How to Build a Good System
To build a good system, you need to break it into components, with each component having a clear and exclusive set of responsibilities.
Breaking the System into Components
Feed Web Server: Handles user requests over HTTP.
Feed Generator: Pulls data from multiple services based on user requests and stores it in the database.
Feed Aggregator: Combines the data generated by the Feed Generator, filters out redundant information, determines how much data is needed for the user, and creates the final feed that the web server will serve.
Technical Details for Each Component
For every component, consider the following technical aspects:
Database: Focus on caching, scaling, fault tolerance, asynchronous operations, and communication.
Web Server: Consider request handling efficiency and response speed.
Generator: Ensure it can process data efficiently and handle high volumes of requests.
Aggregator: Optimize for filtering and combining data effectively to serve accurate and personalized feeds.
Key Characteristics of a Good System
- Scalability
Your system must handle large-scale operations. For example:
If 1 million users log in, ensure your database can handle parallel requests and store data efficiently.
If 1 million users request services, your generator should process the data in parallel and store it in the database.
The aggregator should classify and perform operations on this data to deliver the required feed seamlessly.
Fault Tolerance
Plan for potential failures. If one service goes down, your system should still function without disrupting the entire infrastructure. There should be a recovery plan to restore the system to a stable state quickly.Availability
Even if one component fails, other services should remain operational. The system should ensure that the entire infrastructure doesn’t go down due to the failure of a single component.
Conclusion
If your system is scalable, fault-tolerant, and highly available, then it can be considered a good system. Focus on each component’s responsibilities and ensure they integrate well to create a robust infrastructure.
Learning from arpitbhayani.me/system-design-for-beginners