Build a Scalable Video-on-Demand Platform with DigitalOcean Droplets: A Step-by-Step Guide

Want to create your own streaming service? Learn how to build and scale a video-on-demand platform using DigitalOcean Droplets. This guide walks you through the entire process, from initial setup to handling massive traffic spikes, all while keeping costs down. By the end, you'll have the knowledge to deliver seamless video experiences to your audience.

Why Build Your Own Video-on-Demand Platform?

A video-on-demand (VOD) platform lets you control your content, reach a wider audience, and monetize your videos effectively. This is a great way to create a platform with specific video content such as educational videos or a niche streaming service. Instead of relying on other platforms, you maintain full control over user experience and monetization strategies.

What You'll Learn: Scaling a Video-on-Demand Platform

This article provides a practical guide to:

• Setting up a basic VOD application.
• Deploying it on DigitalOcean Droplets.
• Scaling your platform to handle increased traffic and video uploads.
• Optimizing performance for a smooth user experience.

Prerequisites: Getting Started with Your VOD Platform

To follow this tutorial, you will need:

• A DigitalOcean account.
• Basic knowledge of Next.js (or the willingness to use a pre-built application).

What are DigitalOcean Droplets and Why Use Them?

DigitalOcean Droplets are virtual servers that provide the foundation for your VOD platform. They offer:

• Flexibility: Choose the resources you need, from small test environments to powerful production servers.
• Scalability: Easily upgrade your Droplet as your audience grows.
• Cost-effectiveness: Pay only for the resources you use.

How VOD Platforms Function

Streaming services rely on robust servers to deliver content. We'll emulate this by deploying our application on DigitalOcean Droplets.

Simple Video-on-Demand Architecture Explained

Our example VOD application has these components:

1. Next.js Frontend: Handles user interaction and API requests.
2. DigitalOcean Droplet: Hosts the Next.js application and video library.
3. Users: Access the platform through browsers or mobile devices.

This setup, while simpler than Netflix, provides a solid foundation for your VOD platform. The next steps will show how to leverage DigitalOcean features to scale a video on demand platform.

Step-by-Step: Deploying Your Video-on-Demand App

Let's deploy a Next.js based VOD app into a DigitalOcean Droplet.

1. Clone the Repository

Fork and clone the repository from GitHub and add your SSH key.

2. Create a DigitalOcean Droplet

Create a basic $12 Droplet to host your application and connect to it using ssh root@ipaddress.

3. Configure the Environment

Update and install Node.js, Nginx, and PM2.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_18.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs nginx
sudo npm install -g pm2

4. Configure Nginx

Create an Nginx configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/video-on-demand

Add the following configuration:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your_ip_address;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
    }
}

Enable the site:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/video-on-demand /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl restart nginx

5. Clone the GitHub Repository

Clone the GitHub repository, install dependencies, and build the application (make sure that you navigated to the correct folder inside your droplet):

git clone [email protected]:Haimantika/video-on-demand.git
cd frontend
npm install
npm run build

6. Start the Application with PM2

Start the application using PM2 for process management:

cd /var/www/video-on-demand/frontend
pm2 start npm --name "video-on-demand" -- start
pm2 save
pm2 startup

Your application should now be running on your Droplet!

Scaling Your Video-on-Demand Platform for Growth

As your audience grows, a basic Droplet might not be enough. Here's how to scale your VOD platform:

1. Load Balancers for Traffic Management

A load balancer distributes incoming traffic across multiple servers, preventing overload and improving response times. It is essential for a scalable video streaming platform. You can add a load balancer to your DigitalOcean Droplet to manage traffic efficiently, with these benefits:

• Improved Response Times.
• SSL Termination for Security.
• Health Monitoring.

2. Vertical Scaling for Increased Uploads

Vertical scaling involves upgrading your Droplet to a larger size, increasing CPU, RAM, and storage, handling more uploads. This is how your video streaming application will maintain high performance under heavy upload activity. Vertical scaling provides:

• Higher CPU Power for processing uploads.
• More RAM for handling concurrent requests.
• Faster disk I/O for video storage.

Benchmarking: Basic vs. Premium Droplets

Let's compare the performance of a basic ($12/month) vs. a premium ($32/month) DigitalOcean Droplet. You can test these factors:

• CPU Performance: Measures processing power using sysbench.
• Disk Performance: Evaluates storage read/write speeds using fio.
• Network Speed: Tests upload/download speeds using speedtest-cli.

CPU Performance Test (sysbench)

The premium Droplet was ~2.3x faster in CPU performance, with a 57% lower average response time.

Disk Performance Test (fio)

The premium Droplet showed ~77% faster read/write speeds and ~76.7% higher IOPS.

Network Speed Test (speedtest-cli)

The premium Droplet had ~40.6% lower ping and significantly higher download speeds.

Conclusion: Building a Powerful Video-on-Demand Platform

By following this guide, you've learned how to:

• Set up a basic video-on-demand application.
• Deploy it on DigitalOcean Droplets.
• Scale your platform using load balancers and vertical scaling.
• Optimize performance for a seamless user experience.

With DigitalOcean, you can build a powerful and scalable VOD platform that meets the demands of your growing audience.