Component Decomposition
1 min read
Break a system into services/components with clear responsibilities and interfaces.
Split a system into 5-8 components where each owns one responsibility and communicates through defined interfaces.
How It Works
Component decomposition is the core of high-level design: splitting a system into pieces that each own one responsibility. Start with the user-facing flow (client -> API -> service -> data store), then identify where responsibilities diverge. Each component should have: a clear input/output contract, independent scaling characteristics, and a single reason to change.
Real-World Example
Netflix decomposes into: API Gateway (Zuul) -> User Service -> Content Metadata Service -> Recommendation Engine -> Streaming Service -> CDN (Open Connect). Each service scales independently.
Test Yourself
Scenario: Break a video-on-demand service (Netflix-style) into components. Name each component, its one responsibility, and one hard rule about what it must not do.
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