Introduction to System Design | System Design Course Pro | Part 1

My name is Md. Shariful Islam, and I am a software engineer.  This is the first blog post in the System Design Primer series. In this post, I will give an overview of the series, including who it is meant for, what you will learn, and the prerequisites for understanding the content. We will also discuss what a system is, what design is, and why system design is essential. Let’s get started!

Let’s begin with an overview of this series. If you want to understand the basic building blocks of system design, whether you’re a computer science major, looking to change jobs, or already working in the industry, this blog series is for you. Each post will explain system design topics in detail, using real-life examples. At the end of each post, there will be quizzes and exercises to help solidify your understanding, and I encourage discussions through the comments section. By the end of this series, you will have a strong grasp of system design fundamentals, empowering you to build large-scale systems.

Now, let’s talk about what a system is. A system is often described as an architecture or a collection of software or technologies that communicate and interact with each other to serve specific users and meet their requirements. For instance, systems like Instagram (for image sharing), WhatsApp (for messaging), and Netflix or Hotstar (for streaming) are examples of software systems. In the real world, buildings, hotels, hospitals, and theaters are also systems designed to meet the needs of specific users. Whether they are real-world systems or computing systems, all systems consist of components that need to work together to fulfill a purpose.

For example, buildings have components like walls, floors, ceilings, electrical supply, and water supply. However, different buildings serve different types of users with distinct needs. In software systems, the basic parts may be similar. However, they are made to meet different users' needs. When building a system, you need to consider three key factors: the users of the system, their needs, and the components chosen to meet those needs.

Now that we understand what a system is made of, let’s move on to design. Design is the process of understanding user requirements and selecting the right components, modules, and technologies, and determining how they will work together to meet the system’s needs. This process involves selecting components, considering constraints and concerns, and figuring out how everything should function. Even though systems may share similar building blocks, their designs will look very different depending on the system’s purpose.

For example, the design of a duplex will differ significantly from the design of a skyscraper. Similarly, the design of a simple website with static content will differ from that of a large streaming platform like Netflix. System design is critical for developing the skills needed to design systems that can scale to serve large numbers of users while managing complexity effectively.

Now, let’s talk about why system design is such an important skill and a popular topic. Designing large-scale systems is a complex task that requires experience, expertise, and deep knowledge of software technologies. While creating such systems is typically a collaborative effort, as an engineer, it is important to understand the various components, trade-offs, potential points of failure, and constraints. This knowledge is crucial when addressing issues that arise in system design.

In this series, we will break down the components of a system, study them individually, and explore their pros and cons. We’ll discuss where each component fits, why it is used, and how it contributes to the overall design. In the end, we’ll combine these components to design a large-scale system. This approach will guide you through the process step by step.

That was a brief introduction to system design and why it is important. Let me know in the comments what you found useful in this post and share your thoughts on the system design process. Additionally, there will be a quiz and some reading materials to help you understand this topic better. In the next post, we’ll dive into the components of system design. Until then, take care and see you in the next blog!