Reference
Systems Glossary
43 terms across 7 categories — from HTTP basics to distributed systems patterns. Search for anything.
43 Terms
A defined contract for how software components communicate.
A single entry point that routes requests to the right backend service.
Verifying who you are (identity).
Verifying what you're allowed to do (permissions).
The maximum data transfer capacity of a network connection.
A fast-access storage layer that stores frequently used data.
Check cache first; on miss, fetch from DB and update cache.
A global network of servers that deliver content from the closest location.
Automatically stops calling a failing service to let it recover.
A system for persistently storing and querying structured data.
A data structure that speeds up queries at the cost of write overhead.
Translates human-readable domain names to IP addresses.
A specific URL that handles a particular type of request.
The ability of a system to continue operating despite component failures.
Designing systems to minimize downtime and keep services running.
Adding more server instances to handle more load.
The protocol used to transfer data on the web.
Metadata attached to HTTP requests and responses.
3-digit codes in every HTTP response indicating success or failure.
HTTP with encryption. Secure version of HTTP.
A unique numerical address identifying a device on a network.
The universal format for exchanging structured data between systems.
A compact, self-contained token for transmitting identity claims.
The time delay between sending a request and receiving a response.
Distributes incoming traffic across multiple servers.
An architecture where a system is split into small independent services.
A single application that contains all functionality in one deployable unit.
Non-relational databases with flexible schemas.
A robust, full-featured open-source SQL database.
Restricting how many requests a client can make in a time window.
An in-memory key-value store used for caching and real-time data.
The fundamental interaction pattern of HTTP communication.
A design style for building APIs using HTTP conventions.
A server that sits in front of backends and forwards client requests to them.
A pre-authorized URL with a time-limited access token for a specific resource.
The language for querying and managing relational databases.
A reliable, connection-based transport protocol that guarantees delivery.
The number of requests a system can handle per unit of time.
Encryption protocol that secures data in transit.
Time To Live — how long cached data stays valid before expiring.
Making a single server more powerful by adding CPU/RAM.
A program that listens for HTTP requests and sends back responses.
A persistent, full-duplex connection for real-time communication.