Fundamentals of system design

Introduction

System design is the process of defining the architecture, components, and interfaces for a system to meet specific requirements. It involves understanding the system's purpose, identifying its stakeholders, and defining its functional and non-functional requirements.

What is a system?

A system is a collection of interconnected components that work together to achieve a common goal. Systems can be physical, like a car or a computer, or they can be abstract, like a social system or an economic system.

Why is system design important?

System design is important because it helps to ensure that a system is:
  • Usable: The system should be easy to use and understand for its intended users.
  • Reliable: The system should work as expected and should not fail unexpectedly.
  • Scalable: The system should be able to handle increasing amounts of data and traffic.
  • Secure: The system should protect its data and resources from unauthorized access.
  • Maintainable: The system should be easy to update and fix bugs.

The system design process

Any system doesn’t get designed in a single day or in a single step. For every system design, there are a series of steps/phases/stages that takes place to get a strong system. This series is defined as System Development Life Cycle (SDLC). We need a strong understanding of understanding life-cycle of a system just likely to define the scope for any variable in code chunk because then only we will be able to grasp deep down how humongous systems are interacting within machines in the real world. The system design process typically involves the following steps:
Steps to follow for stystem design (Image credit: Arun Kumar Pandey).
  • Define the problem: Clearly articulate the problem that the system is trying to solve.
  • Identify stakeholders: Identify the people who will be affected by the system, both directly and indirectly.
  • Gather requirements: Collect information about what the system needs to do and how it should behave.
  • Analyze requirements: Analyze the requirements to identify any conflicts or ambiguities.
  • Design the system architecture: Define the overall structure of the system, including its components, interfaces, and data flow.
  • Design the system components: Design the individual components of the system in detail.
  • Implement the system: Build the system according to the design.
  • Test the system: Test the system to ensure that it meets the requirements.
  • Deploy the system: Make the system available to users.


System design principles

There are a number of principles that can guide the system design process, such as:
  • Modularity: The system should be designed as a collection of independent modules that can be easily replaced or updated.
  • Abstraction: The system should hide its internal complexity from its users.
  • Separation of concerns: Each component of the system should have a well-defined purpose and should not be responsible for too many things.
  • Reuse: The system should reuse existing components and patterns whenever possible.
  • Testability: The system should be designed to be easy to test.


Objectives of the system design

System design objectives are the key goals that a system designer aims to achieve in order to create a successful and efficient system. These objectives are typically derived from the system's requirements, which outline the functional and non-functional needs of the system. These objectives can be categorized into three main areas:

  • functional,
  • non-functional, and
  • architectural.

  1. Functional objectives: define what the system should do and how it should behave. They focus on the specific tasks and functionalities that the system must provide to its users. Examples of functional objectives include:
    • Processing user input: The system should be able to correctly interpret and process user input, whether it's through a graphical interface, command-line commands, or other means.
    • Generating outputs: The system should produce the desired outputs in a timely and accurate manner, such as generating reports, displaying data visualizations, or sending notifications.
    • Maintaining data integrity: The system should ensure the accuracy, consistency, and security of its data throughout its lifecycle.
    • Correctness: Ensure that the system performs the intended functions accurately and produces correct results.
    • Completeness: Address all specified requirements and functionalities outlined during the requirements gathering phase.
    • Flexibility: Design of the system muct accommodate changes or additions in functionality without major disruptions.
    • Interoperability: It should ensure that the system can interact and integrate seamlessly with other systems or components as needed.
    • Usability: Finally a user-friendly interface ensure that the system is intuitive for its intended users.
  2. Non-functional objectives: define how the system should perform and how it should meet broader quality attributes. They focus on aspects like performance, scalability, security, and usability. Examples of non-functional objectives include:
    • Performance: The system should operate efficiently, handling requests quickly and without excessive delays.
    • Scalability: The system should be able to handle increasing amounts of data and traffic without compromising performance or stability.
    • Security: The system should protect its data and resources from unauthorized access, modification, or destruction.
    • Usability: The system should be easy to learn and use, with a user interface that is intuitive, consistent, and accessible.
    • Reliability: Ensure the system operates consistently and reliably, minimizing downtime and handling errors gracefully.
    • Maintainability: Design the system to be easily maintainable, allowing for efficient updates, bug fixes, and enhancements.
    • Availability: Ensure that the system is available and accessible as per the specified requirements.
  3. Architectural objectives: define the overall structure and organization of the system. They focus on how the system's components are interconnected and how they communicate with each other. Examples of architectural objectives include:
    • Modular design: The system should be composed of independent modules that can be easily developed, tested, and maintained.
    • Loose coupling: Components should be loosely coupled, minimizing dependencies between them to enhance flexibility and maintainability.
    • High cohesion: Components should have a high degree of cohesion, meaning they should have a clear and well-defined purpose.
    • Separation of concerns: Different aspects of the system, such as business logic, data access, and user interface, should be separated into distinct layers or modules.

By achieving these objectives, system design ensures that the system meets its intended purpose, fulfills user needs, and operates efficiently, reliably, and securely.



Components of System Design

System design components are the building blocks that make up a system. They are the essential elements that work together to achieve the system's overall purpose. The specific components of a system will vary depending on the system's requirements and functionality, but some common components include:

  • Input Components:
    • User Interface (UI): The UI is the interface through which users interact with the system. It can be a graphical user interface (GUI), a command-line interface (CLI), or a voice-based interface.
    • Data Sources: Data sources provide the system with the information it needs to operate. They can be internal sources, such as databases or file systems, or external sources, such as APIs or web services.
  • Processing Components:
    • Business Logic: The business logic defines the rules and processes that the system follows to achieve its goals. It is typically implemented in software code.
    • Data Processing: Data processing components manipulate and transform data to prepare it for analysis or use by other components. They can include data cleansing, data transformation, and data aggregation.
  • Output Components:
    • Reports and Visualizations: Reports and visualizations present the system's outputs in a way that is easy for users to understand. They can be in the form of charts, graphs, tables, or other visual representations.
    • Notifications and Alerts: Notifications and alerts inform users of important events or changes in the system. They can be sent via email, SMS, or push notifications.
  • Infrastructure Components:
    • Hardware: The hardware components provide the physical computing resources that the system needs to run. They can include servers, storage devices, and network equipment.
    • Software: The software components provide the operating systems, middleware, and applications that the system needs to function.
    • Networking: Networking components enable the system to communicate with other systems and devices. They can include routers, switches, and firewalls.
  • Additional Components:
    • Security Components: Security components protect the system from unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure of data. They can include encryption, firewalls, and access control mechanisms.
    • Monitoring and Logging Components: Monitoring and logging components track the system's performance and health. They can provide insights into potential problems and help troubleshooting issues.
    • Deployment and Configuration Management: Deployment and configuration management tools help automate the process of deploying and maintaining the system in production environments.
Components of system design (Image credit: Arun Kumar Pandey).


Tools used for the system design

  • Input Components:
    • User Interface (UI) Design Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision
    • Data Sources: Databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB), APIs, Web Services, CSV files
  • Processing Components:
    • Programming Languages: Java, C++, Python, Scala, R, SQL
    • Data Processing Frameworks: Apache Spark, Hadoop, Apache Flink, Apache Kafka, Apache Pulsar
    • Machine Learning Libraries: TensorFlow, PyTorch, Scikit-learn, scikit-image, NumPy, Pandas
  • Output Components:
    • Data Visualization Tools: Matplotlib, Seaborn, Tableau, Power BI, Qlik Sense
    • Reporting Tools: JasperReports, BIRT, Oracle Reports, Adobe LiveCycle Enterprise Designer
    • Notification and Alerting Systems: PagerDuty, Slack, Opsgenie, VictorOps
  • Infrastructure Components:
    • Cloud Platforms: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
    • Virtualization Technologies: VMware, Hyper-V, Proxmox Ve
    • Container Orchestration Platforms: Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, Nomad
  • Additional Components:
    • Security Tools: Firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), Data Encryption Tools, Access Control Mechanisms
    • Monitoring and Logging Tools: Nagios, Zabbix, Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana)
    • Deployment and Configuration Management Tools: Ansible, Chef, Puppet, Puppet Enterprise

Project Title: E-Commerce Platform Development

Project Overview:

The E-Commerce Platform Development project aims to create a robust and scalable online retail system that provides a seamless shopping experience for users. This comprehensive e-commerce solution encompasses various modules, including product management, user authentication, shopping cart functionality, order processing, and secure payment integration.

For more details go to the final project launch page: BharatCart: E-Commerce Platform Development

Reference:

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