Introduction

Most Frequently Asked AWS Interview Questions (With Answers)

You can look up the AWS certification when looking for the best IT jobs. Gartner has reportedly placed Amazon Web Services in the leader's quadrant. According to Forbes, there is a high demand for AWS certification. The AWS certification is leading up to 15 top-paying jobs in the IT industry. Here, we are helping you upgrade your career to meet the requirements of all those industries. Here we have curated the best interview questions and answers segment.

These include all AWS technical interview questions as well as AWS scenario-based interview questions. It is important to be aware of these important interview questions and answers to land a good position in the domain.

In this article, you will get to know about the AWS interview questions that will help you understand the interview format better. It is important to have knowledge of AWS technical interview questions and answers to demonstrate your knowledge in the domain. This knowledge of AWS technical interview questions and answers can be gained from undergoing an appropriate certification training course.

In order to demonstrate your practical knowledge of the subject, you must be aware of the AWS scenario-based interview questions and answers. A good AWS training course, like the one offered by Sprintzeal, will help you get comfortable with these AWS scenario-based interview questions and answers.

AWS is known for its architect solutions, which always help them in designing the AWS cloud architecture for existing systems and help them in migrating to the developed technical road maps. You can implement them in a better future AWS cloud implementation.

Through these AWS interview questions, you will get to know the top questions and answers that you need to know. This combination of AWS technical interview questions and AWS scenario-based interview questions will help you land a good job in the domain.

Firstly, we will start with the basic interview question section. Then we can move forward to the AWS interview questions, which may sound technical and challenging to the candidates.

Basic AWS Interview Questions and Answers

What do you mean by cloud computing?

Cloud computing is one of the major discussion topics. For this, you need to explore more of the cloud computing knowledge. Here we will give you some basic differences AWS was situated in 2006 whereas Azure was initiated in 2010.

The market share of AWS is 4x whereas for Azure it is x. The AWS is implemented with fewer options where Azure gets the most experiment material possible. 

The AWS gets the widest range of options, whereas Azure gets a good range of options. You can say Azure is better than AWS and offers the market a good market hold, whereas, in Azure, the market gets a better offering than AWS. This is an example of AWS technical interview questions.

Coming to the next AWS interview questions, try to get some answers from the following.

When you distribute your workload in the private sector, what architecture do you call them?

1. A) Virtual private network
2. B) Private cloud
3. C) Virtual private cloud
4. D) Hybrid cloud

The answer to this question is (d). The hybrid cloud can be used for the following architecture. This is happening because you are fully utilizing the public as well as private cloud premises. 

What does the following command do in Amazon EC2 security groups?

It helps in creating a new security group that is easy to use for your account. 

This means as you know, a security group is just like a farewell, where the security controls the traffic in and out of the instances. When we talk in terms of AWS, we call it inbound and outbound traffic. When you get successful in creating any security group, then you can add a lot of different rules to it. In this way, you can satisfy the answers.

How do you differentiate between terminating and stopping an instance from each other?

When you arrange an EC2 instance, you must know there are three states; they are starting, stopping, and terminating. Knowing in detail, the stopping and starting in the instance is done when we require specific targets. When the instances get stopped, then you get the normal shutdown, and all the transition gets stopped. You can get all the Amazon EBS volume in the instance and again at later times.

You do not get any additional instances hours for the stopped time. When you terminate the instance, then you get the instance getting normal shut down. In those instances, you get Amazon EBS volumes also get deleted. The instance in itself also gets deleted, and there is no chance of getting that instance again. This is an often-repeated part of AWS technical interview questions.

If we were to start the instance, then how do we run it in single-tenant hardware, which value do I need to set the instance attribute to?

By dedication instance, you can get the instance tenancy attributes. The rest of the values of the attributes are invalid.

When shall you incur all the costs with an Elastic IP address?

The answer to this AWS interview question is that if you are allocated and get associated with the stopped instances, then you can incur the costs. In this case, you do not get any charge, but that can only happen if the elastic IP address is attached to it.

But you have to remember that you can get charged from other factors like when you go for using more than one elastic IP within your instances. You can also get charged when you get the elastic IP attached to the stopped instance and when you get the elastic IP not even attached to any instances.

This is one of the basic AWS technical interview questions.

How can you spot the instant difference between on-demand instances and reserved instances?

You must know the spot instance, demand instance, and reserve instance are all the models of pricing. Knowing more about it, you should know, that the spot instantly provides the customer with compute capacity that comes with no upfront commitment. This work is usually at lower rates than the on-demand rate in each region. Coming to the spot instance, they are just like bidding.

The spot price is also usually known as the bidding price. The spot price is influenced by the supply and demand. But you have to note one strong point, the customer is never going to pay more than the maximum price that they get specified.

If in case, the spot price gets increased more than the customer’s maximum price then there are a lot of chances that the customer’s EC2 will be automatically shut down. But in the reverse case, this does not happen.

If the spot price is coming down, then you get the EC2 instances not getting launched automatically. You have to do one attribute manually. You get no commitment in spot and on-demand instances. You get no duration from both users.

But in reserved instances, you need to stick to one instance for the period it has chosen. This part of AWS technical interview questions gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge.

Do you think the reserved instances are available for the Multi-AZ deployments?

Yes, absolutely the multi-A-Z deployments are available for all the instances. It is more on the pricing model and is available in all instances.

Coming to the next AWS interview questions will help you in knowing more about the interview questions and answers. Through this, you can enhance your knowledge of the basic topics of the interview. So, let’s check out more.

How can you use the processor state control features which are available on the c4.8x large instance?

There is a total of two processors that are used for the control features. The first one is of C state, which helps in varying the state from c0 to c6. The biggest sleep state for a processor is c6. Another state of the processor is the P stage. In this P stage, you get the performance state from p0 to p15. P0 is the highest and p15 because of the lowest possible frequency. Now the questions are why did you choose the C state and P state?

All the processors have cores. Each core needs thermal headroom, which helps in boosting its performance. As all the cores need to be in the processor and the temperature keeps rising, it’s very important to keep the temperature in an optimal state. It helps the cores perform with more accuracy to give the highest performances. 

The next question that can come into our mind that, how will these states help in that? When you put the cores in a sleep state, it will help in performing better. It will help in putting the overall temperature in a normal state. Now you can sync this with the other cores. This will help in boosting the work performance in a better space. You can timely put the cores in sleep mode, which will help in getting you overall good performances. You can conclude the C and P state in a customized state also in EC2instances. This will help in customizing the processor for many hard workloads. This is a basic example of AWS scenario based interview questions.

What kinds of network performances do you expect from the launch instances in cluster placement groups?

All our network performance meagerly depends upon the instance types and network performances. It is the core of the specified type. When it gets launched in a placement group you can expect like 10 Gbps in a single–flow; you can also get the 20 Gbps in multi-flow, i.e., full-duplex. Along with these, you also get the benefits of network traffic outside the placement group. This will be limited to up to 5 Gbps. This is another basic part of AWS technical interview questions.

For deploying a node cluster in Hadoop in AWS, what kind of instance can we use?

Before knowing more about the answer, you must know about the Hadoop cluster. You must know that the Hadoop cluster follows the master-slave concept. The master processes are the one that processes all the data. It also looks after slave machines and works for all the slave machines, which helps in storing the data and helps in acting as the data nodes. All the storage happens at the slave, so you need a higher capacity of the hard disk.

This will help in recommending and mastering more of the processing. This is a classic example of using knowledge of AWS technical interview questions in order to answer AWS scenario based interview questions.

For doing the processing in the slaves, you need high RAM storage, and you also need better CPU control. For the processing, you can choose the higher configuration method depending on your computer workload. You can also use the installation of the Hadoop cluster, which can manually; through this, you can manually help in launching the Amazon EMR instances. This helps in configuration automatically.

Whenever you dump your data in the S3, the EMR will pick it up for you. It will help in processing and then dumps it in S3. This is the right way to answer AWS scenario based interview questions. When faced with AWS scenario based interview questions, one must answer in the form of a solution.

Where do you think you can find the AMI fits?

AMI means Amazon machine images. It is designed to template the virtual machines and keep an instance to the AMI. AWS primarily off offers pre-baked AMIs, which play a great role in launching the instance. There are some AMIs that you cannot get in free of cost. In that case, you have to bring it from the marketplace. You also get the privilege of designing your customs. The AMIs are going to play the role of saving your custom-made space. If you hesitate to create your own set of software, then you can customize your own AMI. In this process, you get more cost-effective things, and you get the chance to remove unwanted and wasted things. These kinds of AWS technical interview questions will help the interviewer determine your expertise.

In the section of AWS interview questions, you must get a clear idea of optimizing the answers, so that the interviewer can guess your level, and can test you according to that. This will give you more importance and value than other candidates. Moving to the next AWS interview questions.

Advanced AWS Interview Questions and Answers

Do you think one elastic IP address is enough for all instances of running?

The answer can vary. It depends on the situation. All the instances do come with a private and public address. You must note the fact that the private address is mostly associated with the instance and it primarily returns to the Amazon EC2. This process only happens, when you get the program stopped or terminated. In the same order, the public address is associated with the instances that merely happen when it is stopped or terminated.

It more often stays as long as the user does not give them manually in hand. But in case you are going to host multiple websites, then you have to go for a more elastic IP address. These kinds of AWS technical interview questions help you demonstrate your knowledge of subtleties in the domain.

What best practices do you follow for good security in Amazon EC2?

You can find a lot of practices to secure the EC2. Some of the facilities of the EC2 are using AWS identity for accessing management. It’s also used to control these AWS resources. It also looks for restricted access that helps in trusted hosts or networks. It helps in assessing more ports in your instances. The security also looks for reviewing rules in security groups regularly. As in privilege, you get the permission only to open up your requirement of yours. You also get the advantage of disabling your password which is based on your login instances. Its password must be launched from your AMI. 

How can you look for S3? How is it used for EC2 instances?

Yes definitely, you can go for the instances. You can look up the devices and then you need to back to the local instances. When you go for using Amazon S3, you must know that the developers have great access to your data storage. They are fast, reliable, inexpensive, and come with highly scalable data storage infrastructure. Amazon uses this infrastructure and runs a global network of websites. There are lots of developers who get to use the executive environment provided by Amazon. They usually look into the tools from the Amazon machine images. So, most of them get moved in between Amazon S3 and Amazon EC2.

What do you think of speeding the data transfer in snowball?

You get lots of ways through which you can increase the speed of the snowball. You can go for performing multiple copies that come with operations of one time only. You must see that the workstation is strong enough so that you can initiate multiple commands from different terminals and can come from a snowball device. You can also look for copying multiple workstations and can come for the snowball device. There are other ways like transferring large files or copying the large files by creating small batches of files. This will help in reducing the encryption overhead.

The last way through which you can speed the data transfer in a snowball is by eliminating the unnecessary files. This means you can make different sets up of the source machines and you can go for the snowball. Snowball is known to be an active machine that goes over switching and comes with great improvement in performance. These kinds of AWS scenario based interview questions help you state your opinion regarding things giving a glimpse of your comfort outside the box.

Coming to another section of the AWS interview questions section which is AWS VPC.

How can you connect the corporate data center to the Amazon cloud?

Yes definitely, you can go for establishing your corporate data center in the Amazon cloud. For that, you need to install the VPN, which is known as a virtual private network. This is a connection where you get the relationship between the VPC and VPN. This connection helps in allowing your instances from the EC2 as they exist within the network.

Is it even possible to change the private IP address?

When you are running the EC2 the primary private IP address is needed to get attached to the instances. It comes through all life and that can be never changed. However, if you look for the secondary private address then you can get unassigned. You can also get assigned or moved between the interfaces at some point in time.

Another interesting AWS interview question is,

Why do you go for making the subnets?

The answer to these questions is to efficiently utilize networks that have a large number of hosts. You can assume that many networks come with many large noes of hosts. It helps in managing the hosts for giving a tremendous job. For easy access, the network gets divided into subnets. These will help in managing the hosts and getting them into a very simple form.

Can you use the Amazon cloud front, in directing the transfer objects?

It’s a yes. The Amazon cloud front will help you in support through the origins of the custom. This may include the origin that can come from outside of AWS. 

When you come in contact with the direct AWS, you will be charged for the respective data that is needed for transfer.

When your AWS direct data connection fails, will you lose all your connectivity?

When you are doing a data connection, always look for a backup. If the backup AWS direct connect is been configured, then all the required and process events will be switched directly into the second one. It is always advisable that you look for Bidirectional forwarding detection. This will help in configuring the connection that will help in ensuring a greater and faster detection and failover. In other cases, you can look at the configuration back up from the IP sec VPN where all the connections will fall directly into the VPN connection automatically.

The Amazon S3 can be directed easily from the traffic and can join the routed Internet. If in case, you do not have any backup AWS direction connect link, then the VPS traffic will drop all the events in the mailbox. These kinds of AWS scenario based interview questions help the interviewer gauge the real-time experience you have had in the domain.

What are the differences between Amazon RDS, Dynamo DB, and Redshirt?

With an interesting section of the AWS interview questions; you can give this answer with very ease. You can clear the interview scene with your skills and knowledge.

Amazon RBD is used for database management. This helps in services that come from the relational database. It helps in managing the patching and upgrading the data and backing up the data and many more. It can get all the services without any intervention. The DB gets the RBD as a management service that helps structure the data only.

The DynamoDB on the other side helps in creating NoSQL data. It helps in serving those databases and deals with the instructed data. Coming to Redshift, it can be called the entirely different service that comes with a data warehouse product. You can also use that in data analysis.

Intermediate AWS Interview Questions and Answers

What is an EC2 instance, and how does it differ from traditional physical servers?

An EC2 instance is a virtual server in the AWS cloud. It differs from traditional servers as it can be easily provisioned, scaled, and configured through the AWS Management Console or APIs. Unlike physical servers, EC2 instances offer on-demand resources without the need for hardware maintenance.

How do you secure data in transit between an on-premises data center and AWS?

To create secure connections between your on-premises data center and AWS, you can use a VPN or AWS Direct Connect. Data security in transit is additionally guaranteed by using IPsec or SSL/TLS encryption for VPN connections or web applications.

Explain the difference between Amazon S3 and Amazon EBS.

Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) is object storage suitable for storing and retrieving large amounts of data, while Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store) provides block-level storage volumes for use with Amazon EC2 instances. EBS is ideal for data requiring low-latency access, whereas S3 is for scalable, durable, and highly available object storage.

What is AWS Lambda, and when would you use it?

AWS Lambda is a serverless computing service that allows you to run code in response to events without provisioning or managing servers. You'd use Lambda for tasks like data processing, automation, and creating event-driven applications, as it automatically scales and manages resources.

How can you monitor the performance and health of your AWS resources?

AWS offers CloudWatch, a monitoring and logging service, to track resource metrics, set alarms, and gain insights into resource utilization. Additionally, AWS X-Ray provides distributed tracing for application performance analysis.

AWS Interview Questions and Answers for Experienced

What are the key considerations when designing a multi-region, high-availability architecture on AWS?

Achieving high availability across multiple regions involves using services like Amazon Route 53 for DNS, AWS Global Accelerator for traffic routing, and data replication across regions for failover.

How do you implement CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) pipelines for AWS-based applications?

CI/CD pipelines can be implemented using AWS services like AWS CodePipeline, AWS CodeBuild, and AWS Elastic Beanstalk to automate building, testing, and deploying applications, ensuring rapid and reliable releases.

Describe the differences between AWS RDS Multi-AZ and Read Replica configurations.

RDS Multi-AZ provides high availability with synchronous replication for failover, while Read Replicas are used for scaling read workloads, with asynchronous replication for read-heavy scenarios.

How does Kubernetes (EKS) compare to AWS Elastic Container Service (ECS)?

Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) is a managed Kubernetes service, whereas Elastic Container Service (ECS) is a Docker container orchestration service. ECS is easier to install and use, although EKS is more adaptable and Kubernetes-compatible.

How can you optimize AWS costs for an enterprise-level application?

Cost optimization strategies include rightsizing EC2 instances, using reserved instances, implementing auto-scaling, leveraging AWS Trusted Advisor, and adopting a tagging strategy for cost allocation.

AWS Scenario Based Interview Questions and Answers

Scenario 1: High Traffic Website Deployment

Question: Imagine you are tasked with deploying a high-traffic website on AWS. The website experiences spikes in traffic during special promotions. How would you architect the infrastructure to ensure scalability, availability, and cost-effectiveness?

Answer: I would design the architecture as follows:

• Use Amazon EC2 instances for web servers and place them behind an Auto Scaling group to handle varying traffic loads.
• Implement Amazon RDS for the database to ensure data durability and manageability.
• Leverage Amazon CloudFront for content delivery to reduce latency and improve website performance.
• Set up Amazon ElastiCache to cache frequently accessed content and reduce the load on the database.
• Implement Amazon Route 53 for DNS routing with latency-based routing policies for global users.
• Use AWS Lambda and Amazon CloudWatch Alarms for automatic scaling triggers.
• Monitor performance using Amazon CloudWatch and AWS Trusted Advisor to optimize cost.

Scenario 2: Disaster Recovery Planning

Question: Your organization's critical application is hosted on AWS. How would you plan for disaster recovery to ensure minimal downtime and data loss in case of a disaster?

Answer: To ensure disaster recovery:

• Set up cross-region replication for critical data in Amazon S3 buckets.
• Create Amazon Machine Images (AMIs) of important EC2 instances and store them in another region.
• Establish a secondary AWS region as a disaster recovery site with an isolated VPC.
• Implement database replication using AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) or native database replication features.
• Use AWS CloudFormation templates for infrastructure as code to recreate the environment in the secondary region.
• Set up automated backup and restore processes for your application data.
• Regularly test disaster recovery procedures to ensure they are effective.

Scenario 3: Cost Optimization

Question: Your AWS bill has increased significantly. How would you identify cost optimization opportunities without compromising performance and reliability?

Answer: To optimize costs:

• Utilize AWS Cost Explorer to analyze spending patterns and identify cost drivers.
• Review underutilized resources and consider resizing or terminating them.
• Implement AWS Trusted Advisor to get cost optimization recommendations.
• Leverage AWS Spot Instances for non-critical workloads to reduce compute costs.
• Set up AWS Budgets and alerts to proactively monitor and control spending.
• Use AWS Auto Scaling to rightsize your resources based on actual usage.
• Consider Reserved Instances for predictable workloads to save on compute costs.

Scenario 4: Security Incident Response

Question: You suspect a security breach in your AWS environment. What steps would you take to investigate and respond to this incident?

Answer: In the event of a security breach:

• Isolate affected resources to prevent further damage.
• Use AWS CloudTrail and AWS Config to review logs and detect unusual activities.
• Identify the extent of the breach, affected systems, and compromised data.
• Remove unauthorized access by adjusting security groups, IAM permissions, and passwords.
• Notify appropriate parties, including AWS Support and legal authorities if necessary.
• Preserve evidence for forensic analysis, if required, while complying with legal requirements.
• Conduct a post-incident review to understand the breach's cause and implement preventive measures to avoid future incidents.

Technical AWS Interview Questions

What is the difference between Amazon RDS and Amazon DynamoDB in AWS?

Amazon DynamoDB is a NoSQL database service, whereas Amazon RDS is a managed relational database service. RDS is suitable for structured data and allows you to use SQL, whereas DynamoDB is designed for fast and scalable unstructured data storage with a flexible schema. 

How do you configure a VPC Peering connection in AWS, and what are its use cases?

To set up VPC Peering, you establish a peering connection between two VPCs, configure route tables, and ensure proper security group settings. Use cases include connecting VPCs in different regions or within the same region for resource sharing.

Explain the process of setting up auto-scaling for EC2 instances in an AWS environment.

Configure Auto Scaling by creating a launch configuration, defining scaling policies, and attaching them to an Auto Scaling group. AWS monitors metrics and based on thresholds, it automatically adds or removes EC2 instances to maintain desired capacity.

What security measures are typically used to protect data at rest and in transit in an AWS S3 bucket?

Data at rest is protected using server-side encryption, and in transit, encryption is achieved via SSL/TLS. Additional measures include bucket policies, access controls, and IAM roles to secure data access.

Non-Technical AWS Interview Questions

Can you describe the role of an AWS Solutions Architect in a non-technical context?

An AWS Solutions Architect acts as a bridge between technical teams and business stakeholders. They translate business requirements into technical solutions and ensure that AWS services align with organizational goals.

How do you prioritize tasks and manage time effectively when working on AWS projects?

Effective time management involves setting priorities, breaking down tasks, and using tools like calendars and task lists. Balancing project timelines and addressing critical issues helps ensure successful project execution.

What communication skills are essential for collaborating with cross-functional teams on AWS projects?

Active listening, concise verbal and written communication, and the ability to explain technical concepts to stakeholders who are not technical are all examples of communication skills. Teamwork, empathy, and collaboration are also essential. 

How can adaptability and problem-solving skills contribute to your success as an AWS professional?

Adaptability allows you to quickly respond to changes in technology and requirements. Problem-solving skills enable you to troubleshoot issues, optimize AWS resources, and find innovative solutions, ultimately enhancing your effectiveness as a professional.

So here we have collected some of the popular AWS interview questions and answered them to help you. We’re certain these will prove to be the best interview questions and answers that can help you in clearing interviews. These will also provide basic ideas about the types of questions that are asked in the interview.

Conclusion

When pursuing any career, it's vital to equip yourself with the necessary skills and knowledge. Apart from certification courses, AWS interview preparation is key. AWS technical interview questions in this article showcase your expertise, offering an advantage. To demonstrate problem-solving skills, grasp AWS scenario-based interview questions. These queries affirm your knowledge and seriousness as a candidate. They highlight your ability to handle real-world challenges, increasing your chances of recruitment.

If you are aspiring to make a career or enhance your current career in the field of cloud computing, you can take up our AWS Certification Training and get certified.

AWS (Amazon Web Services) Certifications You Must Consider

AWS Solution Architect Certification

AWS Developer Associate Certification

AWS SysOps Associate Certification

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