System design is the process of defining the Computer Architecture, components, modules, interfaces, and data for a system to satisfy specified requirements. It involves:

Key Considerations:

  • Scalability: Ability to handle growing amounts of work
  • Performance: System efficiency and response times
  • Reliability: System’s consistency and fault tolerance
  • Security: Protection against potential threats
  • Cost-effectiveness: Balancing system capabilities with resource constraints
ToolDescription
system-design-primer)Learn how to design large-scale systems. Prep for the system design interview
system-designComprehensive course on designing systems at scale and system design interview prep

Common Techniques

  • Horizontal/vertical scaling
  • Load balancing
  • Caching
  • Distributed systems
  • Microservices architecture

Critical Domains

  • Web applications
  • Distributed computing
  • Cloud infrastructure
  • Database design
  • Network systems