System requirements

Functional:

List functional requirements for the system (Ask the chat bot for hints if stuck.)...

1. URL Encoding: When a user enters a URL, the system generates a unique short alias. This could be done by creating a hash of the URL and then encoding it. The encoded string will serve as the key in the key-value pair, where the value is the original URL.
2. Redirection: When a user accesses the shortened URL, the system looks up the original URL associated with the encoded string and redirects the user to that URL.
3. Data Storage: The system needs to store the mapping between the shortened URL and the original URL. This could be done using a database or a distributed key-value store.
4. Expiration and Cleanup: Optionally, the system could allow URLs to expire after a certain period of time. This would require a cleanup process to remove expired URLs from the system.

Non-Functional:

List non-functional requirements for the system...

1. Scalability: The system should be able to handle a large number of URL shortenings and redirections. This could be achieved by using load balancers and distributed databases.
2. Availability and Consistency: The system should be highly available and consistent. This means that if a user shortens a URL, they should be able to access the shortened URL immediately. Also, the same shortened URL should always redirect to the same original URL.

API design

Define what APIs are expected from the system...

High-level design

You should identify enough components that are needed to solve the actual problem from end to end. Also remember to draw a block diagram using the diagramming tool to augment your design. If you are unfamiliar with the tool, you can simply describe your design to the chat bot and ask it to generate a starter diagram for you to modify...

Detailed component design

Dig deeper into 2-3 components and explain in detail how they work. For example, how well does each component scale? Any relevant algorithm or data structure you like to use for a component? Also you could draw a diagram using the diagramming tool to enhance your design...

Database design

Defining the system data model early on will clarify how data will flow among different components of the system. Also you could draw an ER diagram using the diagramming tool to enhance your design...