Application Layer & Microservices Overview

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary function of service discovery systems like Consul, Etcd, and Zookeeper?

To manage user data across services

To monitor the performance of services

To load balance requests among multiple services

To maintain a registry of service names and addresses (correct)

Which of the following is NOT an example of a microservice that Pinterest could implement?

Photo upload

Database management (correct)

User profile

What is a common characteristic of the communication between microservices?

It employs a lightweight mechanism (correct)

It utilizes heavy protocols for data transfer

It relies on direct file transfers

It is performed through complex mechanisms

In the context of microservices, what does a unique process allow each service to do?

Serve a business goal independently Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of health checks?

To verify service integrity Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important for microservices to have well-defined communication mechanisms?

To optimize service performance and reduce overhead Signup and view all the answers

What can both Consul and Etcd be used for?

Storing configuration values and shared data Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a feature of health checks?

Accessing a key-value store Signup and view all the answers

Why might a system use health checks?

To ensure services are responsive and reliable Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about Consul and Etcd is true?

They both have a built-in key-value store Signup and view all the answers

What is a disadvantage of introducing an application layer with microservices?

It requires a different approach from a monolithic system. Signup and view all the answers

How do microservices affect complexity?

They add complexity to deployments and operations. Signup and view all the answers

In what context do microservices typically require a different approach?

In architectural, operations, and process viewpoints. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about microservices is true?

They may complicate the deployment process. Signup and view all the answers

What is one possible drawback of loosely coupled services in microservices architecture?

They require careful management of complexity in operations. Signup and view all the answers

What does separating the web layer from the application layer allow for?

Scaling and configuring both layers independently Signup and view all the answers

What is a consequence of adding a new API according to the principles discussed?

It allows for additional application servers without adding web servers Signup and view all the answers

What does the single responsibility principle promote in service design?

Small services that act independently yet collaboratively Signup and view all the answers

How do small teams benefit from implementing small services?

They can plan more aggressively for rapid growth Signup and view all the answers

What role do workers in the application layer play?

Supporting asynchronism in application processes Signup and view all the answers

What are microservices primarily characterized by?

Independently deployable, small, modular services Signup and view all the answers

What is a disadvantage of large, monolithic services?

They require extensive resources for even minor updates Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the nature of communication in a microservices architecture?

Each service operates independently, communicating only as needed Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Application Layer (GitHub System Design Primer)

Separating the web layer from the application layer (platform layer) allows independent scaling and configuration of both.
Adding a new API necessitates adding application servers, not necessarily web servers.
The single responsibility principle promotes small, autonomous services working together.
Smaller teams with small services enable faster growth.
Application layer workers enable asynchronism.

Microservices

Microservices are independently deployable, small, modular services.
Each microservice uses a lightweight mechanism to achieve a business goal.
Examples of microservices are user profiles, followers, feeds, searches, and photo uploads.
Systems like Consul, Etcd, and Zookeeper facilitate communication between services by tracking names, addresses, and ports.
Health checks verify service integrity often using HTTP endpoints.
Tools like Consul and Etcd include built-in key-value stores for shared config values.
Adding a microservice layer demands a different approach to architecture, operations, and process compared to a monolithic system.
Microservices add deployment and operational complexity.

Additional Topics

Cracking the system design interview
Service-oriented architecture
Introduction to ZooKeeper
Building microservices

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Description

This quiz focuses on the concepts of the application layer and microservices in system design. You will explore topics such as the separation of layers, the single responsibility principle, and the role of tools in facilitating communication between microservices. Test your understanding of how these elements contribute to scalable and efficient software architecture.