Advanced1

Question 1

What is Google Docs?

Answer 1

Google Docs is a cloud-based collaborative document editor that allows multiple users to edit and comment on documents in real-time.

Question 2

What are the advantages of Google Docs?

Answer 2

Real-time collaboration, cloud storage, version history, and accessibility from any device with internet connectivity.

Question 3

What are the disadvantages of Google Docs?

Answer 3

Requires internet access, potential latency issues, and limited offline functionality.

Question 4

What are best practices when designing a collaborative editor like Google Docs?

Answer 4

Implement operational transformation or conflict-free replicated data types (CRDTs) for concurrency control, use WebSockets for real-time communication, and ensure data consistency across clients.

Question 5

What are common use cases for collaborative editors?

Answer 5

Team document editing, educational collaboration, and shared note-taking.

Question 6

How does a collaborative editor impact system design?

Answer 6

Necessitates real-time synchronization, low-latency communication, and robust conflict resolution mechanisms.

Question 7

Give an example of a collaborative editor.

Answer 7

Google Docs, Microsoft Office 365, and Notion.

Question 8

What are the architectural components of a collaborative editor?

Answer 8

Frontend editor, real-time synchronization service, operational transformation/CRDT engine, and persistent storage.

Question 9

How can performance be ensured in a collaborative editor?

Answer 9

Optimize data structures for minimal latency, use efficient diff algorithms, and implement client-side caching.

Question 10

How can fault tolerance be added to a collaborative editor?

Answer 10

Implement autosave features, maintain operation logs for recovery, and design for graceful degradation during network issues.

Question 11

How is monitoring and debugging handled in a collaborative editor?

Answer 11

Track synchronization latency, monitor error rates, and log user actions for auditing.

Question 12

What is a real-world tradeoff in collaborative editors?

Answer 12

Balancing real-time responsiveness with data consistency and conflict resolution complexity.

Question 13

What is a common interview question on collaborative editors?

Answer 13

Design a real-time collaborative document editing system like Google Docs.

Question 14

What is a potential gotcha in collaborative editors?

Answer 14

Handling concurrent edits and ensuring consistency across distributed clients can be challenging.

Question 15

What is Netflix?

Answer 15

Netflix is a subscription-based video streaming service that offers a wide variety of TV shows, movies, and documentaries on internet-connected devices.

Question 16

What are the advantages of Netflix?

Answer 16

On-demand content access, personalized recommendations, and cross-platform availability.

Question 17

What are the disadvantages of Netflix?

Answer 17

High bandwidth consumption, content licensing restrictions, and potential streaming latency.

Question 18

What are best practices when designing a video streaming service like Netflix?

Answer 18

Use content delivery networks (CDNs) for efficient content distribution, implement adaptive bitrate streaming, and employ caching strategies.

Question 19

What are common use cases for video streaming services?

Answer 19

Entertainment, educational content delivery, and live event broadcasting.

Question 20

How does a video streaming service impact system design?

Answer 20

Requires scalable infrastructure, efficient media encoding/decoding, and robust user authentication mechanisms.

Question 21

Give an example of a video streaming service.

Answer 21

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+.

Question 22

What are the architectural components of a video streaming service?

Answer 22

Content ingestion system, media encoding pipeline, CDN, user interface, and recommendation engine.

Question 23

How can performance be ensured in a video streaming service?

Answer 23

Implement adaptive streaming protocols, optimize CDN placement, and monitor playback metrics.

Question 24

How can fault tolerance be added to a video streaming service?

Answer 24

Use redundant servers, implement failover strategies, and monitor system health continuously.

Question 25

How is monitoring and debugging handled in a video streaming service?

Answer 25

Track streaming quality metrics, monitor server load, and analyze user engagement data.

Question 26

What is a real-world tradeoff in video streaming services?

Answer 26

Balancing video quality with bandwidth consumption and latency.

Question 27

What is a common interview question on video streaming services?

Answer 27

Design a scalable video streaming platform like Netflix.

Question 28

What is a potential gotcha in video streaming services?

Answer 28

Handling sudden spikes in user demand during popular content releases can strain resources.

Question 29

What is Amazon's e-commerce system?

Answer 29

Amazon's e-commerce system is a comprehensive online platform that facilitates buying and selling of goods, incorporating features like product listings, shopping carts, and order fulfillment.

Question 30

What are the advantages of Amazon's e-commerce system?

Answer 30

Wide product selection, user-friendly interface, and efficient logistics network.

Question 31

What are the disadvantages of Amazon's e-commerce system?

Answer 31

Intense competition among sellers, potential counterfeit products, and complex return policies.

Question 32

What are best practices when designing an e-commerce system like Amazon?

Answer 32

Implement scalable microservices architecture, use robust search and recommendation engines, and ensure secure payment processing.

Question 33

What are common use cases for e-commerce systems?

Answer 33

Online retail, digital marketplaces, and subscription-based product services.

Question 34

How does an e-commerce system impact system design?

Answer 34

Requires integration of inventory management, payment gateways, and customer relationship management tools.

Question 35

Give an example of an e-commerce system.

Answer 35

Amazon, eBay, Alibaba, and Shopify.

Question 36

What are the architectural components of an e-commerce system?

Answer 36

Product catalog service, user account management, shopping cart service, payment processing, and order fulfillment system.

Question 37

How can performance be ensured in an e-commerce system?

Answer 37

Optimize database queries, implement caching mechanisms, and use load balancers to distribute traffic.

Question 38

How can fault tolerance be added to an e-commerce system?

Answer 38

Deploy redundant services, implement transaction rollbacks, and monitor system health.

Question 39

How is monitoring and debugging handled in an e-commerce system?

Answer 39

Track transaction logs, monitor user activity, and analyze system performance metrics.

Question 40

What is a real-world tradeoff in e-commerce systems?

Answer 40

Balancing personalization with user privacy and data security.

Question 41

What is a common interview question on e-commerce systems?

Answer 41

Design a scalable e-commerce platform like Amazon.

Question 42

What is a potential gotcha in e-commerce systems?

Answer 42

Handling inventory synchronization across multiple warehouses can be complex.

Question 43

What is a scalable event-driven system?

Answer 43

A scalable event-driven system is an architecture where components communicate through events, allowing for asynchronous processing and improved scalability.

Question 44

What are the advantages of event-driven systems?

Answer 44

Loose coupling of components, improved scalability, and real-time data processing.

Question 45

What are the disadvantages of event-driven systems?

Answer 45

Increased complexity in debugging, potential for message loss, and challenges in ensuring data consistency.

Question 46

What are best practices when designing an event-driven system?

Answer 46

Use reliable messaging systems, implement idempotent event handlers, and ensure proper event schema versioning.

Question 47

What are common use cases for event-driven systems?

Answer 47

Real-time analytics, IoT applications, and microservices communication.

Question 48

How does an event-driven system impact system design?

Answer 48

Requires designing for eventual consistency, implementing message brokers, and handling asynchronous workflows.

Question 49

Give an example of an event-driven system.

Answer 49

Order processing systems, real-time analytics platforms, and notification services.

Question 50

What are the architectural components of an event-driven system?

Answer 50

Event producers, message brokers, event consumers, and event stores.

Question 51

How can performance be ensured in an event-driven system?

Answer 51

Optimize message throughput, implement backpressure mechanisms, and monitor system latency.

Question 52

How can fault tolerance be added to an event-driven system?

Answer 52

Use durable message queues, implement retry mechanisms, and monitor system health.

Question 53

How is monitoring and debugging handled in an event-driven system?

Answer 53

Track event flows, monitor message queues, and analyze system logs.

Question 54

What is a real-world tradeoff in event-driven systems?

Answer 54

Balancing system responsiveness with data consistency and complexity.

Question 55

What is a common interview question on event-driven systems?

Answer 55

Design a scalable event-driven architecture for processing user activity logs.

Question 56

What is a potential gotcha in event-driven systems?

Answer 56

Ensuring exactly-once message processing can be challenging due to retries and duplicates.