Reference · 10 layers · 58 concepts
System Design — Master List
The complete 10-layer map every senior engineer should hold in their head before walking into a system design interview. Tap any concept for a deeper breakdown.
- Layer 01
Core Foundations
The mental model every system inherits from.
- Layer 02
Networking Layer
How bytes actually move between machines.
- Layer 03
API Layer
The contract surface between services and clients.
- Layer 04
Database Layer
Where state lives, scales, and survives.
- Layer 05
Caching Layer
Latency, cost, and load — solved with memory.
- Layer 06
Messaging Systems
Decoupling, durability, and async at scale.
- Layer 07
Reliability Layer
Designing for failure as the default state.
- Layer 08
Observability
If you can't see it, you can't operate it.
- Layer 09
DevOps & Deployment
Shipping safely, repeatedly, and reversibly.
- Layer 10
Future Architectures
Where the next decade of platforms is heading.