Top Cloud Computing Interview Questions and How to Respond to Them

Hello everybody!
Welcome back to Cognixia’s podcast. We hope you have been enjoying our episodes and if you have any feedback or questions for us, do connect with us on any of our social media handles.
In today’s episode, we will talk about something that boggles just about everybody – interviews. To be more specific, in this episode, we will cover some of the top interview questions for cloud computing professionals and how to answer them effectively.

Cloud computing is one of the leading digital technologies of today that offers a very wide range of opportunities for individuals to grow their careers. With the right skill set and knowledge in place, one can build a flourishing, successful career in cloud computing. You could be seeking an opportunity as a cloud administrator or a cloud developer or a specialist or any other role, there are some fundamental questions that you would likely be asked in your interview with potential employers. Let us seek to answer some of them.

Mike is an AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate. Today, he is interviewing for the position of Cloud Solutions Architect at X company, with the hiring manager, Paul.

• Paul: Hi Mike! How are you doing today?
  Mike: I’m doing great, Paul. Thanks for having me.
• Paul: Well, I’m really excited to have you with us today. So without further ado, let’s dive into technical question, shall we?
  Mike: Absolutely
• Paul: Perfect. So what is your understanding of cloud computing? And how would you define it in your words?
  Mike: Well, I would say that cloud computing is the on demand delivery of IT resources over the internet, and it offers the users a pay as you go pricing model. It offers them an alternative to the complicated process of buying, owning and maintaining a physical data center and servers.
• Paul: That’s great. So how would you say cloud solution compare against on premise computing?
  Mike: Compared to on premise computing, cloud computing has a much lower initial cost and it requires relatively much less maintenance and support. The updates are automatic and it is very scalable and flexible. Moreover, with it, you can pay as you go, so it can support your business as it grows, and you only pay for what you use. You also have the advantage of accessing your data from anywhere, anytime. So there is no location limitation.
• Paul: So let’s say if you have a fully functional cloud ecosystem in an organization, what would you say? What are the main constituents of this ecosystem?
  Mike: I would say that the cloud ecosystem in the organization would have three main components. First, will be the cloud service provider. They are the service providers who provide the cloud platform for the organization’s use. Second, would be the cloud consumers. These other people will use different types of cloud services within the organizations. And third could be the director consumers who use the services of the organization that have been built on the cloud environment.

• Paul: Alright, so let’s see how much do you know about the hybrid cloud model and when should an organization consider the hybrid cloud model? And what does it offer?
  Mike: The model works for organizations that have their on premise data centers, private and public cloud resources, as well as the workloads tied together by a common data management strategy. We have involved some mix of computing storage and services environment. Suppose we have a traditional architecture for existing systems that have some sensitive data and cannot be migrated to a public cloud platform then we have a drop model will be a very good strategy for them. It will be able to provide better support for remote employees, bring down the cost for the organization, increase agility in the system, and always ensure business continuity while improving security and risk management
• Paul: Alright, Let’s see what you know about hybrid cloud model and when should an organization consider it and what does it offer? Okay, so are there any downsides to this model?
  Mike: There are some downsides to the hybrid model, as it could translate into having to manage multiple vendors and platforms at the same time and it’s very complex.
• Paul: ok, So if I was looking for an open source cloud computing solution, what would you recommend?
  Mike: I would recommend OpenStack.
• Paul: OpenStack alright. Well, offline serverless computing has become quite the buzzword in the market. What would you say? Like what are the advantage of this serverless computing for an organization?
  Mike: So as serverless computing is cost effective, and highly scalable, the one main advantage is that it requires no server management and increases productivity significantly.
• Paul: Serverless So, do you think the microservices are important in cloud computing?
  Mike: Yeah, microservices are important because they help simplify the app development process. Now let’s see if you break down the entire process of app development into smaller processes, then each micro service is built for a specific purpose. Moreover, they make the process highly scalable and adaptable. And changes can be made to it very quickly. Essentially, microservices make the development process, scalable, flexible, and responsive.
• Paul: That’s really good. But just to add up, how would you explain the cloud computing architecture in simpler terms to somebody who has a basic understanding of technology?
  Mike: well, There are two parts of the system, the front end and the back end. Cloud computing architecture brings both of these two parts together. It is important that the right services are brought together if thought computing must work for the organization and benefit both the internal and external stakeholders. The system also must be resilient, responsive and flexible to make changes quickly and make corrections as quickly as possible.
• Paul: That’s amazing, Mike, I think you have a good grasp of all the important concepts of cloud computing that we essentially need our potential employees to have. I’ll speak with the recruiter and they’ll get back to you with the next steps.
  Mike: Thank you. Thank you paul. Thank you so much for your time. I look forward to hearing from the recruiter. Thank you.

These were some of the top questions that you would encounter when interviewing for positions in the cloud computing domain. Besides this, you could get asked domain-specific questions relating to applications in the domains or the advantages of the domain, etc. Research thoroughly and prepare accordingly before your interview.

With this, we come to an end for this episode of our podcast. If you would like to learn more about our cloud computing certification programs, visit our website – www.cognixia.com. We offer certification programs for Microsoft Azure, AWS, as well as GCP. Besides, our programs are 100% live virtual instructor-led, giving you an opportunity to learn from the comfort of your home, over the weekends.
See you in the next episode. Till then, keep learning, and all the best for your interviews!