LESSON 2.1
Sharding and partitioning
Learn key techniques and workflows in System Design Foundations.
6m
intermediate
12,472 students
Overview
Partitioning splits data across machines. The shard key decides whether that scales smoothly or creates one very hot node.
In this lesson you will:
- Choose a shard key that spreads load evenly
- Compare range, hash, and directory partitioning
- Plan for resharding before you need it
Pro Tip
Use caching and revalidation wisely to ensure your app stays fast and data remains fresh without unnecessary requests.