Problem context and objectives
Lead systems engineer · Contract Harbor
Design the public API for a large-file upload service. Clients may lose connectivity, retry requests, and resume later without duplicating files.
The design must survive file size up to 20 GB and uploads 5K/s. Every box must earn its place by satisfying a requirement or containing a failure.
How you win
- 1Trace one user action from request to durable outcome
- 2Connect every component to a stated requirement
- 3Explain the losing tradeoff, not only the chosen technology
Rules and pressure
- file size: up to 20 GB
- uploads: 5K/s
- Resumable chunks
- Idempotent completion
New words in this mission
Open a term for a plain-language explanation.idempotent operation+
Repeating the same request has the same final effect as doing it once. This makes automatic retries safe.
Live architecture trace
Contract Harbor: request to outcome
Uploader sends “initiate” to Upload API. The control plane creates a scoped upload session, while clients send resumable chunks directly to object storage.
Design the public API for a large-file upload service. Clients may lose connectivity, retry requests, and resume later without duplicating files. Follow one real user action through the complete architecture; a component is useful only when you can explain the request, state, or failure it handles.