How to design scalable systems architecture
Build technical infrastructure that grows with your business without requiring complete rewrites.
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0 of 6 steps completedStep-by-Step Instructions
1 Step 1: Design for horizontal scaling from the start
Step 1: Design for horizontal scaling from the start
Build stateless services that can run multiple instances behind load balancers. Avoid single points of failure. Use distributed databases and caching. Horizontal scaling (adding more servers) is easier and cheaper than vertical scaling (bigger servers). Design for distributed computing even if you start small.
Designing Data-Intensive Applications by Martin Kleppmann
Comprehensive guide to scalable systems architecture
2 Step 2: Implement caching layers strategically
Step 2: Implement caching layers strategically
Cache frequently accessed data at multiple levels: CDN for static assets, application cache (Redis/Memcached) for database queries, browser cache for user data. Caching reduces load on databases and improves response times. Smart caching can handle 10x traffic without infrastructure changes.
3 Step 3: Use message queues for asynchronous processing
Step 3: Use message queues for asynchronous processing
Don't make users wait for slow operations: send emails, process payments, generate reports asynchronously. Use queues (RabbitMQ, AWS SQS, Google Pub/Sub) to decouple services. Async processing improves perceived performance and enables better resource utilization.
4 Step 4: Choose the right database for the job
Step 4: Choose the right database for the job
Relational (PostgreSQL, MySQL) for transactional data. NoSQL (MongoDB, DynamoDB) for flexible schemas and massive scale. Search engines (Elasticsearch) for full-text search. Time-series databases for metrics. Don't force every use case into one database. Right tool for right job.
5 Step 5: Monitor performance and plan capacity proactively
Step 5: Monitor performance and plan capacity proactively
Track resource utilization: CPU, memory, disk I/O, network. Set alerts before hitting limits. Model growth: if traffic grows 20%/month, when do you hit capacity? Don't wait for outages to force scaling. Proactive capacity planning prevents emergencies.
6 Step 6: Build APIs with versioning and backward compatibility
Step 6: Build APIs with versioning and backward compatibility
Design REST or GraphQL APIs that can evolve without breaking existing clients. Use API versioning. Deprecate old versions gradually with migration paths. Good API design enables scaling the organization: multiple teams building on shared services.
