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📎 #distributed_systems #moc

MOC DISTRIBUTED SYSTEMS

Map of Content for the distributed-systems concept cluster. Walk top-to-bottom; if a concept resists self-explanation in two minutes, re-read the zettel.

Concept Order​

Foundations​

  1. cap_theorem — the trilemma framing for trade-offs under partition.
  2. consistency_models — what "C" actually means at finer granularity.
  3. quorum_reads_writes — N/W/R as the lever between CP and AP.
  4. consistent_hashing — sharding scheme that minimises movement on N changes.
  5. raft — consensus protocol; concrete instance of a CP system.

Extensions (planned)​

  • pacelc_theorem — adds latency-vs-consistency to the steady-state picture.
  • paxos_basics — peer to Raft, harder to implement, foundational to ZAB.
  • linearizability_vs_serializability — single-object real-time vs multi-object schedule equivalence.
  • vector_clocks_lamport_clocks — causal tracking and monotonic IDs.

Edge cases (planned)​

  • gossip_protocol — eventually-consistent membership / state dissemination.
  • crdt_basics — conflict-free replicated data types for AP-leaning merges.

How to Use This MOC​

  • First pass: read each zettel back-to-back, take no notes, just absorb.
  • Second pass: walk this index, write a 3-bullet recall for each entry from memory, then compare to the zettel. Gaps point to where the concept hasn't landed.
  • Application drill: take a system design prompt (e.g. "design a globally-replicated KV store") and try to weave 5+ of these zettels into the answer naturally. The connections matter as much as the individual concepts.
  • Tag hygiene: zettels here are tagged by topic (#distributed_systems, #consistency, #sharding). Drop #wip once a zettel is revised and stable.

Bridges to Other Domains​