Database Engineering & Data Systems Topics
Database design patterns, optimization, scaling strategies, storage technologies, data warehousing, and operational database management. Covers database selection criteria, query optimization, replication strategies, distributed databases, backup and recovery, and performance tuning at database layer. Distinct from Systems Architecture (which addresses service-level distribution) and Data Science (which addresses analytical approaches).
Storage Systems and Infrastructure
The physical storage substrate that sits beneath databases and other data-intensive systems: disk and volume management, RAID levels and disk-redundancy trade-offs (capacity vs fault tolerance vs rebuild time), and cloud block and instance-store performance characteristics (IOPS, throughput, latency), including how ephemeral instance-store volumes differ from persistent attached ones. Also covers storage-service tiering: hot, warm, cold, and archival lifecycle policies, the retrieval-cost-versus-latency trade-off, and designing the automation that migrates data between tiers and routes reads across them while meeting latency and cost targets. Covers matching a storage configuration's redundancy and performance profile to a system's durability and throughput requirements. This is distinct from how a database engine implements storage internally (write-ahead logs, page layouts, B-tree versus LSM structures). Aimed at engineers who configure and operate the underlying storage hardware.
Database Forensics and Data Recovery
Investigative and recovery work on databases: examining database and application artifacts, transaction logs, and residual data to reconstruct activity, plus recovering corrupted or deleted data. Covers evidence integrity and forensic method applied to database systems. A specialized surface for security and forensics roles.
Client-Side and Mobile Data Persistence
Storing data on devices and clients: embedded and mobile databases (SQLite and similar), local caching, offline-first persistence and sync, and durable save/state systems for applications and games. Covers constrained-storage design, conflict resolution on sync, and persisting state reliably outside a central server. Serves mobile and game development interviews.