How to stream a large file to 1000 hosts fastest
Company: Anthropic
Role: Software Engineer
Category: System Design
Difficulty: medium
Interview Round: Onsite
## Problem
You need to distribute a very large file stored in cloud object storage to **1000 servers** in a data center.
- The WAN link from **cloud storage → data center** is bandwidth-limited (assume **1 Gb/s** total into the data center).
- Each server has a NIC bandwidth limit (assume **1 Gb/s** per server).
### Task
Design the **fastest** (lowest makespan) way to stream/deliver the file so that all 1000 servers obtain the full file.
### Follow-up
How does your design change if some hosts have **poor or unstable network** (slow, lossy, frequently disconnecting)?
Quick Answer: This question evaluates a candidate's ability to design scalable data distribution and bandwidth-optimized streaming strategies, testing competencies in distributed systems, network architecture, and performance trade-offs.