How Does a Typical Push Notification System Work?

30 minsSystem DesignNotifications

30 mins

1 sections

System Design, Notifications

Contents

The diagram above shows the architecture of a notification system that covers major notification channels:

Let’s walk through the steps.

• Steps 1.1 and 1.2 - The business services send notifications to the notification gateway. The gateway can handle two modes: one mode receives one notification each time, and the other receives notifications in batches.
• Steps 2, 2.1, and 2.2 - The notification gateway forwards the notifications to the distribution service, where the messages are validated, formatted, and scheduled based on settings. The notification template repository allows users to pre-define the message format. The channel preference repository allows users to pre-define the preferred delivery channels.
• Step 3 - The notifications are then sent to the routers, normally message queues.
• Step 4 - The channel services communicate with various internal and external delivery channels, including in-app notifications, email delivery, SMS delivery, and social media apps.
• Steps 5 and 6 - The delivery metrics are captured by the notification tracking and analytics service, where the operations team can view the analytical reports and improve user experiences.

The diagram above shows the architecture of a notification system that covers major notification channels:

Let’s walk through the steps.

• Steps 1.1 and 1.2 - The business services send notifications to the notification gateway. The gateway can handle two modes: one mode receives one notification each time, and the other receives notifications in batches.
• Steps 2, 2.1, and 2.2 - The notification gateway forwards the notifications to the distribution service, where the messages are validated, formatted, and scheduled based on settings. The notification template repository allows users to pre-define the message format. The channel preference repository allows users to pre-define the preferred delivery channels.
• Step 3 - The notifications are then sent to the routers, normally message queues.
• Step 4 - The channel services communicate with various internal and external delivery channels, including in-app notifications, email delivery, SMS delivery, and social media apps.
• Steps 5 and 6 - The delivery metrics are captured by the notification tracking and analytics service, where the operations team can view the analytical reports and improve user experiences.