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TOPIC #245Advanced 10 min read

Design a File Storage & Sync Service (Dropbox / Google Drive)

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Core Architecture Summary

Sync files across devices: Chunking (4MB blocks), Content-addressed storage (SHA-256 hash), Delta sync (rsync algorithm), metadata synchronization, and conflict resolution.

Key Glossary Concepts in this TopicAll Glossary Terms

01.1. Functional & Non-Functional Requirements

A Cloud File Storage and Synchronization Service allows users to store files, sync updates automatically across multiple desktop and mobile devices, share documents, and roll back revision histories.

Functional Requirements

  1. File Upload & Download: Support files up to 50 GB (documents, videos, archives).
  2. Multi-Device Automatic Synchronization: File edits made on Device A must sync seamlessly to Device B within seconds.
  3. Delta Sync (Bandwidth Optimization): When a user edits a small part of a large file, upload and download only the modified portions, not the entire file.
  4. File Versioning & History: Support restoring files to previous versions (30-day retention).
  5. Conflict Resolution: Handle simultaneous concurrent edits by multiple devices gracefully.

Non-Functional Requirements

  • Massive Storage Scale: Support 500 million users storing exabytes of data.
  • Extreme Durability: 99.999999999\% (11 nines) file durability. Data once written must never be corrupted or lost.
  • Low Sync Latency: Propagate file changes across devices in < 5 seconds.

Dropbox File Chunking, Content-Addressing & Delta Sync Architecture 📦

PRO Architecture Blueprint

Dropbox File Chunking, Content-Addressing & Delta Sync Architecture 📦

Splitting files into 4MB hashed chunks, global S3 deduplication, metadata versioning, and real-time delta sync notifications across multi-device clients.

Dropbox File Chunking, Content-Addressing & Delta Sync Architecture 📦
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