A system design syllabus typically covers a wide range of topics related to designing scalable, reliable, and efficient software systems. The syllabus can vary depending on the level of the course (undergraduate, graduate, or professional development) and the specific goals of the program. Here’s a comprehensive system design syllabus that covers various essential topics:
Course Title: System Design and Architecture
Course Description: This course introduces students to the principles and practices of designing complex and scalable software systems. Topics include architectural patterns, scalability, database design, and cloud computing. Students will gain hands-on experience with designing and evaluating real-world systems.
Week 1: Introduction to System Design
- Understanding the importance of system design
- Principles of good system design
- Case studies of successful system designs
Week 2: Architectural Patterns
- Monolithic vs. microservices architecture
- Layered architecture
- Event-driven architecture
- Service-oriented architecture (SOA)
Week 3: Scalability and Performance
- Scalability principles
- Horizontal vs. vertical scaling
- Caching strategies
- Load balancing and content delivery networks (CDNs)
Week 4: Database Design
- Relational vs. NoSQL databases
- Data modeling and normalization
- Indexing and query optimization
- CAP theorem and database consistency
Week 5: Distributed Systems
- Distributed computing fundamentals
- Distributed databases
- Consistency models (e.g., eventual consistency)
- Fault tolerance and distributed consensus (e.g., Raft)
Week 6: System Integration and APIs
- Building and consuming APIs
- RESTful API design principles
- API security and authentication
- API documentation and versioning
Week 7: Cloud Computing
- Introduction to cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP)
- Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
- Serverless computing
- Cloud-native design patterns
Week 8: Containerization and Orchestration
- Docker containers
- Kubernetes and container orchestration
- Microservices deployment strategies
- CI/CD pipelines
Week 9: High Availability and Disaster Recovery
- Achieving high availability
- Backup and disaster recovery strategies
- Redundancy and failover
- Monitoring and alerting
Week 10: Security in System Design
- Security principles and best practices
- Authentication and authorization
- Data encryption and privacy
- Common security vulnerabilities and mitigation
Week 11: Performance Tuning and Optimization
- Profiling and benchmarking
- Optimizing database queries
- Caching and resource optimization
- Performance testing and monitoring tools
Week 12: Case Studies and Real-World Projects
- Analyzing real-world system designs
- Collaborative system design projects
- Peer reviews and presentations
- Course wrap-up and key takeaways
Assessment Methods:
- Quizzes and assignments
- Midterm exam
- Final project (system design proposal and implementation)
- Class participation and discussions
Prerequisites: Basic knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and programming languages, as well as a foundational understanding of computer networks and databases.
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