Building Scalable Backend Systems

Understanding Scalability

Scalability is the ability of a system to handle increased load without degradation in performance. There are two main types: vertical scaling (adding more power to existing machines) and horizontal scaling (adding more machines).

Microservices Architecture

Breaking down applications into smaller, independent services allows for better scalability and maintainability. Each service can be scaled independently based on demand.

Database Optimization

Caching Strategies

Implement caching at multiple levels: application level, database level, and CDN level. This significantly reduces database load.

Database Sharding

Distribute data across multiple database instances based on a shard key. This allows you to scale horizontally.

Message Queues and Event Streaming

Use message brokers like RabbitMQ or Kafka to decouple services and handle asynchronous processing. This improves system resilience and throughput.

Monitoring and Observability

Implement comprehensive monitoring, logging, and tracing to understand system behavior and identify bottlenecks.