Module Overview: Microservices & Distributed Systems Interview Questions

“Design an e-commerce platform using microservices.”

This is a very common interview question that tests your understanding of:

• Microservices architecture
• Service decomposition
• Inter-service communication
• Distributed system challenges

Interview Questions You’ll Master

• “Design an e-commerce platform (Amazon-style)”
• “Design a ride-sharing service like Uber”
• “Design a social media platform”
• “How do you split a monolith into microservices?”

What Interviewers Look For

• ✅ Understanding of microservices vs monolith trade-offs
• ✅ Ability to decompose a system into services
• ✅ Knowledge of service communication patterns
• ✅ Understanding of distributed system challenges
• ✅ Clear communication of design decisions

Goals

• Answer microservices questions confidently
• Model service boundaries using separate systems in Sruja
• Explain service decomposition strategy
• Discuss trade-offs and challenges

Interview Framework

We’ll follow this approach:

1. Clarify Requirements - Scale, features, constraints
2. Identify Services - How to decompose the system
3. Model with Sruja - Use separate systems to show service boundaries
4. Discuss Communication - APIs, events, data flow
5. Address Challenges - Consistency, failures, monitoring

Estimated Time

60-75 minutes (includes practice)

Checklist

• Understand microservices decomposition
• Model services as separate systems in Sruja
• Explain service communication patterns
• Discuss distributed system challenges