AWS Administrator Interview - Technical Round

Total 52 important interview questions and answers for an AWS Cloud administrator role ( also, applicable for AWS Solutions Architect):

1. Question: What is AWS, and why is it popular in cloud computing? Answer: AWS (Amazon Web Services) is a cloud computing platform provided by Amazon. It is popular due to its vast range of services, scalability, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and reliable infrastructure.

2. Question: Explain the key components of AWS architecture. Answer: AWS architecture comprises several key components, including Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) for virtual servers, Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) for object storage, Amazon RDS (Relational Database Service) for managed databases, and Amazon VPC (Virtual Private Cloud) for network isolation.

3. Question: How do you secure data in AWS?

   Answer: Data can be secured in AWS through various methods, such as using IAM (Identity and Access Management) to manage user access, applying encryption at rest and in transit, using security groups and NACLs (Network Access Control Lists) to control network traffic, and setting up AWS WAF (Web Application Firewall) to protect against web-based attacks.

4. Question: What is AWS Lambda, and how does it work?

   Answer: AWS Lambda is a serverless compute service that allows running code without managing servers. It works by triggering functions in response to events, and you only pay for the compute time used during function execution.

5. Question: How can you automate infrastructure provisioning in AWS? Answer: Infrastructure provisioning can be automated in AWS using tools like AWS CloudFormation, which allows you to define your infrastructure as code, or by using AWS Elastic Beanstalk, which simplifies deploying and managing applications.

6. Question: Describe the differences between Amazon S3 and EBS (Elastic Block Store).

   Answer: Amazon S3 is object storage for storing and retrieving any amount of data, while EBS is block-level storage for EC2 instances and provides persistent and high-performance data storage.

7. Question: What is AWS Auto Scaling, and why is it beneficial?

   Answer: AWS Auto Scaling automatically adjusts the number of EC2 instances based on real-time traffic, ensuring optimal performance and cost-efficiency. It helps maintain application availability and responsiveness during varying workloads.

8. Question: How can you monitor AWS resources and applications?

   Answer: AWS provides various monitoring tools, such as Amazon CloudWatch, which collects and tracks metrics, monitors logs, and sets alarms to notify when certain thresholds are breached.

9. Question: How do you create a backup and restore strategy for an AWS database?

   Answer: To create a backup strategy, I would use Amazon RDS automated backups or manual snapshots at regular intervals. Additionally, I would enable Multi-AZ deployment for high availability. For a restore strategy, I would use these backups or snapshots to recover data in case of any data loss or system failure.

10. Question: How do you secure data between on-premises infrastructure and AWS cloud?

    Answer: To secure data between on-premises and AWS cloud, I would set up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or Direct Connect connection to establish a private and encrypted communication channel. I would also ensure that access controls and encryption mechanisms are properly configured.

11. Question: Explain the difference between Amazon S3 and Amazon Glacier.

    Answer: Amazon S3 is designed for frequent and immediate access to data, making it ideal for storing frequently accessed files and objects. On the other hand, Amazon Glacier is a low-cost archival storage service that is suitable for long-term data retention where retrieval times can be longer.

12. Question: How can you optimize costs in AWS?

    Answer: I can optimize costs in AWS by leveraging services like AWS Cost Explorer to analyze and forecast expenses, using AWS Trusted Advisor to receive cost optimization recommendations, and employing AWS Spot Instances for cost-effective compute resources.

13. Question: What is AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), and what are its key features?

    Answer: AWS IAM is a service that manages user access and permissions to AWS resources. Its key features include creating and managing users, groups, and roles, controlling access to services using policies, enabling Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and integrating with AWS Single Sign-On (SSO).

14. Question: How can you enhance the availability of your application in AWS?

    Answer: To enhance application availability, I would deploy the application across multiple Availability Zones (AZs) using AWS Elastic Load Balancing and Auto Scaling. This setup ensures that even if one AZ becomes unavailable, the application remains accessible.

15. Question: Explain the use of Amazon CloudFront in AWS.

    Answer: Amazon CloudFront is a content delivery network (CDN) service that caches and delivers content from edge locations closest to the end-users. It helps improve the performance and reduce latency for delivering static and dynamic content.

16. Question: How do you secure data at rest and in transit in AWS? Answer: To secure data at rest, I would use encryption mechanisms such as AWS Key Management Service (KMS) to encrypt data stored in Amazon S3, EBS volumes, or RDS databases. For data in transit, I would use SSL/TLS protocols to encrypt communication between clients and services.

17. Question: How do you ensure compliance and governance in AWS? Answer: To ensure compliance and governance, I would implement AWS Config to assess resource configurations, set up AWS CloudTrail for auditing and tracking API calls, and use AWS Organizations to manage multiple AWS accounts and apply organizational policies.

18. Question: What is AWS Elastic Beanstalk, and what are its benefits? Answer: AWS Elastic Beanstalk is a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offering that simplifies application deployment and management. It automatically handles the underlying infrastructure, allowing developers to focus on writing code. Benefits include easy scaling, monitoring, and application health management.

19. Question: Can you explain the concept of Amazon VPC Peering? Answer: Amazon VPC Peering enables the connection of two VPCs within the same AWS region, allowing them to communicate using private IP addresses. It helps create a virtual network that spans multiple VPCs while keeping the traffic secure and isolated.

20. Question: How can you monitor AWS cost and usage effectively?

    Answer: To monitor AWS cost and usage effectively, I would use AWS Cost Explorer to analyze and visualize cost and usage data, set up billing alarms using Amazon CloudWatch, and utilize AWS Budgets to set custom cost and usage budgets with notifications.

21. Question: Describe the steps to deploy a web application on AWS. Answer: First, I would create an EC2 instance and configure it with the necessary software and dependencies. Then, I'd set up an Elastic Load Balancer to distribute traffic and ensure high availability. Finally, I'd use Route 53 to set up DNS for the application's domain.

22. Question: What is AWS CloudTrail, and how does it enhance security? Answer: AWS CloudTrail is a service that records all API calls made within your AWS account. It enhances security by providing a detailed history of activity, allowing for auditing, monitoring, and detecting unauthorized or unexpected changes.

23. Question: How do you handle disaster recovery in AWS?

    Answer: I would implement AWS Backup to automate and manage backups of important data and configure Cross-Region Replication to replicate critical data across multiple AWS regions. Additionally, I'd set up a Multi-AZ deployment for critical services to ensure high availability.

24. Question: What is the difference between horizontal and vertical scaling in AWS?

    Answer: Horizontal scaling involves adding more instances to distribute the load across multiple servers, while vertical scaling increases the size of an instance to handle a larger workload. AWS Auto Scaling is an example of horizontal scaling, and changing instance types is an example of vertical scaling.

25. Question: How can you secure access to EC2 instances in AWS? Answer: I would use IAM roles to grant EC2 instances specific permissions, configure security groups to control inbound and outbound traffic, and use SSH key pairs for secure remote access.

26. Question: What is AWS CloudFormation, and how do you use it?

    Answer: AWS CloudFormation is an infrastructure-as-code service that enables you to provision and manage AWS resources using templates. With CloudFormation, you can define your infrastructure in a JSON or YAML file and create, update, or delete resources in a predictable and automated manner.

27. Question: Explain the use of AWS Direct Connect.

    Answer: AWS Direct Connect is a dedicated network connection that establishes a private and high-bandwidth link between your on-premises data center and AWS. It provides a more consistent and secure connection for accessing AWS services compared to internet-based connections.

28. Question: How do you handle high availability for relational databases in AWS?

    Answer: For high availability of relational databases, I would use Amazon RDS Multi-AZ deployment, which replicates the database across multiple Availability Zones to provide automatic failover in case of a primary instance failure.

29. Question: What are AWS Lambda Layers, and why are they useful? Answer: AWS Lambda Layers are a way to manage and share code across multiple Lambda functions. Layers allow you to separate your custom runtime code from the function logic, making it easier to manage, update, and reuse shared libraries and dependencies.

30. Question: How can you implement data backup and restore for Amazon EBS volumes?

    Answer: For data backup, I would create snapshots of the Amazon EBS volumes periodically. These snapshots can be stored in Amazon S3 or in another AWS region for added redundancy. To restore data, I would use these snapshots to create new EBS volumes with the required data.

31. Question: What is AWS Systems Manager, and what are its main features?

    Answer: AWS Systems Manager is a management service that enables you to manage and automate operational tasks in AWS. Its main features include Parameter Store for storing configuration data, Automation for automating common maintenance and deployment tasks, and Patch Manager for managing software updates.

32. Question: How do you monitor the performance and health of EC2 instances in AWS?

    Answer: I would use Amazon CloudWatch to monitor EC2 instances' performance metrics such as CPU utilization, network traffic, and disk usage. Additionally, I can set up CloudWatch alarms to trigger notifications when performance thresholds are breached.

33. Question: Can you explain the process of deploying a serverless application using AWS SAM (Serverless Application Model)? Answer: With AWS SAM, I would define the serverless application and its resources in a SAM template file, including functions, APIs, and event triggers. Then, I'd use the SAM CLI to package and deploy the application to AWS using CloudFormation.

34. Question: How do you implement cross-region replication for Amazon S3 buckets?

    Answer: To implement cross-region replication, I would enable versioning on the source S3 bucket, create a destination bucket in the target region, and configure the replication rules to replicate object changes from the source bucket to the destination bucket.

35. Question: How do you optimize the performance of an Amazon RDS database?

    Answer: To optimize the performance of an Amazon RDS database, I would implement read replicas to offload read traffic, use Provisioned IOPS storage for high-performance workloads, and regularly monitor and tune the database using Amazon RDS Performance Insights.

36. Question: What is Amazon VPC Flow Logs, and how does it help in network monitoring?

    Answer: Amazon VPC Flow Logs capture information about the IP traffic going to and from network interfaces within a VPC. It helps in network monitoring by providing visibility into network traffic patterns, aiding in troubleshooting, and enhancing security analysis.

37. Question: Can you explain the concept of AWS Elastic Load Balancing?

    Answer: AWS Elastic Load Balancing automatically distributes incoming application traffic across multiple EC2 instances or containers to ensure high availability and fault tolerance. It helps evenly distribute the load and reroute traffic during instance failures.

38. Question: How can you use AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) roles to grant permissions to EC2 instances?

    Answer: By attaching an IAM role to an EC2 instance, you can grant permissions to access other AWS services without embedding access keys in the EC2 instance. This provides a more secure and manageable way to manage access to AWS resources.

39. Question: How do you ensure data durability and availability in Amazon S3?

    Answer: Amazon S3 automatically stores data redundantly across multiple devices and facilities within a region. To ensure data durability, I would choose the appropriate storage class, such as S3 Standard or S3 Intelligent-Tiering, and enable versioning for added protection against accidental deletions.

40. Question: What is AWS CloudWatch Logs, and how do you use it for centralized log management? Answer: AWS CloudWatch Logs allows you to monitor, store, and access log files from various AWS services and applications. To use it for centralized log management, I would configure log streams from different sources to feed into a centralized CloudWatch log group, making it easier to analyze and manage logs.

41. Question: Explain the role of AWS Elastic Beanstalk in application deployment.

    Answer: AWS Elastic Beanstalk automates the deployment and management of applications in a PaaS environment. It automatically provisions resources, handles application deployment, and scales the infrastructure based on the application's needs.

42. Question: How do you handle security updates and patches for EC2 instances?

    Answer: I would use AWS Systems Manager Patch Manager to automate the process of applying security updates and patches to EC2 instances, ensuring that they remain up to date and protected against vulnerabilities.

43. Question: What are the benefits of using Amazon Aurora for database management?

    Answer: Amazon Aurora is a MySQL and PostgreSQL-compatible database engine that offers high performance, automatic backups, fault tolerance, and seamless scaling capabilities. It provides a cost-effective and efficient solution for managing relational databases.

44. Question: How do you implement data replication for Amazon RDS databases?

    Answer: Amazon RDS provides two types of data replication: Multi-AZ replication for high availability and Read Replicas for read scalability. Multi-AZ replication automatically replicates the primary database to a standby instance in a different Availability Zone. Read Replicas allow you to create copies of the database to offload read traffic and scale read operations.

45. Question: What is AWS Elastic File System (EFS), and when would you use it?

    Answer: AWS EFS is a scalable and fully managed file storage service that can be accessed by multiple EC2 instances concurrently. It is suitable for use cases that require shared file storage, like web hosting, content management systems, and data analytics.

46. Question: How do you control costs when using AWS services like Amazon EC2 and Amazon RDS? Answer: To control costs, I would use AWS Cost Explorer to analyze usage patterns and identify cost-saving opportunities. I'd also leverage AWS Trusted Advisor to receive cost optimization recommendations and implement AWS Budgets to set and monitor spending limits.

47. Question: Explain the benefits of using AWS CloudTrail with AWS Config.

    Answer: AWS CloudTrail records API activity in your AWS account, providing an audit trail for compliance and security. When used with AWS Config, it helps to track changes to resource configurations over time, making it easier to monitor compliance and troubleshoot issues.

48. Question: How can you automate the creation of Amazon EC2 instances with specific configurations?

    Answer: I can use AWS CloudFormation to create a template describing the EC2 instance's configuration and properties, such as instance type, security groups, and key pairs. By launching a CloudFormation stack, the EC2 instances will be automatically provisioned according to the defined template.

49. Question: What is AWS Key Management Service (KMS), and how do you use it for data encryption?

    Answer: AWS KMS is a managed service that allows you to create and control encryption keys used to encrypt data. I can use KMS to encrypt data at rest in services like Amazon S3 and Amazon EBS, as well as data in transit using SSL/TLS certificates.

50. Question: How do you secure access to resources across multiple AWS accounts?

    Answer: I would set up cross-account IAM roles to grant specific permissions to resources in one AWS account from users or services in other AWS accounts. By establishing trust relationships between the accounts, I can control access and ensure security between them.

51. Question: Can you explain the use of AWS Lambda with API Gateway? Answer: AWS Lambda can be integrated with API Gateway to create serverless applications. API Gateway acts as a front-end for Lambda functions, allowing you to expose and manage APIs that trigger Lambda functions in response to incoming requests.

52. Question: How do you monitor and troubleshoot network connectivity issues in AWS?

    Answer: I can use Amazon VPC Flow Logs to monitor network traffic and detect connectivity issues. Additionally, I would leverage AWS CloudWatch to monitor VPC-related metrics and set up alarms to notify when specific network events occur.

Remember to practise more with AWS services, demonstrate your ability to design and implement solutions in AWS, and stay updated with the latest AWS best practices. Best of luck with your interview preparations!