Source: Chat-Gpt
"System Design Interview - An Insider's Guide: Volume 2" by Alex Xu and Sahn Lam
Book Structure
The book includes 13 chapters, each dedicated to a specific system design problem. It follows a structured approach:
- Problem Requirements: Each chapter begins with an exploration of the functional and non-functional requirements of the system to clarify scope.
- Design Steps: A step-by-step approach to breaking down the system design, with emphasis on high-level architecture and detailed component design.
- Component Analysis: Each section dives into specific components like databases, APIs, and caching, explaining their roles and interactions.
- Scalability and Optimization: The book provides strategies for scaling the system and handling large data sets effectively.
Key Chapters and Topics
- Proximity Service & Nearby Friends: Techniques for real-time location services and friend-finding applications.
- Google Maps & Distributed Message Queue: Advanced topics in geospatial indexing, message queue systems, and handling large-scale asynchronous messaging.
- Metrics Monitoring & Ad Click Event Aggregation: Designing for high-traffic systems and aggregating real-time data streams.
- S3-like Object Storage: Building a scalable storage system using principles like data partitioning, replication, and consistency.
- Payment System & Digital Wallet: Securing transactions, ensuring reliability, and handling data privacy in financial applications.
Diagrams and Frameworks
The book includes 300+ diagrams to help visualize complex systems, making it easier to understand the interactions between different system components. The 4-step framework (requirements, high-level design, detailed design, and trade-offs) is emphasized throughout, helping readers systematically tackle interview questions.
This volume is particularly useful for those aiming for senior engineering roles, as it covers complex, large-scale systems with a practical, problem-solving approach.