Distributed System Design

1. Definition

A distributed system is a model in which components located on networked computers communicate and coordinate their actions by passing messages. The components interact with one another in order to achieve a common goal.

2. Key Concepts

Key Concepts

Scalability
Fault Tolerance
Latency
Consistency vs. Availability

3. Design Principles

Design Principles

Decentralization: Avoid single points of failure.
Transparency: Make the system's operation clear to users.
Scalability: Design for growth in both data and user load.
Robustness: Ensure the system can recover from failures.

4. Best Practices

Best Practices

Follow these best practices to ensure a robust distributed system:

Use asynchronous communication where possible.
Implement proper error handling and retries.
Conduct regular load testing.
Utilize distributed tracing for debugging.

Note: Always monitor your system for performance bottlenecks.

5. FAQ

What is a distributed system?

A distributed system is a collection of independent computers that appears to its users as a single coherent system.

What are the main challenges in designing distributed systems?

Challenges include network latency, fault tolerance, data consistency, and the complexity of distributed algorithms.

How can I ensure fault tolerance in a distributed system?

By implementing redundancy, using consensus algorithms, and employing health checks.

Flowchart


            graph TD;
                A[Start] --> B{Is System Distributed?};
                B -- Yes --> C[Implement Distributed Components]
                B -- No --> D[Design as Monolithic]
                C --> E[Ensure Scalability]
                C --> F[Implement Fault Tolerance]
                E --> G[Regular Testing]
                F --> G
                D --> G
                G --> H[End]