Data Model Design and Access Patterns Questions
Discuss how you'd design data models based on access patterns. Understand relational vs. NoSQL trade-offs. Know when to denormalize, how to handle distributed transactions, and strategies for scaling databases (sharding, partitioning). Discuss read vs. write optimization.
HardTechnical
0 practiced
You must persuade executives to fund a multi-phase re-architecture to scale your database platform. Draft the high-level pitch: summarize technical risks, business impact, cost-benefit analysis, migration plan with milestones and fallback options, and KPIs to measure success. How would you respond to budget pushback and prioritize phases?
MediumTechnical
0 practiced
A customer insists on using a relational database for social-graph queries (friends-of-friends, shortest path) but you believe a graph database is a better fit. How would you explain the data model and access-pattern differences, propose a phased migration (hybrid approach) to prove value, and minimize disruption to existing services?
MediumTechnical
0 practiced
Given query patterns such as WHERE user_id = ? AND status = ? ORDER BY created_at DESC LIMIT 50, and also queries that filter only by status, recommend composite and covering indexes that support both efficiently. Explain how index column ordering and selectivity impact index choice and performance.
HardSystem Design
0 practiced
Design backup and disaster recovery for a globally distributed database deployed across five regions with RTO of 30 minutes and RPO of 1 hour. Include strategies for cross-region replication, snapshot cadence, incremental backups, testing failover, cost trade-offs, and an operational runbook for failover and failback.
HardTechnical
0 practiced
Explain the CAP theorem and the PACELC extension. For each of the following systems, identify whether you would prioritize consistency or availability and why: a) banking ledger, b) social feed, c) shopping cart. Describe how these choices influence your data model and access patterns.
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