Module Overview: High Throughput Systems

“Design a system that handles 1 million requests per second.”

This module covers advanced scaling patterns needed for high-throughput systems - a common interview topic at top tech companies.

Learning Goals

• Identify throughput bottlenecks in systems
• Apply scaling patterns (queues, sharding, caching)
• Model trade-offs and document decisions with ADRs
• Design systems that handle massive scale

Interview Preparation

• ✅ Answer “design for high throughput” questions
• ✅ Explain queuing and async processing
• ✅ Discuss database sharding strategies
• ✅ Model scaling patterns with Sruja

Real-World Application

• Design systems that handle millions of requests
• Apply patterns to actual high-scale systems
• Understand trade-offs in scaling decisions

Estimated Time

60-75 minutes (includes practice)

Checklist

• Can identify throughput bottlenecks
• Understand queuing and async patterns
• Can design sharding strategies
• Can explain trade-offs clearly