Berkeley DB at Yammer

In early 2011 we set out to replace an 11 billion row PostgreSQL message delivery database with something a bit more scale-ready. We reached for several databases with which we were familiar, but none proved to be a fit for various reasons. Following in the footsteps of so few before us, we took the wheel of the SS Berkeley DB Java Edition and piloted it into the uncharted waters of horizontal scalability.

In this talk, Ryan Kennedy (Director of Core Services Engineering) covers Yammer's journey through log cleaner infested waters, being hijacked on the high seas by the BDB B-tree cache, and our eventual flotilla of a 45 node, 256 partition BDB cluster.

Berkeley DB at Yammer; Application Specific NoSQL Data Stores for Everyone from Basho Technologies on Vimeo.

Coda Hale - The Programming Ape

Humans, you may have noticed, are not exactly rational. And yet here we are, trying to get them to build software. It’s a bit of a mess. But there is some good news: by drawing on modern theories of human cognition we can begin to optimize our tools for how people think, not how computers work. I’ll talk about our experience at Yammer building human-centric tools for engineers, lay out the sociotechnical challenges facing organizations trying to build transparent architectures, and mention in passing how all of this relates to making money.

Philly ETE - Coda Hale - The Programming Ape from Chariot Solutions on Vimeo.

Peter Fishman Talk

As you know, Yammer is an analytics driven company.  Our Director of Analytics, Pete Fishman, leads a team of analysts and data engineers that seek to optimize Yammer features and present usage statistics to internal and external customers.  He will be speaking at tomorrow's Social Media & Web Analytics Innovation conference about "Teaching Analysts to Fish."  Check him out!

Yammer @ RailsConf

RailsConf is in Austin this year!  Yammer is a sponsor and several of our engineers will be attending.  Be sure to stop by our booth and say hello!  Conference is 4/23-4/25.  Hope to see you there!

We are what we build. Come join us.

A few months ago, we decided we wanted to make a video about what we do at Yammer and why people choose to work here. We began talking with our engineers, looking for a hook, some unique angle or element of Yammer work life that would convey why all of us are so excited to be here.

Then we realized that the conversations themselves were that hook. We didn't have to cover the Street Fighter II tournament or the sailing club or any of the other fun things we do on the side, because the real hook is the fact that we're all passionately engaged in making something that makes our daily lives and those of our millions of users better.

We're proud to introduce you to a few of the amazingly talented members of our team and to let them tell you their stories in their own words. And if you like what you see, why not get in touch with us? Changing the way the world works is a big job. Come be a part of it.