System Design
15 questions — answer mentally, then read the explanations
What you'll learn
- Try to answer each question before reading the explanation
- Cover System Design topics in system design
Questions
Read each question and options, then check the explanation below.
In a clustered environment, application servers utilize _________ to distribute incoming requests among multiple instances.
- A. Round Robin
- B. Load Balancing
- C. Failover
- D. Sharding
Explanation
Answer: Load Balancing Load balancing is used in clustered environments to distribute incoming requests among multiple instances, ensuring optimal resource utilization and preventing overload on a single server.
A video streaming platform wants to ensure smooth playback for users worldwide. Describe how a CDN could optimize video delivery to different regions.
- A. Dynamic content generation
- B. Latency-based routing
- C. Replication of video files on edge servers
- D. Authentication and authorization mechanisms
Explanation
Answer: Replication of video files on edge servers CDN can optimize video delivery by replicating video files on edge servers. This reduces latency, enhances playback speed, and ensures a smooth streaming experience for users worldwide.
In a scenario where a news website experiences a sudden surge in traffic due to breaking news, explain how a CDN could help maintain site performance and availability.
- A. Load balancing across multiple servers
- B. Caching content at edge servers
- C. Compression of images and videos
- D. Database optimization
Explanation
Answer: Caching content at edge servers A CDN can help maintain site performance and availability by caching content at edge servers. This reduces the load on the origin server, ensuring faster content delivery to users during traffic surges.
Unlike traditional web hosting, CDNs focus on _________ to accelerate content delivery and enhance user experience.
- A. Dynamic Content Generation
- B. Server-Side Rendering
- C. Edge Locations
- D. Origin Server Optimization
Explanation
Answer: Edge Locations CDNs focus on edge locations to accelerate content delivery by placing servers closer to end-users. This minimizes the distance data travels, reducing latency and optimizing the user experience.
CDNs play a crucial role in improving _________ and _________ of web applications by distributing content across multiple edge servers.
- A. Latency, Bandwidth
- B. Scalability, Reliability
- C. Security, Privacy
- D. Accessibility, Usability
Explanation
Answer: Latency, Bandwidth CDNs improve latency and bandwidth of web applications by distributing content across multiple edge servers. This reduces the distance between users and the content, leading to faster load times and efficient use of available bandwidth.
_________ is a common technique used by CDNs to mitigate the impact of DDoS attacks.
- A. Load Balancing
- B. Content Caching
- C. Anycast Routing
- D. Web Application Firewall (WAF)
Explanation
Answer: Anycast Routing Anycast routing is a common technique used by CDNs to mitigate the impact of DDoS attacks. It involves routing traffic to the nearest server with the same IP address, distributing the load and improving resilience against attacks.
CDNs employ _________ to direct user requests to the nearest edge server for faster delivery.
- A. Load balancing
- B. DDoS protection
- C. Encryption
- D. Compression
Explanation
Answer: Load balancing CDNs employ load balancing to direct user requests to the nearest edge server for faster delivery. This ensures efficient distribution of user traffic across multiple servers.
The use of a CDN can significantly reduce _________ by caching content on edge servers.
- A. Bandwidth usage
- B. Latency
- C. Server load
- D. Downtime
Explanation
Answer: Bandwidth usage The use of a CDN can significantly reduce bandwidth usage by caching content on edge servers. This minimizes the need for repeated requests to the origin server, optimizing data transfer.
A CDN improves website performance by _________ static content closer to users.
- A. Distributing
- B. Caching
- C. Encrypting
- D. Compressing
Explanation
Answer: Caching A CDN improves website performance by caching static content closer to users. By storing copies of static resources on edge servers, users can access these resources with reduced latency.
What are the key differences between a traditional web hosting service and a CDN in terms of content delivery?
- A. CDNs distribute content across multiple servers globally, while traditional hosting relies on a single server location
- B. Traditional hosting always provides better performance compared to CDNs
- C. CDNs and traditional hosting have no significant differences in content delivery
- D. CDNs are limited to static content, while traditional hosting handles dynamic content
Explanation
Answer: CDNs distribute content across multiple servers globally, while traditional hosting relies on a single server location CDNs distribute content across multiple servers globally, enabling faster content delivery by serving it from the server closest to the user. Traditional hosting relies on a single server, which may lead to increased latency.
How do CDNs contribute to scalability and availability of web applications?
- A. Distributing content across multiple servers globally
- B. Securing web applications against all types of attacks
- C. Enhancing the user interface of web applications
- D. Managing database transactions efficiently
Explanation
Answer: Distributing content across multiple servers globally CDNs contribute to scalability and availability by distributing content across multiple servers globally. This reduces latency, improves load times, and enhances the overall performance of web applications.
What security features are typically provided by CDNs to protect against DDoS attacks?
- A. Rate limiting
- B. Encryption
- C. Load balancing
- D. Bot mitigation
Explanation
Answer: Bot mitigation CDNs often provide security features like bot mitigation to distinguish between legitimate and malicious traffic, protecting against DDoS attacks. Features like rate limiting and encryption also contribute to security.
In which scenario would a CDN be particularly beneficial for a website with a global audience?
- A. A website with static content like images, CSS, and JavaScript
- B. A website with dynamic content generated server-side
- C. A website with low traffic and limited user interactions
- D. A website serving a small, localized audience
Explanation
Answer: A website with static content like images, CSS, and JavaScript CDNs are particularly beneficial for websites with static content (images, CSS, JavaScript) and a global audience. They improve load times by serving cached content from servers closer to users worldwide.
What technology is commonly used by CDNs to route user requests to the nearest edge server?
- A. Anycast
- B. Unicast
- C. Multicast
- D. Broadcast
Explanation
Answer: Anycast Anycast is commonly used by CDNs to route user requests to the nearest edge server. It ensures that user requests are directed to the closest available server, optimizing response times.
How does a CDN help in reducing latency for users accessing web content?
- A. Caching content on globally distributed servers
- B. Encrypting user data during transmission
- C. Prioritizing bandwidth for specific users
- D. Compressing images on the client-side
Explanation
Answer: Caching content on globally distributed servers CDNs reduce latency by caching content on servers distributed globally. This allows users to retrieve content from a server closer to their location, minimizing the time it takes for data to travel.
Today's exercise: Review & recall
Revisit any questions you hesitated on. Write one-line answers in your own words.
Steps
- 1
First pass
Read each question and pick an answer without looking at the explanation.
- 2
Second pass
Expand explanations only for questions you missed or were unsure about.
- 3
Notes
Jot down 3 terms or patterns you want to remember from this batch.
