How Leader Election work in Distributed Systems | System Design Interview Basics

In this video I explain the importance of Leader election with examples, which you must know for system design interview.
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[@b3arwithm3]

You explained its usage but not how it works. I think covering the basic principles and algos would make this more complete.

[@emmabates2284]

Thank you, this video was exactly what I needed! May I ask you some more questions about this? 1. What are the commonly used performance metrics on this process? How can someone quantify an improvement in speed/scale for the leader election process? 2. What do the various industries that use this tool call it? In blockchain, it's "consensus" and in Data centers it's called "orchestration", what is it called in other industries? Thanks!

[@ByteMonk]

Thank you and great questions! 1. Some commonly used performance metrics for the leader election process include: Latency, Scalability, Fault Tolerance (The leader election process should be able to handle node failures and re-elections quickly and effectively) and Consistency (The leader election process should ensure that all nodes agree on the identity of the leader. Any inconsistencies or conflicts can lead to problems in the system, so ensuring consistency is a crucial performance metric.) To quantify an improvement in the speed and scale of the leader election process, you can measure the latency, scalability, and fault-tolerance of the system before and after the improvement is implemented. For example, if the latency of the leader election process was 5 seconds before an improvement and reduced to 2 seconds after the improvement, this would indicate a significant improvement in the speed of the process. Similarly, if the system could handle only 100 nodes before the improvement but can now handle 1000 nodes, this would indicate a significant improvement in the scalability of the process.

[@ByteMonk]

2. AFAIK the term "leader election" is commonly used in distributed systems and computer science research. However, in different industries, this process may be referred to by different names depending on the specific context and application. Here are some examples: In finance and trading, the leader election process may be referred to as "election protocols" or "voting algorithms" in the context of distributed financial systems. In the telecommunications industry, the process of selecting a leader may be referred to as "cluster management" or "cluster leadership" in the context of managing and coordinating distributed telecom networks. "fleet management" or "fleet orchestration" in the context of coordinating and managing a fleet of vehicles in Transportation industry. In the energy industry, the process of selecting a leader may be referred to as "grid management" or "grid coordination" in the context of managing and coordinating distributed energy resources.

[@ByteMonk]

Hope this detailed answer earns me a subscriber and share :) . Thank you for the questions.

[@emmabates2284]

This is wonderful, thank you! Liking, sharing and following. I'm trying to figure out what the generally accepted standards are. Are those numbers you suggested (roughly up to 5 seconds for leader election, somewhere between 100 and 1000 nodes that the system can handle) standard? Do you think those other industries probably use RAFT or PAXOS for those various management/orchestration tasks, or would they likely have developed their own algorithms?

[@ByteMonk]

@@emmabates2284 The numbers I suggested were intended to provide a general sense of what might be considered good performance in a distributed system context. However, the actual acceptable latency and scalability for leader election can vary widely depending on the specific use case and system requirements. Regarding the use of consensus algorithms like Raft or Paxos in various industries, it is possible that they are used in some applications, particularly in industries with distributed systems and complex coordination requirements. However, it is also possible that different industries have developed their own custom algorithms to meet their specific needs. The choice of consensus algorithm can depend on various factors, such as the size and complexity of the system, the level of fault tolerance required, and the specific use case.

[@sricharan4772]

Does consistent hashing work in this case? Or am I wrong in understanding the problem statement? Is consistent hashing even relevant here?

[@hackwithharsha]

Thank You... How you are able to create these animation ? is it just using powerpoint or any other tool like adobe ?

[@ByteMonk]

Powerpoint allows basic animation, for animations like this you may need Apple FCP or Adobe PP/ AE. There might be free tools in market which I am not aware of.

[@augenvogel]

You don't explain how Leader Election works rather than explaining just that this is sometimes necessary. Could you do a follow up?

[@ByteMonk]

I wanted to keep it short from System Design interviews perspective, thank you for the feedback though, I will look into it and do a follow up. Please let me know if there is anything specific you are interested to know meanwhile

[@Be_Confident11]

Can you describe the whole video concept in notes so that I'll write in my university examination.. 🙂🙂

[@lian1238]

4 minutes I’ll never get back

[@siyaram2855]

How come I missed the notification? Nevermind I am here.

[@ByteMonk]

[@Be_Confident11]

Can you describe the whole video concept in notes so that I'll write in my university examination.. 🙂🙂