Distributed System Design
Technical essays and low-level architectural breakdowns exploring mechanical execution, system trade-offs, and engine internals.
Mastering System Design & Distributed Systems: Series Introduction & Learning Roadmap
Discover what you will learn in this 20-part series on System Design & Distributed Systems. Build a distributed rate limiter and master Raft.
The Fallacies of Distributed Computing: PACELC, CAP Theorem, and Network Partitions
Understand the 8 Fallacies of Distributed Computing, CAP Theorem trade-offs, PACELC model, and network partition failure modes.
Time in Distributed Systems: Physical Clock Skew, NTP Drift, and Lamport Timestamps
Master time in distributed systems. Learn why physical clocks drift, NTP synchronization fails, and how Lamport Timestamps enforce logical event ordering.
Vector Clocks and Conflict Resolution: Detecting Concurrent Writes in Distributed State
Master Vector Clocks and causal consistency. Learn how vector timestamps detect concurrent writes, manage sibling branches, and resolve conflicts.
Consistent Hashing & Virtual Nodes: Distributing Keys Without Mass Resharding
Master Consistent Hashing and Virtual Nodes. Learn how distributed caches and databases route keys without mass key migration.
Database Sharding & Partitioning Strategies: Range, Hash, and Dynamic Rebalancing
Master database sharding strategies. Learn range partitioning, hash sharding, cross-shard query traps, and dynamic shard splitting.
Gossip Protocols & Cluster Membership: How Decentralized Nodes Maintain Topology
Master Gossip Protocols and cluster membership. Learn how decentralized nodes detect failures and propagate state without a central master.
Distributed Transactions: Two-Phase Commit (2PC) vs The Saga Pattern
Master distributed transactions. Compare Two-Phase Commit (2PC) blocking mechanics with Saga Pattern choreography, orchestration, and compensating actions.