Backend Engineering Mastery - Complete Article Series
A comprehensive guide for backend engineers, engineering managers, and principal engineers
31 Articles | ~60,000 words | 10+ hours of reading
Series Philosophy
This series transforms complex backend concepts into memorable, practical knowledge. Each article includes:
- The One Thing to Remember - Single memorable insight
- Why This Matters - Real career/production impact
- Visual Models - ASCII diagrams you can recreate
- Trade-off Analysis - Decision frameworks
- Code Examples - Runnable snippets
- Real-World Stories - Production war stories
- Self-Assessment - Verify understanding
Part 1: OS & Systems Foundation (Articles 1-4)
Understanding the operating system layer that everything runs on.
| # | Article | Key Trade-off | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Process vs Thread | Isolation vs Efficiency | 12 min | ✅ |
| 02 | Memory Management | Virtual vs Physical, Swap vs OOM | 14 min | ✅ |
| 03 | File I/O & Durability | Performance vs Durability (fsync) | 13 min | ✅ |
| 04 | CPU Scheduling & Context Switches | Throughput vs Latency | 12 min | ✅ |
After Part 1, you'll understand: Why processes are isolated, how memory really works, what fsync actually does, and why context switches matter.
Part 2: Networking (Articles 5-7)
How data moves between machines - the foundation of distributed systems.
| # | Article | Key Trade-off | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 | TCP Deep Dive | Reliability vs Latency | 15 min | ✅ |
| 06 | HTTP Evolution (1.1→2→3) | Simplicity vs Performance | 14 min | ✅ |
| 07 | Load Balancing (L4 vs L7) | Speed vs Features | 14 min | ✅ |
After Part 2, you'll understand: TCP states and debugging, why HTTP/3 uses UDP, and when to use L4 vs L7 load balancers.
Part 3: Storage & Databases (Articles 8-11)
How data is stored, indexed, and queried efficiently.
| # | Article | Key Trade-off | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08 | Database Indexes Deep Dive | Read Speed vs Write Speed | 14 min | ✅ |
| 09 | ACID Transactions Explained | Consistency vs Performance | 13 min | ✅ |
| 10 | Isolation Levels & Anomalies | Safety vs Concurrency | 12 min | ✅ |
| 11 | SQL vs NoSQL Decision Guide | Flexibility vs Scale | 12 min | ✅ |
After Part 3, you'll understand: Why indexes slow writes, what SERIALIZABLE actually means, and when to choose NoSQL.
Part 4: Distributed Systems (Articles 12-16)
Scaling beyond a single machine - where things get interesting.
| # | Article | Key Trade-off | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | CAP Theorem Demystified | Consistency vs Availability | 12 min | ✅ |
| 13 | Sharding Strategies | Query Flexibility vs Scale | 14 min | ✅ |
| 14 | Replication Patterns | Consistency vs Latency | 13 min | ✅ |
| 15 | Consensus & Raft | Availability vs Strong Consistency | 15 min | ✅ |
| 16 | Time, Clocks & Ordering | Simplicity vs Accuracy | 13 min | ✅ |
After Part 4, you'll understand: What CAP really means, how to choose shard keys, leader election, and why distributed time is hard.
Part 5: Production Engineering (Articles 17-20)
Running systems reliably in production.
| # | Article | Key Trade-off | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Reliability Patterns | Availability vs Complexity | 14 min | ✅ |
| 18 | Caching Strategies | Performance vs Consistency | 13 min | ✅ |
| 19 | Observability (Metrics, Logs, Traces) | Coverage vs Overhead | 14 min | ✅ |
| 20 | Security Fundamentals | Security vs Convenience | 12 min | ✅ |
After Part 5, you'll understand: Circuit breakers, cache invalidation, the RED/USE methods, and OAuth2 flows.
Part 6: Cloud-Native & Modern Patterns (Articles 21-24)
Building for the cloud era.
| # | Article | Key Trade-off | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Containers & Docker | Isolation vs Overhead | 12 min | ✅ |
| 22 | Kubernetes Essentials | Abstraction vs Complexity | 15 min | ✅ |
| 23 | Message Queues (Kafka vs RabbitMQ) | Throughput vs Latency | 13 min | ✅ |
| 24 | Event-Driven Architecture | Decoupling vs Complexity | 14 min | ✅ |
After Part 6, you'll understand: Container best practices, K8s core concepts, when to use Kafka vs RabbitMQ.
Part 7: System Design Practice (Articles 25-28)
Applying knowledge to real design problems.
| # | Article | Focus | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | System Design Framework | 5-step approach for any problem | 16 min | ✅ |
| 26 | Design: URL Shortener | Simple, scalable system | 12 min | ✅ |
| 27 | Design: Distributed Cache | High-performance caching | 14 min | ✅ |
| 28 | Design: Real-Time Chat | WebSockets, ordering | 15 min | ✅ |
After Part 7, you'll have: A repeatable framework and practice with common system design problems.
Part 8: Engineering Leadership (Articles 29-31)
Skills for senior engineers, managers, and principal engineers.
| # | Article | Audience | Time | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | Architecture Decision Records | Senior+ | 15 min | ✅ |
| 30 | Technical Debt Strategy | Manager/Principal | 14 min | ✅ |
| 31 | Build vs Buy Decisions | Principal/Director | 12 min | ✅ |
After Part 8, you'll know: How to document decisions, manage tech debt strategically, and make build vs buy choices.
✅ Series Complete!
All 31 Articles Complete!
═════════════════════════
Part 1 (OS & Systems): 4/4 ✅
Part 2 (Networking): 3/3 ✅
Part 3 (Storage): 4/4 ✅
Part 4 (Distributed): 5/5 ✅
Part 5 (Production): 4/4 ✅
Part 6 (Cloud-Native): 4/4 ✅
Part 7 (System Design): 4/4 ✅
Part 8 (Leadership): 3/3 ✅
Total: 31 articles | ~60,000 words
Reading Paths by Role
Junior Engineer (0-2 years)
Focus: Foundations first, then gradually expand
Week 1-2: OS Foundation
├── 01. Process vs Thread
├── 02. Memory Management
├── 03. File I/O & Durability
└── 04. CPU Scheduling
Week 3-4: Networking
├── 05. TCP Deep Dive
├── 06. HTTP Evolution
└── 07. Load Balancing
Week 5-6: Database Fundamentals
├── 08. Database Indexes
├── 09. ACID Transactions
└── 10. Isolation Levels
Week 7-8: Production Patterns
├── 17. Reliability Patterns
├── 18. Caching Strategies
└── 19. Observability
Mid-Level Engineer (2-5 years)
Focus: Distributed systems and system design
Week 1: Rapid Foundation Review
├── 01-04 (skim if familiar)
└── 05-07 (networking depth)
Week 2-3: Distributed Systems (critical!)
├── 12. CAP Theorem
├── 13. Sharding Strategies
├── 14. Replication Patterns
├── 15. Consensus & Raft
└── 16. Time & Ordering
Week 4: System Design Practice
├── 25. System Design Framework
├── 26. URL Shortener
├── 27. Distributed Cache
└── 28. Chat System
Week 5: Production & Cloud
├── 17-20 (Production Engineering)
└── 21-24 (Cloud-Native)
Senior Engineer (5+ years)
Focus: Depth, leadership, and system design mastery
Week 1: Distributed Systems Mastery
├── 12-16 (all distributed systems)
└── Focus on trade-off analysis
Week 2: System Design Excellence
├── 25-28 (all system design)
└── Practice explaining out loud
Week 3: Leadership Skills
├── 29. Architecture Decision Records
├── 30. Technical Debt Strategy
└── 31. Build vs Buy Decisions
Engineering Manager
Focus: Leadership articles + enough technical depth to guide teams
Priority 1: Leadership Track
├── 29. Architecture Decision Records
├── 30. Technical Debt Strategy
└── 31. Build vs Buy Decisions
Priority 2: Key Technical Concepts
├── 12. CAP Theorem (for data decisions)
├── 17. Reliability Patterns (for SRE work)
└── 25. System Design Framework (for reviews)
Quick Reference: All Trade-offs
| Topic | Trade-off |
|---|---|
| Process vs Thread | Isolation vs Efficiency |
| Virtual Memory | Flexibility vs Page Fault Cost |
| fsync() | Durability vs Performance |
| Context Switches | Throughput vs Latency |
| TCP | Reliability vs Latency |
| HTTP versions | Simplicity vs Performance |
| L4 vs L7 LB | Speed vs Features |
| Indexes | Read Speed vs Write Speed |
| ACID | Consistency vs Performance |
| Isolation Levels | Safety vs Concurrency |
| SQL vs NoSQL | Flexibility vs Scale |
| CAP | Consistency vs Availability |
| Sharding | Query Flexibility vs Scale |
| Replication | Consistency vs Latency |
| Consensus | Availability vs Strong Consistency |
| Time/Clocks | Simplicity vs Accuracy |
| Circuit Breaker | Availability vs Complexity |
| Caching | Performance vs Consistency |
| Observability | Coverage vs Overhead |
| Security | Security vs Convenience |
| Containers | Isolation vs Overhead |
| Kubernetes | Abstraction vs Complexity |
| Kafka vs RabbitMQ | Throughput vs Latency |
| Event-Driven | Decoupling vs Complexity |
| Build vs Buy | Control vs Speed |
Files Reference
| Article # | File Name |
|---|---|
| 01 | 01-process-vs-thread.md |
| 02 | 02-memory-management.md |
| 03 | 03-file-io-durability.md |
| 04 | 04-cpu-scheduling.md |
| 05 | 05-tcp-deep-dive.md |
| 06 | 06-http-evolution.md |
| 07 | 07-load-balancing.md |
| 08 | 08-database-indexes.md |
| 09 | 09-acid-transactions.md |
| 10 | 10-isolation-levels.md |
| 11 | 11-sql-vs-nosql.md |
| 12 | 12-cap-theorem.md |
| 13 | 13-sharding-strategies.md |
| 14 | 14-replication-patterns.md |
| 15 | 15-consensus-raft.md |
| 16 | 16-time-clocks-ordering.md |
| 17 | 17-reliability-patterns.md |
| 18 | 18-caching-strategies.md |
| 19 | 19-observability.md |
| 20 | 20-security-fundamentals.md |
| 21 | 21-containers-docker.md |
| 22 | 22-kubernetes-essentials.md |
| 23 | 23-message-queues.md |
| 24 | 24-event-driven-architecture.md |
| 25 | 25-system-design-framework.md |
| 26 | 26-design-url-shortener.md |
| 27 | 27-design-distributed-cache.md |
| 28 | 28-design-chat-system.md |
| 29 | 29-architecture-decision-records.md |
| 30 | 30-technical-debt-strategy.md |
| 31 | 31-build-vs-buy.md |
How to Use This Series
For Self-Study
- Read one article per day (or per sitting)
- Run all "Try It Yourself" commands
- Complete self-assessment checkboxes
- Revisit after one week to reinforce
- Teach concepts to someone else
For Interview Prep
- Focus on System Design section (25-28)
- Memorize trade-off tables in each article
- Practice drawing diagrams from memory
- Explain concepts out loud (rubber duck)
- Do 2-3 mock system design sessions
For Team Education
- Use as reading group material (1 article/week)
- Discuss trade-offs as a team
- Apply concepts to your actual systems
- Create team-specific examples
- Build team ADR practice (Article 29)
Contributing
Found an error? Have a better example? This series is continuously improved based on feedback.
Congratulations on exploring the Backend Engineering Mastery series! This comprehensive guide covers everything from OS fundamentals to system design to engineering leadership. Bookmark it, share it with your team, and return to it throughout your career.