Getting Started
What is system design?
Chapter I IP OSI Model TCP and UDP Domain Name System (DNS) Load Balancing Clustering Caching Content Delivery Network (CDN) Proxy Availability Scalability Storage
Chapter II Databases and DBMS SQL databases NoSQL databases SQL vs NoSQL databases Database Replication Indexes Normalization and Denormalization ACID and BASE consistency models CAP theorem PACELC Theorem Transactions Distributed Transactions Sharding Consistent Hashing Database Federation
Chapter III N-tier architecture Message Brokers Message Queues Publish-Subscribe Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) Monoliths and Microservices Event-Driven Architecture (EDA) Event Sourcing Command and Query Responsibility Segregation (CQRS) API Gateway REST, GraphQL, gRPC Long polling, WebSockets, Server-Sent Events (SSE)
Chapter IV Geohashing and Quadtrees Circuit breaker Rate Limiting Service Discovery SLA, SLO, SLI Disaster recovery Virtual Machines (VMs) and Containers OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC) Single Sign-On (SSO) SSL, TLS, mTLS
Chapter V System Design Interviews URL Shortener WhatsApp Twitter Netflix Uber Appendix
Next Steps References
System design is a crucial phase in the software development lifecycle where we architect and plan the construction of a software system to meet specific requirements. It involves a comprehensive and systematic approach to defining the system's architecture, interfaces, and data structures.
Requirements Analysis: Understand and document the requirements of the system. This involves communication with stakeholders to identify their needs and expectations.
Architecture Design: Define the overall structure and organization of the system. This includes choosing the right hardware, software, and network components. Consider factors such as scalability, reliability, and performance.
Interface Design: Specify how different components of the system will interact with each other. This involves defining APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and communication protocols.
Data Design: Determine how data will be stored, accessed, and managed. This includes database design, data structures, and data flow within the system.
Security Design: Identify potential security threats and design measures to protect the system. This includes authentication, authorization, and data encryption.
User Interface (UI) Design: If applicable, design the user interface to ensure a positive user experience. Consider usability, accessibility, and overall user interaction with the system.
Testing Strategy: Develop a comprehensive testing plan to ensure that the system functions as intended. This may involve unit testing, integration testing, and system testing.
Implementation Planning: Plan the process of implementing the system, considering factors such as deployment strategy, data migration, and training for users.
Optimization and Performance Tuning: Fine-tune the system for optimal performance. This may involve optimizing code, configuring hardware, and implementing caching mechanisms.
Documentation: Document the design decisions, architecture, and other relevant information. This documentation serves as a reference for developers, administrators, and other stakeholders.
Maintenance and Support Planning: Develop a plan for ongoing maintenance and support of the system. This includes addressing bugs, making updates, and ensuring the system remains aligned with changing business needs. A well-designed system addresses not only the immediate requirements but also considers future scalability and adaptability. It should be able to evolve as the business or organization grows and as technology advances. The process is iterative, and feedback from stakeholders is crucial to refining and improving the design throughout the development lifecycle.