Core Distributed Systems | SystemDesign Pro

6 steps6h trajectorybeginner

Core Distributed Systems

A structured path from global request routing fundamentals to reliable data movement patterns used in modern backend systems.

Completion0%

Target role

Engineers preparing for first strong mid-level system design loops.

Current focus

Step 1: Global Routing and Storage Basics

Progress mode

Step 1Currentintermediate

URL Shortener at Global Scale

Design a globally distributed URL shortener that handles billions of redirects per day with low latency, abuse controls, and reliable analytics.

Why now

Covers classic read-heavy architecture tradeoffs in a compact, high-signal system.

Skills learned

ID generation strategyCache hierarchyRead/write split reasoning

Step 2Upcomingadvanced

API Rate-Limiting as a Multi-Region Service

Design a globally consistent rate limiting service with low latency and multi-region enforcement.

Why now

Introduces low-latency decisioning with global consistency constraints.

Skills learned

Token bucket tradeoffsRegional failoverPolicy propagation

Step 3Upcomingintermediate

Feature Flag Evaluation Engine at Scale

Design a low-latency feature flag evaluation system with targeting rules, percentage rollouts, A/B testing integration, kill switches, and multi-region consistency.

Why now

Teaches control plane/data plane separation and rollout safety patterns.

Skills learned

Edge evaluation designStreaming updatesAuditability controls

Step 4UpcomingadvancedPremium

Distributed Key-Value Store

Design a strongly reliable key-value store with partitioning, replication, quorum reads/writes, and predictable low-latency access.

Why now

Adds quorum consistency and repair mechanics that recur across storage systems.

Skills learned

Quorum designHinted handoffCompaction and durability tradeoffs

Step 5UpcomingbeginnerPremium

Distributed Cache System

Design a distributed cache system like Redis or Memcached that handles millions of requests per second with sub-millisecond latency, high availability, and intelligent eviction policies.

Why now

Deepens understanding of invalidation/coherence strategies in latency-sensitive systems.

Skills learned

Cache coherence modelsEviction strategyCache observability

Step 6UpcomingintermediatePremium

Change Data Capture (CDC) Pipeline

Design a system that captures database changes in real-time and streams them to downstream systems with schema evolution support, exactly-once delivery, and multi-database compatibility.

Why now

Completes the foundation with production-grade event propagation and schema evolution concerns.

Skills learned

WAL/binlog captureExactly-once boundariesOutbox and replay strategy

Checkpoints

Foundation Checkpoint

Average simulation score >= 68 across first 3 steps.

Complete through step 3 to unlock this checkpoint.

Systems Fluency Checkpoint

Average simulation score >= 72 across all steps.

Complete through step 6 to unlock this checkpoint.