paperdraw.dev – Browser-based system design simulator with chaos testing

Summary: paperdraw.dev is a web tool for designing, simulating, and chaos testing distributed system architectures. It enables real-time observation of metrics like latency and error rates, helping users identify weaknesses by simulating failures and traffic spikes.

What it does

Users drag and drop components such as load balancers, caches, and databases, then run simulations to monitor performance metrics. Chaos testing features allow triggering events like network partitions and component crashes.

Who it's for

Engineers and architects designing distributed systems who need to visualize and test architecture behavior without deploying infrastructure.

Why it matters

It reveals system vulnerabilities and trade-offs early by simulating failures and load, aiding design reviews and interviews.