Instagram System Design

Quick Reference: Twitter | Step 2: Sharding


Quick Reference

Scale: 1B+ users, billions of photos

Key Components: Photo storage, feed generation, social features

Challenges: Photo storage, feed generation, social graph


Clear Definition

Instagram is a photo-sharing platform requiring efficient photo storage, feed generation, and social features at massive scale.

šŸ’” Key Insight: Instagram uses sharded databases, CDN for photos, and fan-out for feed generation.


Core Concepts

Architecture

  • Photo Storage: CDN and object storage
  • Feed Generation: Fan-out and caching
  • Social Graph: Sharded user data
  • Search: Hashtag and user search

Quick Reference Summary

Instagram: Photo-sharing platform with social features.

Key Components: Photo storage, feeds, social graph.

Key Design: Sharded databases, CDN, fan-out feeds.


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