Glossary

Consistent Hashing

Maps keys and nodes onto a ring so adding/removing a node moves only a few keys.

1 min read·5 sections
Open the interactive version → diagrams, practice & more

Definition

Maps keys and nodes onto a ring so adding/removing a node moves only a few keys.

How it works

Naive key%N reshuffles everything on a membership change; the ring moves only a key's slice. Virtual nodes smooth out imbalance. Used by caches, Cassandra, Dynamo.

Learn more on SystemLore

Consistent hashing — Academy

Common questions

What is Consistent Hashing?

Maps keys and nodes onto a ring so adding/removing a node moves only a few keys.

How does Consistent Hashing work?

Naive key%N reshuffles everything on a membership change; the ring moves only a key's slice. Virtual nodes smooth out imbalance. Used by caches, Cassandra, Dynamo.

What is Consistent Hashing used for in system design?

Naive key%N reshuffles everything on a membership change; the ring moves only a key's slice. Virtual nodes smooth out imbalance. Used by caches, Cassandra, Dynamo.

Part of Glossary on SystemLore — system design explained with 148 deep topics, interactive diagrams, and a build-it-yourself game. Build this one →