Our journey began with the bedrock of systems: operating systems. We traced the path from microprocessors and memory to the virtualization of those resources, and followed the evolution of storage and network from traditional to their modern variants.
We also scaled upward into data processing, examining the shift from batch to streaming models. We navigated the landscape of data stores - learning SQL, NoSQL, and specialized databases - and also saw how the data processing concepts converge in the mechanics of distributed query processing and data joins.
On the theoretical side, we dissected the nuances of consensus through various protocols and analyzed the role of the two-phase commit in database integrity. We also grappled with the "hardness" of clock synchronization, uncovering why time remains one of the greatest hurdles in distributed systems.
In the realm of cloud computing, we explored the serverless era, including object stores, serverless computation, and the orchestration systems that handle various workloads.
Finally, we looked at the cutting edge: how machine learning systems utilize hardware accelerators and how decentralized protocols like IPFS and blockchain are implemented.
I recognize that this journey was often daunting. Many of the papers we studied are notoriously difficult, but by wrestling with them, you have significantly leveled up your technical intuition.
The journey does not end here; in many ways, this is just the beginning. The world of computing systems is expanding at an unprecedented pace. Every shift in AI, quantum, or blockchain is an invitation for systems engineers to rethink established designs and build what’s next. You have made it through the fire - you are now ready to take this knowledge and make your mark on the world.
I hope you enjoyed viewing the world of systems through the lens of these foundational papers. I wish you the very best in your next adventure.