DSA-AS Study Guide

Start with Consensus Algorithms to understand distributed system fundamentals. Then move to Distributed Storage (Bigtable → Dynamo) to see how consistency models are applied in practice. Stream Processing builds on these concepts. AI Systems is largely independent and can be studied last.

The exam focuses on comparing systems (e.g. Bigtable vs Dynamo, Paxos vs Raft). Always know the failure modes, consistency guarantees, and trade-offs. For each system, be able to trace a complete read/write request. Study the 50 exam questions — they directly reflect exam style.

Use the interactive diagrams to build intuition: trace a read through Bigtable's 3-level hierarchy, add/remove nodes on the Dynamo ring, or simulate vector clocks. The Quorum Calculator helps you reason about N/W/R trade-offs. The CAP Triangle shows where each system sits.