Consistent Hashing
Consistent hashing is a distributed hashing technique used in computer systems to minimize reorganization when nodes are added or removed from a network, such as in distributed caches or databases. It maps data to a hash ring, assigning each node a range of hash values, which reduces the amount of data that needs to be remapped during changes. This approach improves scalability and load balancing in distributed systems by distributing data more evenly across nodes.
Developers should learn consistent hashing when building or working with distributed systems like content delivery networks (CDNs), distributed databases (e.g., Cassandra, DynamoDB), or caching systems (e.g., Memcached, Redis) to handle dynamic node changes efficiently. It is crucial for scenarios requiring high availability and minimal disruption during scaling, such as in cloud-based applications or microservices architectures, as it reduces data migration overhead and maintains performance.