Log In Join For Free

Designgurus / Blogs / system-design-cheat-sheet

Arslan Ahmad
February 21st, 2025

The Ultimate System Design Cheat Sheet

Mastering System Design: The Ultimate Quick-Reference Guide

Welcome to the "System Design Cheat Sheet" – a quick, go-to reference designed to
aid both beginners and experienced engineers in preparing for system design
We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant
interviews. This guide simplifies the essentialLearn
communication. components
more of system design, helping
you understand and recall important concepts, methodologies, and principles.
Got it!
Whether you're stepping into your first tech interview or you're a seasoned
professional aiming to brush up your knowledge, this cheat sheet will help you
navigate the broad landscape of system design with confidence.

System Design Basics

Definition: System design is the process of designing the architecture,

components, and interfaces for a system to meet specific needs.
Importance: Improves system performance, scalability, reliability, and security.
Components: Client, Server, Database, etc.

System Design Diagram

Fundamental Concepts

Vertical Scaling: Increasing the resources of a single node.

Horizontal
We useScaling : Increasing
cookies to providethe
younumber
with anof nodes.experience and relevant
optimal
Availability: The ability of acommunication.
system to respond
Learnto requests in a timely manner.
more
Consistency: The degree to which all nodes in a distributed system see the same
data at the same time.
 Partition Tolerance: The ability of a system to continue functioning when
network partitions occur.
CAP Theorem: Based on Consistency, Availability, Partition Tolerance - pick two
out of three.
ACID: Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability - properties of reliable
transactions.
BASE: Basically Available, Soft state, Eventual consistency - an alternative to
ACID.
Load Balancer: A load balancer is a technology that distributes network or
application traffic across multiple servers to optimize system performance,
reliability, and capacity.
Rate Limiting: Control of the frequency of actions in a system, often to manage
capacity or maintain quality of service.
Idempotence: Property of certain operations in mathematics and computer
science, where the operation can be applied multiple times without changing the
result beyond the initial application.

CAP Theorem

We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant

communication. Learn more

Data
 Data Partitioning: Dividing data into smaller subsets.
Data Replication: Creating copies of data for redundancy and faster access.
Database Sharding: Splitting and storing data across multiple machines.
Consistent Hashing: Technique to distribute data across multiple nodes.
Block Service: A block service is a type of data storage used in cloud
environments that allows data to be stored in fixed-sized blocks.

Storage Systems

SQL: Relational database, structured data.

NoSQL: Non-relational database, flexible schemas, scaling out.
Distributed key-value stores: Stores data as key-value pairs and is designed for
horizontal scalability.
Document databases: Document databases store data as semi-structured
documents, such as JSON or XML, and are optimized for storing and querying
large amounts of data.
Database Normalization: Process used to organize a database into tables and
columns to reduce data redundancy and improve data integrity.
Caching: Storing copies of frequently accessed data for quick access.
Content Delivery Network (CDN): Distributed network of servers providing fast
delivery of web content.
Eventual Consistency: A consistency model which allows for some lag in data
update recognition, stating that if no new updates are made, eventually all
accesses will return the last updated value.

We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant

Distributed Systems communication. Learn more

Distributed Systems: Systems where components are located on networked

computers.
Load Balancing: Distributing network traffic across multiple servers.
Heartbeats: Signals sent between components to indicate functionality.
Quorums: Minimum number of nodes for decision making.
Fault Tolerance: Ability of a system to continue operating properly in the event of
the failure of some of its components.
Redundancy: Duplication of critical components of a system with the intention of
increasing reliability.

Grokking the System Design Interview

Grokking the System Design Interview is a comprehensive course for system design interview. It provides a
step-by-step guide to answering system design questions.

4.7 (80,659 learners)

Preview

We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant

Grokking System Design Fundamentals
communication. Learn more

Grokking System Design Fundamentals is designed to equip software engineers with the essential
knowledge and skills required to design large complex systems.
 4.6 (53,488 learners)

Preview

Networking and Communication

REST: Architectural style for networked applications, uses HTTP methods.

RPC: Communication method where a program causes a procedure to execute in
another address space.
Sync vs Async: Synchronous waits for tasks to complete, asynchronous
continues with other tasks.
Message Queues, Pub-Sub Model, Streaming: Techniques for communication
between systems.

Architectural Styles

Monolithic: Single-tiered software where components are interconnected.

Microservices: Software is composed of small independent services.
Serverless: Applications where server management is done by cloud provider.

Security and Compliance

Security: Protecting data and systems from threats.

Authentication: Verifying the user's identity.
We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant
Authorization: Verifying what a user has access to.
communication. Learn more

Performance
 Latency: Time taken to respond to a request.
Throughput: Number of tasks processed in a given amount of time.
Performance vs Scalability: Performance is about speed; scalability is about
capacity.
Response Time: Response time is the total time taken for a system to process a
request, including the time spent waiting in queues and the actual processing
time.

Design Patterns and Principles

Design Patterns: Reusable solution to common problems.

SOLID: Five principles for object-oriented design.
Single Responsibility Principle (SRP): A class should have one, and only one,
reason to change. This means a class should only have one job or
responsibility.
Open-Closed Principle (OCP): Software entities (classes, modules, functions,
etc.) should be open for extension, but closed for modification. In other
words, you should be able to add new functionality without changing the
existing code.
Liskov Substitution Principle (LSP): Subtypes must be substitutable for their
base types, meaning that if a program is using a base class, it should be able
to use any of its subclasses without the program knowing it.
Interface Segregation Principle (ISP): Clients should not be forced to depend
on interfaces they do not use. This means that a class should not have to
implement interfaces it doesn't use.
Dependency Inversion Principle (DIP): High-level modules should not
We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant
depend on low-level modules. Both should
communication. depend on abstractions. In
Learn more
addition, abstractions should not depend on details. Details should depend
on abstractions. This principle allows for decoupling.
 Twelve-Factor App: Methodology for building software-as-a-service apps.

Common System Design Questions

Design Twitter

Design Instagram

Design Ticketmaster

Design Dropbox or Google Drive

Designing Yelp or Nearby Friends

Design a search autocomplete service

Design a streaming serice (e.g., Netflix)

Design a social network (e.g., Facebook)

Design a URL shortening service (e.g., bit.ly)

Design a distributed cache (e.g., Memcached)

Design a messaging service (e.g., WhatsApp, Messenger)

System Design Interview Tips

System design interviews can be challenging because they require a blend of

technicalWe
knowledge, problem-solving
use cookies skills,
to provide you with an and clearexperience
optimal communication. Here are
and relevant
some high-level tips to keep communication.
in mind: Learn more
1. Clarify the Requirements

Before you jump into the architecture, ask clarifying questions. What are the scale
requirements (number of users, requests per second)? Are there any special
constraints (data security, latency SLAs)? Understanding these will help you design
a more relevant solution.

2. Think Aloud

Interviewers want to see your thought process. Explain your reasoning, trade-offs,
and why you’re taking certain steps. Even if you make a mistake, showing how you
arrive at decisions can demonstrate problem-solving skills.

3. Start Broad, Then Dive Deep

Begin by outlining the high-level architecture (components, data flow, major

technologies) and then zoom into specific areas (database schema, caching
strategies, load balancer configurations) as time permits or as prompted by the
interviewer.

4. Balance Trade-Offs

System design is often about trade-offs: cost vs. performance, complexity vs.
scalability, consistency vs. availability, etc.

Demonstrate awareness of these by articulating them clearly during your

We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant
discussions.
communication. Learn more

Here are some important system design trade-offs:

SQL vs. NoSQL

 Latency vs Throughput
Strong vs Eventual Consistency
Proxy vs. Reverse Proxy
Serverless architectures vs. traditional server-based

5. Use Diagrams

Whenever possible, sketch a quick diagram (even a rough one) to visualize your
solution. This helps the interviewer follow your thought process more easily and
offers a reference point for discussion.

6. Address Common Concerns

Make sure you touch on security, reliability, and monitoring.

While details can be specific to the problem, acknowledging these essentials shows
you’re thinking holistically.

7. Time Management

Be mindful of time constraints. Allocate enough time to cover the main components
of your design without getting lost in micro-optimizations.

8. Iterate and Evolve Your Design

We usea cookies
After outlining to provide
base solution, you with
discuss an optimal
potential experience and
improvements, relevant and
optimizations,
communication.
how you could scale or evolve Learn
the system over more
time.
Grokking the Coding Interview: Patterns for Coding Questions

Grokking the Coding Interview Patterns in Java, Python, JS, C++, C#, and Go. The most comprehensive
course with 476 Lessons.

4.6 (69,299 learners)

Preview

Grokking the Advanced System Design Interview

Grokking the System Design Interview. This course covers the most important system design questions for
building distributed and scalable systems.

4.2 (45,163 learners)

Preview

We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant

communication. Learn more
 Grokking Microservices Design Patterns

Master microservices design patterns for designing scalable, resilient, and more manageable systems.

4.4 (40,982 learners)

Preview

Grokking Design Patterns for Engineers and Managers

Unlock the power of design patterns: Elevate your coding skills with timeless solutions for top-notch
software design.

4.7 (14,845 learners)

Preview

How to Answer a System Design Interview Question

When faced with a system design question (e.g., “Design Instagram,” “Build a URL
shortener”), you can follow a structured approach:
We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant
communication. Learn more
1. Restate the Problem
Confirm you understand what is being asked. Summarize the requirements in your
own words, making sure you capture key features (e.g., user authentication, image
uploads, feed algorithms).

2. Gather Requirements and Constraints

Ask questions to clarify functional (e.g., “Do we need user profiles with
follower/following functionality?”) and non-functional requirements (e.g., “What is
the target user base? What are our latency expectations?”).

Identify constraints such as storage limits, maximum throughput, or compliance

requirements.

3. Propose a High-Level Architecture

Sketch the main components: front-end clients, application servers, databases,

caching layers, load balancers, etc.

Briefly explain how data flows among these components.

4. Discuss Key Design Decisions

Data Storage: SQL vs. NoSQL, caching strategies. Scalability: Horizontal vs. vertical
scaling, sharding, replication. Performance Optimizations: Caching, load balancing,
content delivery networks. Reliability: Redundancy, failover strategies, disaster
recovery. Security: Encryption, authentication, role-based access control.
We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant
communication. Learn more
5. Dive Into Specifics
Depending on the scenario, zoom in on critical parts: How do you handle large file
uploads? How do you ensure real-time notifications? How do you deal with
read/write spikes?

6. Address Trade-Offs

For each choice (e.g., SQL vs. NoSQL), briefly mention why you chose it and what
you might lose as a result. It’s okay to make assumptions as long as you explain your
reasoning.

7. Anticipate Bottlenecks & Future Growth

Point out possible bottlenecks (e.g., a single database node) and how you’d mitigate
them (e.g., replication, partitioning).

Suggest how the system could evolve to handle 10x or 100x traffic in the future.

8. Summarize and Check for Gaps

End by recapping your solution, revisiting the requirements to confirm you’ve

covered all necessary points.

Learn more details on how to approach system design interview question.

How to Understand the Requirements

We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant
When tackling a system design question—beLearn
communication. it in an interview or a real-world
more
project—the very first step is to deeply understand what’s being asked. This might
seem straightforward, but overlooking certain requirements can lead to designing an
underperforming or incomplete system. Properly gathering requirements lays a solid
foundation for every architectural decision that follows.

Here’s how to break it down:

1. Functional Requirements

a. Identify the Key Features

Functional requirements describe the business logic and core operations your
system must support.

For instance, if you’re building an e-commerce platform, core features may include
managing products, facilitating user authentication, processing transactions, and
generating order histories.

If you’re designing a content distribution platform, essential functions might revolve

around uploading, streaming, and categorizing media.

Example: “Users should be able to upload short videos and share them publicly.”

b. Define the Data Flows

Clarify how data enters and moves through the system. Determine what forms of
input are possible (e.g., text, images, audio), how it’s processed or transformed, and
what outputs need to be produced.

This often includes how users interact with the application interface, how external
services send data to your system (like webhooks), and how data is served to clients
(APIs, frontend calls, or dashboards).

We use
Example: cookies
“Once to provide
a user uploadsyou
anwith an optimal
image, experience
the system should and relevant
generate multiple
communication.
thumbnail sizes, store them, Learn more
and return URLs.”

c. Consider Edge Cases

From the start, think about scenarios that go beyond straightforward use (e.g., user
tries to upload extremely large files, or tries to read content that doesn’t exist).

In a system design interview, proactively discussing edge cases shows foresight and
attention to detail.

Example: “What happens if the image is corrupted or if the user tries to upload
an unsupported format?”

2. Non-Functional Requirements

While functional requirements lay out what the system does, non-functional
requirements (NFRs) dictate how well it should do it. They often determine the
constraints for performance, scalability, security, and more.

1. Performance (Latency and Throughput)

Latency: The time it takes for a single request to travel through the system.
Requirements might specify a maximum acceptable response time.

Throughput: How many requests the system can handle per second (or
minute). If you expect high traffic, you’ll need mechanisms—like caching or
load balancing—to meet your throughput goals.

Example: “The service should handle 1,000 requests per second with a 95th
percentile response time of under 200ms.”

2. Scalability

Scalability addresses how the system can grow (or shrink) to meet demand.
Distinguish between vertical scaling (adding more resources to a single
We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant
server) and horizontalcommunication.
scaling (addingLearn
moremore
servers). The type of scaling
impacts how you choose databases, load balancers, messaging queues, etc.
 Example: “Our user base may grow from thousands to millions over the next
year. We need an architecture that accommodates rapid horizontal scaling.”
3. Reliability and Fault Tolerance

Reliability means the system consistently works as intended, even under

partial failures. A fault-tolerant system includes redundancies—like
replication across multiple servers or data centers—to avoid single points of
failure.

Example: “If any single node fails, traffic should seamlessly reroute to other
healthy nodes with minimal disruption.”

4. Availability

Availability is often measured as uptime over a given period (e.g., 99.9%

monthly availability). Depending on your use case, a brief outage could be
disastrous or merely inconvenient.

Example: “The system must maintain 99.99% uptime due to high financial
impact of outages.”

5. Security

Security features typically include authentication, authorization, and

encryption (in transit and at rest). Compliance may also be relevant if the
system deals with sensitive data (e.g., healthcare or financial information),
necessitating specific regulations like HIPAA or PCI-DSS.

Example: “User data must be encrypted at rest, and multi-factor

authentication should be enabled for administrative actions.”
We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant
6. Cost Constraints communication. Learn more

Even the most robust architecture must be balanced against financial

realities. Cloud resources, data transfers, and premium services add up
 quickly. Budgetary constraints might limit or dictate certain design choices.
Example: “We aim to minimize infrastructure costs, so we’ll only consider
managed services that can autoscale to meet demand without over-
provisioning.”

3. Asking Clarifying Questions

It’s essential to ask clarifying questions to ensure you fully capture the
requirements.

In a system design interview, the interviewer often expects you to gather details
proactively:

Traffic expectations: “What is the average and peak traffic volume?”

Data growth: “How much data do we anticipate storing weekly, monthly, or

yearly?”

Latency targets: “Do we need sub-second responses, or are a few seconds

acceptable?”

Critical features vs. nice-to-have: “Are there secondary features we can defer if
time is limited?”

Geographical distribution: “Will users be global, or is the service localized to

one region?”

SLAs (Service Level Agreements): “What are the uptime or performance

guarantees we need to meet?”
We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant
By working on these questions early, you establish
communication. the design boundaries and can
Learn more
propose trade-offs that address real-world limitations. This approach not only
builds trust with the interviewer but also guides your system architecture in the
right direction, ensuring you’re solving the correct problem.
“Understanding the Requirements” sounds simple, but it’s arguably the most critical
step in any system design process.

Without clear knowledge of both functional and non-functional requirements, your

design will be based on assumptions that can quickly derail the rest of the
conversation.

Above all, keep communicating: confirming your assumptions and constraints

ensures you’re crafting a solution tailored to the real needs of the system and its
users.

Conclusion

We hope this "System Design Cheat Sheet" serves as a useful tool in your journey
towards acing system design interviews.

Remember, mastering system design requires understanding, practice, and the

ability to apply these concepts to real-world problems. This cheat sheet is a
stepping stone towards achieving that mastery, providing you with a foundation and
a quick way to refresh your memory.

As you go deeper into each topic, you'll discover the intricacies and fascinating
challenges of system design. Good luck!

Read more about system design:

Demystifying System Design Interviews: A Guide

18 System Design Concepts Every Engineer Must Know Before the Interview
Top 10We
System DesigntoChallenges
use cookies Every
provide you Developer
with Must
an optimal Master forand
experience 2025
relevant
How to Approach Any System Design Question
communication. in amore
Learn Tech Interview
System Design Tutorial for Beginners 2025
 Annual Subscription
Get instant access to all current and upcoming courses for one year.

Access for only $13 /mo

.25

Recommended Course

Grokking the System Design Interview

Join our Newsletter

Enter your email address

Join Us Now

Read More

Arslan Ahmad

System Design Interview Guide for Beginners: Learn System Design Step by Step
Feb 5th, 2025

Arslan Ahmad

5 Common Interview Mistakes

Jun 6th, 2024

Arslan Ahmad
We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant
50 Advanced System Design Interview Questions to Prepare
Nov 9th, 2024 communication. Learn more

Arslan Ahmad

Mastering the FAANG Interview: The Ultimate Guide for Software Engineers
Jan 26th, 2024
One-Stop Portal For Tech Inter views.

ABOUT US SOCIAL

Our Team Facebook

Careers Linkedin

Contact Us Twitter

Become Affiliate Youtube

Become Contributor

LEGAL RESOURCES

Privacy Policy Blog

Cookie Policy Knowledge Base

Terms of Ser vice Blind 75

Company Guides

Answers Hub

Newsletter

Copyright © 2025 Design Gurus, LLC. All rights reser ved.

We use cookies to provide you with an optimal experience and relevant

communication. Learn more