliminate manual intervention, enhance efficiency, and effortlessly share resulting video URLs. This approach aimed to provide a more flexible method for delivering video content online, ensuring a consistent and pleasing viewing experience across diverse devices and network conditions.
To address these challenges, Daffodil Software was tasked with:
- Creating an automated system to convert the existing MP4 video format to M3U8 format, minimizing manual intervention and streamlining the content delivery process.
- Seamlessly integrating the solution with CDN services to adeptly manage large volumes of video content for efficient processing and distribution.
- Implementing robust security protocols featuring advanced threat detection and response mechanisms, while concurrently enhancing system reliability through architectural improvements that guarantee high availability and fault tolerance.
The Solution
The Daffodil’s DevOps team initiated the project by conducting a thorough analysis of the existing workflow and identifying key pain points in the manual video conversion process. They collaborated closely with The client’s teams to understand their specific requirements such as the volume of videos, expected scalability, and security considerations.
Based on the analysis, the team designed an architecture that easily integrated with the client’s infrastructure. The architecture included the setup of AWS services tailored to meet the unique demands of the video content delivery process.
Automated Conversion Workflow:
Daffodil’s DevOps engineers developed a custom automated workflow for video conversion. This involved creating scripts and utilizing AWS services such as EC2 instances for efficient batch processing of video files. Scripting languages and automation tools were employed to orchestrate the workflow effectively.
Integration with CloudFront:
To enhance the global distribution of video content, the team integrated the solution with Amazon CloudFront. This integration facilitated the efficient caching and delivery of video content from edge locations, reducing latency and improving the overall user’s viewing experience.
S3 Storage Optimization:
The DevOps team optimized the use of Amazon S3 for storing and retrieving video files. They implemented a storage strategy that prioritized cost-effectiveness and high performance, ensuring fast and reliable access to the converted HLS videos. By organizing videos within well-structured S3 buckets, the team securely stored content and leveraged S3’s scalability to manage the growing volume without compromising system performance. This approach significantly contributed to the overall efficiency of the system.
Web Application Firewall (WAF) Customization:
The team also worked on customizing WAF rules specific to the client’s application and content delivery requirements. This involved creating rules to filter and inspect traffic, protecting against common web threats and ensuring a secure delivery pipeline.
Continuous Monitoring and Optimization:
Daffodil’s DevOps engineers implemented continuous monitoring using AWS CloudWatch and other relevant tools. This allowed for real-time tracking of system performance, enabling proactive identification and resolution of any potential issues. Continuous optimization efforts were made to refine the system for better efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Security Best Practices:
Following AWS security best practices, the team implemented encryption mechanisms for both data in transit and at rest. They ensured that access controls were properly configured, and IAM roles were used to restrict permissions to the necessary resources.
Throughout the implementation, the Daffodil team maintained comprehensive documentation. They also conducted knowledge transfer sessions with the client’s teams, empowering them to manage and troubleshoot the system effectively.
The Impact
The strategic automation of video conversion has brought substantial enhancements to the client's DevOps automation cycle. With an 80% increase in video conversion speed, The retailer was able to swiftly introduce new HLS features. By leveraging Amazon CloudFront for a globally distributed content delivery network, we optimized access speed and control costs efficiently. This streamlined process significantly enhanced productivity for the client's developer and DevOps teams, allowing them to concentrate on pivotal tasks and innovation.
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