System Design: The Interview Framework

Apply a structured 5-step approach to system design interviews: requirements clarification, scale estimation, API design, high-level architecture, and component deep-dive.

Explain the trade-offs between horizontal and vertical scaling in terms of cost, complexity, and performance limits.

Compare load balancing strategies (e.g., Round Robin, Least Connections, IP Hash) and select one based on application requirements.

Evaluate caching strategies (e.g., write-through, write-around, write-back) and associated cache invalidation techniques.