0
0
Microservicessystem_design~12 mins

Netflix architecture overview in Microservices - Architecture Diagram

Choose your learning style9 modes available
LearnWhyDeepArchPracticeChallengeDesignRecallScale
System Overview - Netflix architecture overview

Netflix is a streaming platform that delivers movies and TV shows to millions of users worldwide. It requires a highly scalable, reliable, and low-latency system to handle user requests, content delivery, and personalized recommendations.

Architecture Diagram
User
  |
  v
+----------------+
| Load Balancer  |
+----------------+
  |
  v
+----------------+       +----------------+       +----------------+
| API Gateway    |<----->| Authentication |<----->| User Profile   |
+----------------+       +----------------+       +----------------+
  |
  v
+----------------+       +----------------+       +----------------+
| Streaming      |<----->| Recommendation |<----->| Content Metadata|
| Service        |       | Service        |       | Service         |
+----------------+       +----------------+       +----------------+
  |
  v
+----------------+
| CDN (Content   )|
| Delivery Network|
+----------------+
  |
  v
+----------------+
| Storage (S3,   )|
| Object Storage |
+----------------+
  |
  v
+----------------+
| Database Layer |
| (User Data,   )|
| Metadata, Logs)|
+----------------+
Components
User
client
End user device requesting streaming content
Load Balancer
load_balancer
Distributes incoming user requests evenly across API Gateway instances
API Gateway
api_gateway
Entry point for all client requests, routes to appropriate microservices
Authentication Service
service
Validates user credentials and issues tokens
User Profile Service
service
Manages user preferences, watch history, and account details
Streaming Service
service
Handles video streaming requests and session management
Recommendation Service
service
Generates personalized content suggestions based on user data
Content Metadata Service
service
Stores and provides information about movies and shows
CDN (Content Delivery Network)
cdn
Caches and delivers video content close to users for low latency
Storage (Object Storage)
storage
Stores original video files and assets
Database Layer
database
Stores user data, metadata, logs, and service state
Request Flow - 10 Hops
User → Load Balancer
Load Balancer → API Gateway
API Gateway → Authentication Service
API Gateway → User Profile Service
API Gateway → Recommendation Service
API Gateway → Content Metadata Service
API Gateway → Streaming Service
Streaming Service → CDN
CDN → User
Storage (Object Storage) → CDN
Failure Scenario
Component Fails:CDN
Impact:Video streaming latency increases significantly as requests go directly to storage, causing buffering and poor user experience.
Mitigation:Use multiple CDN providers and fallback mechanisms; cache pre-warming and replication to reduce cache misses.
Architecture Quiz - 3 Questions
Test your understanding
Which component is responsible for distributing incoming user requests evenly?
AAPI Gateway
BLoad Balancer
CCDN
DAuthentication Service
Design Principle
This architecture uses microservices to separate concerns like authentication, user profiles, recommendations, and streaming. It employs a CDN to reduce latency and load on storage. Load balancers and API gateways ensure scalability and routing. This design supports millions of users with low latency and high availability.