System Design : What is the difference between throughput and latency ?

In Computer Networks latency and throughput plays an important role. While latency checks whether the network is fast enough or not, throughput checks if the network can receive large amount of data concurrently. High latency means the network ping is slow i.e. the network takes time to return its response. High latency we generally say the network is lagging. But low latency means the network is able to send response back faster.  Throughput indicates the number of data packets transmitted from source to destination. High throughput means the network can transfer large amount of data packets to their destination. Low throughput means the network will struggle while sending small amount of data packets. A network with low throughput and high latency will struggle to send and process high volume data while the network with high throughput and low latency will result in efficient application. Throughput is measured in megabytes per second while the latency is measured in milliseconds Net

What is Libuv Library and what it does?


Libuv is a multi-platform library in C that provides asynchronous I/O support and other core functionality typically needed by event-driven programs like Node.js. It was originally developed as part of the Node.js project to abstract platform-specific details away from its core. However, it has evolved into a standalone library used by various other projects as well.

Features of Libuv :

1.) Asynchronous I/O: One of the primary features of Libuv is its support for asynchronous I/O operations. This allows applications to perform I/O operations (such as reading from or writing to files or sockets) without blocking the execution of the program.

2.) Event Loop: Libuv provides an event loop implementation. The event loop is a core concept in event-driven programming, where it continuously checks for and dispatches events or tasks such as I/O operations, timers, and callbacks. Libuv's event loop is used by Node.js and other projects to manage asynchronous operations and ensure efficient utilization of system resources. Libuv is responsible for managing the event loop in Node.js. It efficiently handles and dispatches various types of events such as I/O operations, timers, and callbacks. This ensures that Node.js applications can handle multiple concurrent tasks without blocking.

3.) Cross-Platform Abstraction: Libuv abstracts away platform-specific details related to I/O operations and event handling, providing a consistent interface across different operating systems. This allows applications built with Libuv to run on various platforms without significant changes to the codebase.

4.) Concurrency and Thread Pooling: Libuv includes support for concurrency and thread pooling, allowing developers to execute certain tasks concurrently across multiple threads. This can improve performance in scenarios where multiple tasks can be executed independently.

5.) Performance Optimization: Libuv incorporates various performance optimizations to enhance the efficiency of event-driven programming in Node.js. This includes techniques such as non-blocking I/O, event-driven architecture, and efficient resource utilization, resulting in high-performance and low-latency applications.




The importance of Libuv in Node.js cannot be overstated; it serves as the backbone of Node.js's asynchronous and event-driven architecture.

Comments