Designing Data-Intensive Applications, 2/e

Master Modern Distributed Systems and Data Engineering

Designing Data-Intensive Applications: The Big Ideas Behind Reliable, Scalable, and Maintainable Systems (2nd Edition) by Martin Kleppmann and Chris Riccomini is widely regarded as one of the most important books on software architecture, distributed systems, and modern data engineering. This comprehensive guide explores the fundamental principles behind the reliable, scalable, and maintainable systems that power today’s applications and cloud platforms.

Published by O’Reilly Media, this bestselling title provides software engineers, architects, and data professionals with a deep understanding of how modern databases, distributed systems, and data-processing technologies work at scale.

Whether you are designing backend systems, building data pipelines, developing cloud-native applications, or preparing for system design interviews, this book simplifies complex concepts into practical engineering principles and real-world architectural patterns.

Why This Book Is Essential for Engineers

• Gain a deep understanding of distributed systems and large-scale architectures.
• Learn how relational databases, NoSQL systems, data warehouses, and data lakes operate.
• Explore key concepts such as scalability, consistency, reliability, and maintainability.
• Understand replication, partitioning, transactions, and fault-tolerant system design.
• Compare the strengths and limitations of different storage and processing technologies.
• Learn the engineering principles behind cloud services and modern infrastructure.
• Discover real-world architectural patterns used by leading technology companies.
• Updated in the second edition with new technologies and emerging trends.

Key Topics Covered

• Distributed Systems
• Database Architecture
• Data Engineering
• System Design
• Cloud Computing
• Big Data
• Fault Tolerance
• Consistency Models
• Data Storage and Retrieval
• Replication and Partitioning
• Event Streaming
• Transaction Processing
• Microservices Architecture
• Scalable Backend Systems

Who Should Read This Book?

This book is ideal for:

• Software Engineers
• Backend Developers
• Data Engineers
• Cloud Architects
• DevOps Professionals
• System Designers
• Database Administrators
• Engineering Managers
• Computer Science Students

About the Authors

Martin Kleppmann is an associate professor at the University of Cambridge, specializing in distributed systems and security protocols. He previously worked as a software engineer at LinkedIn, where he developed large-scale data systems, and is the co-creator of Automerge.

Chris Riccomini is a software engineer and entrepreneur with extensive experience building data-intensive and distributed applications.