Master the fundamentals of data storage systems and learn when to use each option in your system design interviews.
When discussing data storage in your interview, always explain the rationale behind your choices:
Explain how your data will be accessed: read-heavy vs write-heavy, query patterns, and frequency. This justifies your storage selection and demonstrates depth of understanding.
Discuss CAP theorem trade-offs and whether your system needs strong consistency or can work with eventual consistency, explaining why based on business requirements.
Address how your storage choices will scale with increased load, considering both vertical and horizontal scaling approaches appropriate to your selection.
Explain how your data storage approach handles failures, including replication, backup strategies, and recovery procedures to meet availability requirements.