Level 9: The Distributed Systems
When physics gets in the way: CAP theorem, consensus, clocks, and conflict resolution.
Welcome to Level 9
Distributed systems are where theory meets reality. CAP theorem, consensus algorithms, distributed clocks, distributed transactions, CRDTs, consistent hashing, and gossip protocols — this level gives you the theoretical foundations to reason about correctness in systems that span multiple machines.
| Module | Topic |
|---|---|
| 9.1 | CAP Theorem and PACELC |
| 9.2 | Consensus Algorithms (Raft, Paxos) |
| 9.3 | Distributed Clocks and Ordering |
| 9.4 | Distributed Transactions |
| 9.5 | CRDTs and Conflict Resolution |
| 9.6 | Consistent Hashing |
| 9.7 | Gossip Protocols |
| 9.8 | Checkpoint |
Distributed systems have fundamental limits that no amount of engineering can overcome. Understanding these limits — and designing within them — is what separates senior engineers from those who build systems that fail in subtle, unpredictable ways.
Start with Module 9.1: CAP Theorem — the foundational impossibility result that shapes every distributed system design.