Reactions Storage Service

Various services are built on user interactions, such as social media and content platforms. In an effort to enhance user experience, many of these services have recently implemented reactions, a form of engagement allowing users to express their reaction to the posted content. This paper introduces a world-first, open-source, general-purpose reactions storage system. We developed an efficient and flexible service designed to encompass a wide range of potential use cases. The efficiency of the system is defined by its capacity to concurrently handle a substantial number of requests, while its flexibility is gauged by its ability to address diverse use cases and its management simplicity. Following the usual practices in distributed systems, each decision involves trade-offs, and this work endeavors to highlight various trade-offs encountered throughout the implementation process, ultimately presenting a production-ready system. This paper holds relevance for both those interested in leveraging the service and developers seeking an efficient approach for real-time data aggregation.