What Is Pub/Sub? Publish-Subscribe Architecture for Scalable Systems
Remember the last time your app crashed because too many users showed up at once? Yeah, that kind of pain stays with you. Pub/Sub architecture might be the relief you need. It’s like the traffic controller for your data, making sure messages flow exactly where they need to go without overwhelming your system. At its […]
Master Sharding: A Key Strategy for Scalable System Design
Your database crashed at 3 AM and you’re frantically Googling solutions while your boss texts, “Any updates?” Sound familiar? When systems buckle under growing data loads, smart engineers don’t just buy bigger servers—they implement sharding. This database partitioning technique has saved countless scalable system designs from meltdown. I’ve spent 15 years watching teams struggle with […]
System Design Prep: Understanding Relational Databases in Minutes
Ever stared at a system design question about databases and felt your stomach drop? You’re not alone. Thousands of developers freeze when interviewers casually ask, “So how would you structure the data layer for this?” Let’s fix that in the next few minutes. By the end of this post, you’ll understand relational databases well enough […]
System Design Basics: ACID Transactions & Indexes Demystified
Ever sat in a technical interview where they asked about ACID transactions, and your mind went completely blank? You’re not alone. For countless software engineers and developers, database design concepts are that weird middle ground — critical knowledge we all nod along to but secretly wish someone would explain without the academic jargon. By the […]
Key-Value Databases Explained: Faster, Simpler Alternatives to RDBMS in System Design
Ever spent three days debugging a relational database query that should’ve taken seconds? You’re not alone. While SQL databases have powered applications for decades, they’re often overkill when all you need is lightning-fast retrieval of specific data points. Key-value databases offer a refreshingly straightforward alternative to traditional RDBMS in system design. No complex schemas, no […]
Understanding BLOB, Time Series & Graph Databases – System Design Basics
Ever sat through a database architecture meeting where everyone’s nodding along, but you’re secretly Googling “BLOB vs. Graph database” under the table? Don’t worry—78% of developers admit to faking knowledge about advanced database types during system design discussions. Let’s cut through the confusion. By the end of this post, you’ll confidently explain the right database […]
CI/CD Pipeline System Design Walkthrough
Ever stared at your terminal watching a deployment fail for the 47th time while your deadline creeps closer? Yeah, I thought so. We’ve all been there. The reality is that most engineering teams are still cobbling together deployment pipelines that look more like Frankenstein’s monster than a streamlined CI/CD system. In this guide, I’ll walk […]
Peer-to-Peer Network Architecture Explained with Kraken (System Design Prep)
Ever caught yourself wondering how Bitcoin actually works under the hood? Not the price speculation stuff, but the actual tech plumbing that keeps it running without any central authority telling it what to do? That’s peer-to-peer architecture – the digital equivalent of neighbors trading directly with each other instead of going through the neighborhood supermarket. […]
System Design Deep Dive: Leader Election Algorithms You Should Know
Ever had your entire system crash because nobody could figure out who’s in charge? Distributed systems engineers know this particular flavor of pain all too well — one minute everything’s humming along, the next you’re explaining to executives why their million-dollar platform just took an unexpected vacation. Let’s fix that. This deep dive into leader […]
Mastering WebSockets: How It Compares to Polling for Scalable System Design
Ever sat watching that spinning wheel as your app tries to update, wondering if your server fell asleep? You’re not alone. Developers everywhere are caught in the tug-of-war between real-time data needs and server load nightmares. Traditional polling feels like repeatedly knocking on someone’s door asking “anything new?” while WebSockets create an always-open channel where […]