Design File Storage & Sharing Service

Design a distributed file storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox.

Clarifying Questions to Ask?

• What is the core functionality?

• Who are the users?

• What file sizes and types must be supported?

• How is sharing implemented?

• Are there access controls?

• Is versioning required?

• Is real-time collaboration (e.g., Google Docs) required?

Full Problem Statement

Design A File Storage & Sharing Service (like Google Drive or DropBox)

OR

Design a distributed file storage service similar to Dropbox or Google Drive with the following features:

Core Requirements:

• Users can upload, download, and delete files.
• Files are synchronized across multiple client devices (desktop, mobile).
• Support for file versioning.
• Users can share files or folders with others.

Scale Requirements:

• 500 million users.
• 100 Petabytes (PB) of total storage.
• 1 million concurrent file uploads/downloads.
• 99.99% durability and 99.9% availability.

Additional Considerations:

• How would you handle large file uploads and downloads efficiently? (e.g., chunking).
• How would you design the synchronization protocol to handle conflicts?
• How would you optimize storage costs? (e.g., deduplication).
• How would you manage file metadata vs. file content (chunks)?