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Showing posts with the label SystemDesign

Event-Driven Architecture & Message Queues: Kafka, RabbitMQ Explained

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  In today's fast-paced, data-rich applications, Event-Driven Architecture (EDA) offers a scalable and decoupled way to handle events as they occur across distributed systems. What is Event-Driven Architecture (EDA)? EDA revolves around the production, detection, and reaction to events . Instead of request/response cycles, systems emit events and others subscribe or react to them asynchronously. Core Components Producer: Sends or emits events. Event Broker (Queue): Middleware that routes and stores events. Consumer: Listens and reacts to the events. Why EDA? Loose coupling Improved scalability Real-time processing Better fault tolerance Popular Message Queues 1. Apache Kafka High throughput Distributed, partitioned, replicated commit log Ideal for event streaming and analytics 2. RabbitMQ Easy to use Strong support for routing via exchange types Ideal for transactional workflows and lightweight messaging Kafka vs. RabbitMQ: Quick Comparison Minimize image Edit image Delete ima...

Understanding API Rate Limiting & Throttling for Scalable Apps

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In today’s connected world, APIs are the backbone of modern applications. But with growing user bases and interconnected services, the risk of server overload, abuse, or system crashes becomes real. That’s where rate limiting and throttling step in — to ensure performance , security , and fair usage . What Is API Rate Limiting? API rate limiting controls how many requests a client can make to an API within a specific time frame . It helps prevent abuse (like DDoS attacks), ensures fair access among users, and safeguards infrastructure from being overwhelmed. Example: A public API may allow 1000 requests per hour per user. After that, users receive a 429 Too Many Requests error until the limit resets. What Is API Throttling? Throttling is a dynamic form of rate limiting. Instead of outright rejecting requests, it slows down or queues them when usage exceeds safe thresholds. It ensures graceful degradation rather than abrupt denial. Key Differences Minimize image Edit image Delete ...