System Design and Scaling Patterns

Compare vertical scaling ('scaling up') and horizontal scaling ('scaling out'), explaining the limits of each.

Explain how load balancers distribute traffic and compare common algorithms (e.g., round-robin, least connections).

Describe why stateless services are easier to scale and discuss strategies for externalizing state.

Explain the CAP theorem and its practical implications when choosing a distributed data store.

Describe rate limiting and throttling, including common algorithms like token bucket and sliding window.

Compare monolithic and microservice architectures, identifying the primary trade-offs.

Analyze the functional and non-functional requirements for a given system design problem.

Create a high-level architectural diagram for a proposed system, justifying the choice of components.