Fundamentals · Beginner
URL shortener (first try)
One database behind a cache. Runs out of database capacity at 50k rps.
Asked in interviews at
- paypal
- amazon
- microsoft
- openai
- jpmorgan
- netflix
- nielsen
- salesforce
Concepts used here
- Caching: Keep recent answers in memory so the database only does each piece of work once. Then deal with the three ways that goes wrong: stale data, a full cache, and a stampede.
- Network layers: Build a real packet by hand: 42 bytes of HTTP inside three envelopes, and which boxes on the way open which one.
Learn more
- Beginner System Design Interview: Design Bitly w/ a Ex-Meta Staff Engineer (Hello Interview)
- How Does a URL Shortener Work? (ByteByteGo)
- Design a URL Shortener (TinyURL, Bit.ly) | Systems Design Questions 3.0 With Ex-Google SWE (Jordan has no life)
- Design a URL Shortener Like Bitly (Hello Interview)
- Design a URL shortener (ByteByteGo)