Architecture & DesignIntermediate
Latency vs Throughput
PronunciationLAY-ten-see versus THROO-put
Definition
Latency is how long one request takes. Throughput is how many requests the system handles per second.
Where you hear it
Performance testing and system design interviews.
Examples
The latency is only 80 ms, but throughput drops under heavy load.
Adding servers improves throughput, not latency.
Common mistake
Mixing them up. A system can have low latency and low throughput, or the opposite.
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