What is System Design? System design is the process of defining the architecture, components, modules, interfaces, and data flow for a complex software system to meet specific functional and non-functional requirements. It involves planning how different parts of a system interact, scale, maintain reliability, and perform efficiently under load. Key Aspects of System Design Scalability … Read more
Latency vs. Throughput In system design and performance engineering, latency and throughput are two key metrics used to measure how well a system performs under different conditions. Though often mentioned together, they represent very different aspects of performance. What is Latency? Latency is the time delay between a request and its corresponding response. It measures … Read more
HTTP/HTTPS What is HTTP? HTTP is the foundational protocol for communication on the World Wide Web, enabling data exchange between browsers (clients) and web servers. How HTTP Works: When a browser sends a request to a server, the server processes it and returns a response—typically HTML, CSS, or JavaScript files. HTTP is stateless, meaning each … Read more
SQL vs. NoSQL Overview: SQL (Structured Query Language) and NoSQL (Not Only SQL) databases are two broad categories of database technologies, each with different structures, use cases, and benefits. SQL Databases Definition: SQL databases are relational databases that use structured schemas with rows and columns. Data is stored in tables, and relationships between data are … Read more
Horizontal vs. vertical scaling Scaling is a core concept in system design used to handle increased load, users, or data by enhancing system capacity. The two primary strategies are horizontal scaling and vertical scaling. Horizontal Scaling (Scaling Out) Definition: Horizontal scaling means adding more machines or nodes to your system to distribute the load. How … Read more
Client-side vs. server-side caching Caching is a technique used to store copies of files or data in locations that are closer to the user, which can help reduce load times and improve performance. Both client-side and server-side caching have distinct uses and advantages. Client-Side Caching Client-side caching refers to storing data in the user’s browser … Read more
Event-driven architecture Overview Event-Driven Architecture (EDA) is a software design pattern in which components communicate by emitting and responding to events, enabling asynchronous interactions and loose coupling between services. Core Concepts Event: A signal that something has happened within a system, such as “user_signed_up” or “item_added_to_cart”. Producer: The service or component that generates and emits … Read more
Designing URL shorteners, file storage, newsfeeds, etc. Designing a URL Shortener Use Case: A URL shortener service converts long URLs into short aliases to make sharing easier and track usage. Core Features: Short link generation Redirection to original URLs Analytics tracking (clicks, sources) Design Considerations: Use of base62 or hash functions to generate short IDs … Read more
Authentication and Authorization Authentication The process of verifying the identity of a user or system. Username and password authentication Multi-factor authentication (MFA) Biometric authentication (fingerprint, facial recognition) OAuth and SSO (Single Sign-On) systems Authorization The process of granting or denying access to resources based on verified identities. Role-based access control (RBAC) Attribute-based access control (ABAC) … Read more
Communication and requirement gathering Definition: Communication and requirement gathering are foundational phases in any software or system design process, where stakeholders, developers, and designers collaborate to identify what the system should achieve. Why It Matters: Ensures alignment between stakeholders and development teams. Helps avoid misunderstandings and scope creep. Sets a clear direction for the design … Read more