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HLDsystem_design~12 mins

Distributed file systems in HLD - Architecture Diagram

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System Overview - Distributed file systems

A distributed file system allows multiple users and applications to store and access files across many machines as if they were on a single device. It ensures data is available, reliable, and scalable by spreading files and their copies across servers.

Key requirements include fault tolerance, high availability, data consistency, and efficient file access.

Architecture Diagram
User
  |
  v
Load Balancer
  |
  v
Metadata Server <--> Storage Servers (multiple)
       |                  |
       |<---- Cache ------>|
       |
       v
  Client Nodes
Components
User
client
Initiates file access requests
Load Balancer
load_balancer
Distributes user requests evenly to metadata servers
Metadata Server
service
Manages file system metadata like file names, directories, and file locations
Storage Servers
storage
Store actual file data in chunks, often replicated for fault tolerance
Cache
cache
Speeds up access to frequently requested metadata or file chunks
Client Nodes
client
Machines or applications that read/write files using the distributed file system
Request Flow - 8 Hops
User → Load Balancer
Load Balancer → Metadata Server
Metadata Server → Cache
Cache → Metadata Server
Metadata Server → Client Nodes
Client Nodes → Storage Servers
Storage Servers → Client Nodes
Client Nodes → User
Failure Scenario
Component Fails:Metadata Server
Impact:File metadata becomes unavailable, blocking file access and updates
Mitigation:Use metadata server replication and leader election to switch to a backup metadata server automatically
Architecture Quiz - 3 Questions
Test your understanding
Which component directs user requests to the correct metadata server?
AStorage Server
BCache
CLoad Balancer
DClient Node
Design Principle
This design shows how separating metadata management from data storage improves scalability and fault tolerance. Using caches reduces latency for frequent requests, and load balancers distribute traffic to avoid bottlenecks.