Network Architecture and Communication Patterns Questions
Design and analysis of network architectures and service communication patterns for reliable, performant, and secure distributed systems. Topics include network topology and capacity planning, load balancing strategies, content delivery networks, caching and edge delivery, application programming interface gateway design, service to service communication patterns including synchronous and asynchronous messaging, message queues, publish subscribe, request routing, retries and backoff, timeouts, idempotency, circuit breakers, bulkheads, and service mesh considerations. Also covers latency optimization, failure modes and resilience, observability and monitoring, network security principles such as encryption and segmentation, and how architectural choices affect scalability and operational complexity.
MediumSystem Design
0 practiced
Design a caching strategy for a product catalog API where reads must be low-latency but inventory counts are frequently updated. Describe cache placement (edge, API layer), cache invalidation or update propagation strategies (write-through, write-back, explicit purge), consistency model, and how to prevent serving stale inventory in checkout flows.
HardTechnical
0 practiced
Explain how network partitions affect consistency and availability in distributed systems. Using CAP theorem principles, discuss strategies a microservices architecture can adopt during partitions (favor availability vs consistency), and practical approaches such as quorum, leader election, and compensating transactions.
EasyTechnical
0 practiced
Explain the differences between TCP and UDP transport protocols, and discuss when you'd choose each for inter-service communication in a microservices architecture. Cover reliability, ordering, latency, connection overhead, head-of-line blocking, NAT/firewall considerations, and example use cases such as RPCs, telemetry, and streaming. Mention how kernel behavior and connection setup influence design decisions.
HardTechnical
0 practiced
Propose a migration plan to move a large monolith into microservices, with emphasis on network and communication patterns. Outline a stepwise approach (strangler pattern, API gateway, service discovery), how to design inter-service contracts, deal with increased network overhead, and how to validate correctness and performance during migration.
EasyBehavioral
0 practiced
Tell me about a time you diagnosed and resolved a network latency or reliability issue in a production system. Use the STAR format: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Emphasize how you identified the root cause, tools you used (traces, metrics, pings), and what safeguards you put in place afterwards.
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