WoW update

Not really a “tech” update I guess, but more of something I wonder.  World of Warcraft updated their game today and the thought crossed my mind of just how much work goes into something like that.  The game has over 9 million subscribers and has to have a gigantic database.  With our test coming up tomorrow and me looking over my notes, I wonder what type of database structure they have set up to handle all that.  I mean, the 9 million people are spread across multiple servers, but there must be millions of pieces of data that has to be stored and updated in real time.  I’m assuming it’s something like Oracle’s Cache-Fusion where the data isn’t written to the actual database as the game runs, but so much information is being written by each and every game client at once that it makes me wonder how they don’t cause lockouts on each other.

I wish I could find out more on it, unfortunately I don’t have access to anything that could tell me how things are run serverside.  And I’m pretty sure that any steps I take to find out would be considered industrial espionage so I think I’ll back off on that one.  But Bravo to Blizzard Inc. for developing the system that they have in place.  Now I need to fix my add-ons after I’m done studying.  >.>