System Design and Architecture for Product Managers : Tech Every Product Manager Must Know !
Summary
TLDRThis video script delves into the fundamentals of system design and architecture, particularly for Product Management Systems (PMS). It elucidates the three-tier architecture: the presentation layer (UI), the application layer (business logic), and the data layer (database). The script emphasizes the importance of 'separation of concerns,' ensuring that changes in one layer do not affect the others. It also covers scaling strategies, including the use of load balancers and stateless servers, and the critical role of databases and CDNs in maintaining user state and reducing latency. The discussion is aimed at enhancing product managers' technical acumen, equipping them with the knowledge to ask insightful questions and make informed decisions in tech-related discussions.
Takeaways
- π Understanding system design and architecture is crucial for product managers (PMs) to build technical skills and set the right expectations with engineering teams.
- ποΈ The three-tier architecture in software products consists of the presentation layer (UI), the application layer (business logic), and the data layer (database).
- π The presentation layer includes HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery, which are the front-end technologies that users interact with directly.
- π‘ The application layer is the backend where business logic resides, such as the criteria for user sign-up processes.
- π APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) enable communication between the presentation layer and the application layer.
- ποΈ The data layer is where all user information and app data are stored, typically in databases.
- π€ The concept of 'separation of concerns' ensures that changes in one layer (e.g., business logic) do not affect the other layers (e.g., UI or database).
- π To scale a system, PMs must consider client-side applications, web servers, and databases, and how they handle increased loads.
- π Load balancers distribute user requests across multiple servers to prevent any single server from becoming overwhelmed, a key aspect of scaling.
- π CDNs (Content Delivery Networks) reduce latency by caching content in multiple geographically distributed servers, improving the user experience.
- πΎ Databases maintain the state of user interactions, ensuring that information like user sign-ups is consistent across different servers and sessions.
- π The importance of being stateless in web servers is emphasized, with the database and sometimes browser cookies being used to maintain user state.
Q & A
What are the three main layers of a software product?
-The three main layers of a software product are the presentation layer, the application layer, and the data layer. The presentation layer includes UI elements like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery. The application layer is the backend where business logic resides. The data layer is where all the information captured by the application is stored in a database.
How does the presentation layer communicate with the application layer?
-The presentation layer communicates with the application layer via APIs (Application Programming Interfaces). APIs act as a bridge, allowing the front-end to request data or actions from the back-end.
What is the significance of the concept of separation of concerns in system design?
-Separation of concerns is a design principle that separates a computer program into distinct sections. It ensures that changes in one layer, such as the business logic, do not affect the other layers, like the presentation or data layer. This leads to a more maintainable and scalable system.
Why is it important for a web server to be stateless?
-Being stateless means that the server does not store any information about the user's state or data. This is important for scalability and reliability. It ensures that the server can handle requests without relying on stored state information, which can be maintained in a database or through cookies.
What is a load balancer and how does it help in scaling applications?
-A load balancer is a system that distributes network traffic across multiple servers to ensure no single server gets overwhelmed. It helps in scaling applications by efficiently routing user requests to different servers, thus managing the load and improving the responsiveness of the application.
How does a CDN (Content Delivery Network) contribute to the performance of a web application?
-A CDN is a network of geographically distributed servers that store copies of data, which allows for faster delivery of content to users. It reduces latency by serving data from the server closest to the user, thus improving the performance and user experience of the web application.
What is the role of a database in maintaining the state of a user in a web application?
-The database maintains the state of a user by storing all the necessary information about the user, such as their sign-up details and preferences. This state information is crucial for personalization and ensuring that the user experience remains consistent across different interactions with the application.
How does sharding help in managing large databases?
-Sharding is the process of breaking down a large database into smaller, more manageable sub-databases or shards. This helps in managing large databases by distributing the data and the load across multiple servers, which improves the performance and scalability of the database system.
What is an in-memory data store and why is it used?
-An in-memory data store, such as Redis, is a data structure store that keeps data in the RAM for fast access. It is used to improve the performance of applications by allowing rapid data retrieval and manipulation, which is critical for tasks that require high-speed data access.
How does caching with Redis improve the response time of a web server?
-Caching with Redis improves the response time of a web server by storing frequently accessed data in the RAM. When a request is made, the server can retrieve the data from the cache (if available) instead of querying the database, which is a slower operation. This results in faster response times for the user.
What is the full stack in the context of web applications?
-The full stack in web applications refers to the complete set of technologies and components that are used to build and run a web application. It typically includes the client-side (presentation layer), the server-side (application layer), the database (data layer), and additional components like load balancers, CDNs, and in-memory data stores like Redis.
Outlines
π» Basics of System Design and Architecture
The paragraph introduces the fundamental concepts of system design and architecture, particularly for Product Management Systems (PMS). It emphasizes the importance of technical skills for non-engineering professionals, highlighting the three-tier architecture of software products: the presentation layer (UI with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc.), the application layer (backend business logic), and the data layer (database storage). The concept of separation of concerns is discussed, explaining how changes in one layer should not affect the others, promoting modularity and maintainability in system design.
π Scaling Systems with Load Balancers and State Management
This section delves into the challenges and solutions associated with scaling systems, such as handling an increase from 10,000 to one lakh users. It introduces load balancers, which distribute user requests across multiple servers to prevent any single server from becoming overwhelmed. The importance of state management is discussed, explaining how user states are maintained in databases to ensure consistency across different servers. The concept of stateless servers is introduced, with databases and cookies mentioned as methods for state storage, emphasizing the database as the single source of truth.
π₯ Handling Failures and Data Integrity with CDNs and Sharding
The paragraph addresses the issue of data center failures and how systems can maintain data integrity and availability. It introduces the concept of database clustering and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), which shard data across multiple databases to prevent data loss and improve access speeds. The use of CDNs is explained as a way to reduce latency by geographically distributing servers, ensuring faster content delivery to users. Additionally, the paragraph touches on in-memory data stores like Redis, which serve as fast caches for retrieving information.
π Full Stack Overview and PM's Technical Understanding
The final paragraph provides a comprehensive overview of the full stack, from the client-side application to the web server, CDN, and database, illustrating how a message sent on WhatsApp travels through this stack. It emphasizes the importance of product managers having a solid understanding of these technical concepts to effectively communicate with technical teams. The paragraph concludes by suggesting that while these concepts are essential for a PM's knowledge base, they may not directly impact day-to-day operations but are crucial for asking the right questions in a technical context.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘System Design
π‘Architecture
π‘Three-Tier Architecture
π‘Presentation Layer
π‘Application Layer
π‘Data Layer
π‘APIs
π‘Separation of Concerns
π‘Scalability
π‘Load Balancer
π‘Stateless
π‘CDN
π‘Redis
Highlights
Introduction to system design and architecture basics for Product Management Systems (PMS).
Importance of technical skills for non-engineering backgrounds in product management.
Explanation of the three-tier architecture in software products: presentation, application, and data layers.
The role of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and jQuery in the presentation layer.
The application layer as the backend where business logic resides.
Communication between presentation and application layers via APIs.
The data layer's function in storing app information and capturing user data.
Concept of separation of concerns in system design to maintain modularity.
How changes in one layer should not affect the others due to separation of concerns.
The necessity of scaling systems and the components involved: client side, web server, and database.
Use of load balancers to distribute user requests across multiple servers.
The importance of maintaining state and how databases serve this function.
The concept of being stateless in web servers and stateful in databases.
Handling user state across multiple servers through database and cookies.
Strategies for data redundancy and disaster recovery with database clusters and CDNs.
The role of CDNs in reducing latency and improving content delivery speed.
Use of in-memory data stores like Redis for fast data retrieval.
The full stack architecture from client to database and the importance for product managers to understand it.
Transcripts
now we will talk a little bit about the
basics of something called system design
and architecture for PMS let's talk
about the basics of system design and
architecture for PMS now for all of us
who come from product management and
non-engineering background it is
important to understand to build our
technical skills sometimes knowing the
technical bar for PM starts and it is
the easiest part okay so there are three
is there is a three tier architecture in
a software product consists of number
one is called presentation layer second
is called application layer third is
called the data layer presentation layer
is typically the UI layer what I mean by
UI is HTML CSS JavaScript jQuery they
all come in the presentation layer the
first layer the any UI that you see on
the app is called as the presentation
layer second is called the application
layer application layer is the backend
where the business resides now the back
end where it resides the presentation
layer can communicate to the application
layer via apis and we'll talk about what
an API is right and the third layer is
the data layer where all the information
of a particular app or or whatever
information that you capture that gets
stored in the database now is this clear
there are three types of layers in any
system the first layer is called the
presentation layer the UI layer where
HTML CSS JavaScript jQuery they all
resides they it is separate it's the
first layer the second layer is called
the application layer which is basically
where the business logic resides and
there any logic like for example you are
typically signing up on flip cart what
are the different criteria for somebody
to sign up to give email to give phone
number Etc all of those logic resides in
the application layer and the last layer
is the database layer where somebody who
has signed up the information of all of
that particular user gets stored in the
database now these three layers are
there is a concept which is called
separation of concerns it's a design
principle for separating a computer
program into distinct sections like
sections separation of concerns for
example let's assume like bus logic
change so it doesn't mean that the
presentation layer will also change for
example if you go to Flipkart as a
website the presentation layer shows the
signup form right now in the application
layer you change the logic and say that
now I don't require email ID and it is
optional if you change the logic in the
application layer it should not affect
the presentation layer nor it should
affect the data layer this concept is
called separations of concerns like for
example changing the user interface
should not change the business logic and
vice versa to separation of concerns
think of it as three different types of
systems let me just quickly share my
screen and tell you what I'm talking
about so first is presentation layer UI
layer second is application layer
business logic third is data layer data
to be captured now if I make any change
change here it should not change the
logic logic remains same logic remains
same if I make any change
here logic remains same logic remains
same so by changing the logic in any of
the three layers right it should not
affect the other two layers that is
something that is called as separation
of concerns separation of concerns
basically means any change in any of the
three layers does not affect the
remaining
layers amazing amazing now next
step UI layer application layer data
layer the next next step is to scale
right in order to scale you need two
three things one the client side second
client basically means the app that
you're using second the web server and
simultaneously the data database like
for
example user 1,000 say we scale to
10,000 so it should not happen that when
people are hitting your client or when
people are using your app the web web
server the web on which the application
logic resides it should get overwhelmed
absolutely so what you typically do is
you create a list of servers the logic
is that the your all of your
presentation layer resides on the
application that you're using like
WhatsApp that you're using right now
anybody who sends a message on WhatsApp
it goes to the web server right and we
have created a server logic any message
that should go on WhatsApp from one
person it should eventually go to the
web server and eventually it should
reach
towards the other client Cent right now
but what happens if tomorrow you scale
from 10,000 users to one lakh users
right there in that case you typically
create a list of servers list of
multiple servers and these servers are
typically routed to different servers
through this concept called a load
balancer right like for example I'll
quickly share my screen again now here
what will happen is your web server is
your backend number of users 10 if we
scale the number of users to 10 million
we will not need just one web server we
will need web server one web server two
web server three and what will happen is
here we there will come a load balancer
load balancer will automatically send 5
lakh ,000 users to one server 40,000
users to another server 10,000 users to
another
server and this is what a load balance
answer does so in the case when you have
multiple people on the servers you
typically need something called a loads
load balancer to direct traffic direct
traffic and and it will handle a
fraction multiple user multiple servers
will have multiple types of loads right
so now you have a cluster of web servers
through and applic application server is
basically the web server only but each
request that comes from a user may be
routed to a different server right now
what will happen now the question is
that if different requests are routing
to different servers how will a server
like for example server one server one
got a request that Shan is a user now
next time Shan sends a request the
request goes to server two how will
server two know that s Shan is already a
user give me a sense give me a yes or no
how will server two know that Shan has
sent already a request and it is already
on server one so that think there are
100 requests that are going Shan
initially sent a request which went to
server one and server one got it
validated now the second part that next
time Shan sends a request it goes to
server two how will server two know that
Shan has already sent a request to
server one so in this case what you do
is your database maintains the state do
you understand what I mean by that so
there are three layers first is
application layer second is the server
layer third is the DB layer yes so
server two will a absolutely absolutely
servers can talk to each other or there
can be a possibility that your state of
signup is maintained in the DB so even
if the server two does not know it
automatically takes information from the
DB and understands that Shan is already
a user for this particular application
for flip cart right and so what do you
learn from this you learn that the state
of a particular user can only be
maintained in a DB yes absolutely
correct so what is so again I'm
repeating you start from let's assume
you were a user for Flipkart you signed
up a request server one recognized that
you have signed up next time when you
sign up it goes to server two server two
does not know but server two knows that
your state that you are already a signed
up user already resides in the DB it
will go to the DB and bring information
from the DB and automatically can
showcase it to the client and you will
be signed up The Importance of Being
stateless State basically means ensuring
that the state that the value prop or
the data is already covered The
Importance of Being stateless primarily
refers to the server side of things the
database is an appropriate state where
you can maintain the the database is the
appropriate place to maintain the state
and most holistic statements uh holistic
systems are stateful otherwise you would
not be able to to fill your shopping
cart at Amazon because at every page
click it will forget who you are so the
key to being stateless in the web server
which is serving your apis two places
are there where you can maintain the
state maintain the state the first place
is called the database so that you are
maintaining all your status States in a
particular database the first part is
that in order to maintain the state the
information is located in the server the
second place where you can maintain a
state is through browser via cookies lot
of times you see that when you sign up
in a in Chrome browser automatically the
URLs are already published because your
information is getting stored in a
cookie it is important to remember that
cookies are not the single source of
Truth cookies are user dependent so the
best way to store the state is in a DB
which is a single source of Truth in
order to maintain the state that's why
all of these companies why are why do
these companies like flipcart Amazon
want you to sign up every time because
they want to maintain your state in a
particular DB they don't want guest
users ideally any company like Flipkart
Amazon do not want guest users they want
to maintain your state in a
DB
awesome awesome now another thing that
you want to understand is you can handle
a bunch of request but what if your data
center catches
fire what does
happen in case in that case what do you
do what if your you you sent a request
your your states are maintained in a DB
but what if your data center catches
fire what will happen
then yes absolutely so what you
typically do is you create a cluster of
databases right and in order to maintain
that cluster of databases you also use
something called as a CDN or a Content
delivery Network which basically means
that your information is sharded into
multiple databases and a CDN is a
cluster of servers which maintains
certain certain little little
information so you want to what if and
that is something that you do in a
process which is typically called as
sharding which is which is you break
down the current database also into sub
databases and the sub databases maintain
a replica of information which is
currently needed absolutely Absolut
absolutely is this clear to you guys
that what if your data center catches
where in that case you have created sub
DBS which are called DB shards in which
your information is fundamentally
retained another thing that you want to
understand is okay now your database and
everything is working fine for example
if your DB is located in Oregon in us
and you are putting from Mumbai it will
take a lot of time for the request to
get covered the request to get covered
so in order to for us to make the
request basically a request from the
Flipkart application to actually the
user if in order to make it very very
simple you use something called as a CDN
a Content delivery Network which
basically means that your current server
is not exactly a single server it is a
list of multiple servers one located in
Mumbai one located in Oregon one located
in uh Chennai one located in Delhi right
so that from where the user is sending a
request the information can be brought
very very fast
and this is done by CDN CDN are of
multiple times Amazon has its own CDN
Tata has its own CDN multiple so CDN is
a cluster of servers cluster of network
servers which minimize the latency of a
user from where the user is actually
sending a
request the next thing that you have to
understand is a CDN is a system of
geographically located servers which
provide fast and Fast Delivery of
Internet content does does
that what is a CDN give me a yes or no
guys if everybody a CDN is a network of
geographically located distributed
servers that work to together to give
you the delivery of the fast content
right what is the CDN besides the CDN we
also retain information in the cach a
cach a is in in memory data what I mean
by inmemory data is that like there is a
ram there's a Rome right in a typical
computer there's Random Access Memory
there's readon memory RAM is something
which is in which which is in memory
which is stored on the computer and they
it is very less it's very very expensive
and it is where the maximum the most
important tasks are done by the computer
like lot of times when you take a Mac
you say 8 GB Ram is Sir 256 GB R in that
case there is another structure an open
source inmemory data store which is
called redis on which all the
information is actually stored and
information can be retrieved first lot
of times you hear this word called redis
cache redis is again it's a inmemory
data store which is used in order to
retrieve information from the from from
the ram of the particular web server
that you're looking at think of it like
this I will again create an architecture
client on top client sends a request to
web server web server CDN it will go it
the request go to the nearest CDN just
between these two there is redis Major
important information comes from redis
now think of it like this the client
sent a request it went to the redis
cache if the redis cash has the request
the information will go from there only
or else it will go to the web server the
web server will automatically choose the
load balancer or the low distributor
will automatically figure out which is
the nearest web server and the
information from that will be
distributed back to the client and you
see a WhatsApp
message so think of it I will repeat
again you are using Whatsapp WhatsApp
message
message red
cach whether that information is already
stored in the cach if it's in the cach
the information will be retrieved from
redis it will go to the web server web
server automatically the load balancer
will automatically figure out which is
the closest web server on which the
logic can be put across it will then go
to the CDN the CDN will talk to the
DB and your message which you
sent will go to Uno will go to the other
partner the other partner the full
stack client web server CDN and database
this is typically called as a full
stack amazing amazing amazing now what
you have to
understand these are like primarily
relevant for you to understand as a PM
this will never come in real
life this is all to understand basically
what a PM does right now but based on
this understanding these are some of the
questions that a PM should ask when
they're interacting with
tech
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