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FE System DesignIntermediate45 minutes

Real-Time Notification Center

Design a real-time notification system with multi-tab sync, read-state updates, and resilience during notification storms.

LLM-friendly summary

An intermediate frontend architecture problem about real-time notifications, cross-tab sync, and resilient event delivery.

Scenario

Users open multiple tabs, receive bursts of real-time updates, and expect read state to stay in sync across tabs and devices.

What you need to design

  1. 1Choose between WebSockets, SSE, or a hybrid delivery model.
  2. 2Handle multi-tab synchronization correctly.
  3. 3Support optimistic read/unread updates.
  4. 4Design for intermittent connectivity.
  5. 5Reduce notification storm fatigue.

Concepts

WebSocketsSSECross-Tab SyncOptimistic UpdatesService Workers

Skills

Real-Time ArchitectureState SynchronizationOffline Support

What good solutions are evaluated on

  • - Real-time transport design
  • - Cross-tab sync and state consistency
  • - Backpressure and storm handling
  • - Offline and recovery planning

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