ConsistencyLive
CAP Theorem
Reason clearly when a network partition forces a choice.
Open refresher →The visual field guide for technical leadersDistributed Systems,
Distributed Systems,
Made Simple.
Concepts. Visuals. Trade-offs. Everything you need to refresh, understand, and design reliable distributed systems.
Clientsrequest
→Load balancerroute
→Servicescompute
↓
Databasedurable state
Cachefast reads
Queueasync work
Start with the decisions that matter
Featured topics
Each visual one-pager moves from intuition to mechanics, trade-offs, failure scenarios, and real-world implications.
ConsensusLive
Raft Consensus
Build one authoritative log despite node and network failure.
Open refresher →PartitioningLive
Consistent Hashing
Scale a cluster while moving the smallest possible slice of data.
Open refresher →TransactionsLive
Distributed Transactions
Coordinate atomic work across independent services and stores.
Open refresher →MessagingLive
Event-Driven Systems
Decouple work in time without losing control of delivery.
Open refresher →ReliabilityLive
Multi-Region Architecture
Balance latency, sovereignty, consistency, RPO, and RTO.
Open refresher →Choose your depth
Learning paths
The same concepts, organized around what you need to do next.
01
Foundations
Refresh the primitives: failure, time, consistency, replication, and scale.
Start the path →02Interview Prep
Practice the follow-up questions that distinguish senior-level reasoning.
Practice questions →03Architect Path
Connect technical choices to invariants, risk, cost, and operations.
Explore architecture →04Manager Path
Review designs through failure impact, ownership, and decision quality.
Open manager mode →Architecture library
Explore system designs →Twelve complete system design walkthroughs.
Trace requests, examine architecture decisions, pressure-test failures, and connect each design back to its core concepts.