System Design and Architecture

Sample Answer

The major steps in System Design involve defining what the system does and how it's built, while system architecture is crucial because it determines the fundamental qualities and longevity of the entire structure.

⚙️ Major Steps in System Design

System design is the process of defining the architecture, modules, interfaces, and data for a system to satisfy specific requirements. The major steps are:

Requirements Analysis and Specification: This foundational step involves understanding what the system must do (functional requirements) and how it must perform (non-functional requirements, like security, speed, and scalability). The result is a clear document that serves as the blueprint.

High-Level Design (Architectural Design): Focuses on the big picture. It breaks the system into major sub-systems or modules and selects the overall architectural pattern (e.g., monolithic, microservices, layered) based on the non-functional requirements. It defines how these major components communicate.

Low-Level Design (Detailed Design): Focuses on the internal structure of each individual module. This step details the specific data structures, database schemas, APIs, and algorithms needed to implement the functions of each component.

Implementation Planning and Environment Setup: Finalizes the technology stack (languages, frameworks) and plans the infrastructure and deployment strategy (e.g., cloud environment, containerization).

Testing and Validation Plan: Defines the strategy for ensuring the system meets the initial requirements, including plans for unit testing, integration testing, and performance testing.

🏗️ Importance of System Architecture

System architecture is the conceptual model that defines the structure and interaction of the system's components. It is important for several reasons:

Determines Quality Attributes: Architecture is the primary factor in achieving crucial non-functional requirements like scalability, performance, security, and maintainability. For example, choosing a distributed architecture ensures fault tolerance and high scalability.

Manages Complexity: By dividing a large system into manageable, cohesive modules with well-defined interfaces, architecture reduces complexity and allows multiple teams to work concurrently with minimal conflict.

Facilitates Communication: It provides a common blueprint and vocabulary for all stakeholders—developers, managers, and clients—to understand the system's overall structure and how components interact.