Technical Test Preparation: Infrastructure, Network, and Cloud Storage
Networking Concepts
Q: What is the OSI model? Explain its 7 layers.
A: The OSI model is a conceptual framework used to understand network interactions. Its 7 layers
are: Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, and Application.
Q: What is the difference between TCP and UDP?
A: TCP is connection-oriented, reliable, and ensures error checking. UDP is connectionless, faster,
but less reliable.
Q: Explain the purpose of a subnet mask.
A: A subnet mask divides an IP address into network and host parts, enabling efficient IP address
management.
Q: What is NAT, and why is it used?
A: Network Address Translation (NAT) maps private IP addresses to a public one, enabling devices
on a local network to access the internet.
Q: How does a VPN work?
A: A VPN creates a secure, encrypted tunnel between the user and the network, ensuring privacy
and security.
Infrastructure Concepts
Q: What is RAID? List its different levels.
A: RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is used for data redundancy and performance.
Common levels: RAID 0 (striping), RAID 1 (mirroring), RAID 5 (striping with parity), RAID 10
(combines 1 and 0).
Q: Explain the purpose of LVM in Linux.
A: Logical Volume Manager (LVM) allows for flexible disk management by creating logical volumes
that can be resized or moved dynamically.
Q: What is a hypervisor? Differentiate between Type 1 and Type 2.
A: A hypervisor is software for creating and managing virtual machines. Type 1 runs directly on
hardware; Type 2 runs on an operating system.
Q: What is the difference between NAS and SAN?
A: NAS (Network Attached Storage) is file-based storage accessible over a network. SAN (Storage
Area Network) is block-based storage for high-speed data access.
Q: Explain the role of DNS in a network.
A: DNS (Domain Name System) translates human-readable domain names into IP addresses.
Cloud Storage
Q: What is object storage, and how does it differ from block storage?
A: Object storage stores data as objects with metadata and unique IDs, suitable for unstructured
data. Block storage divides data into fixed-size blocks for structured data.
Q: How does AWS S3 ensure data durability?
A: AWS S3 ensures data durability through redundancy, storing copies across multiple facilities, and
automated checksums.
Q: What is a cloud storage gateway?
A: A cloud storage gateway acts as a bridge between on-premises infrastructure and cloud storage.
Q: Explain the concept of data lifecycle management in cloud storage.
A: Data lifecycle management automates moving data between storage classes based on policies to
optimize costs.
Q: What is the difference between hot, warm, and cold storage?
A: Hot storage is for frequently accessed data, warm for less frequent, and cold for archival.
Python
Q: How do you handle exceptions in Python? Provide an example.
A: Use try-except blocks. Example:
try:
x=1/0
except ZeroDivisionError:
print('Cannot divide by zero.')
Q: What is the difference between a list and a tuple in Python?
A: Lists are mutable and use [], while tuples are immutable and use ().
Q: Explain Python's GIL and its impact on multithreading.
A: The Global Interpreter Lock (GIL) allows only one thread to execute at a time, limiting
multithreading in CPU-bound tasks.
Q: How can you optimize SQL queries in Python using pandas?
A: Use vectorized operations in pandas, avoid loops, and use indexing.
Q: What is a lambda function in Python?
A: A lambda function is an anonymous function defined with the lambda keyword, e.g., lambda x:
x+1.
SQL
Q: What is the difference between DELETE and TRUNCATE?
A: DELETE removes rows selectively and logs each row. TRUNCATE removes all rows without
logging.
Q: Explain the concept of normalization in databases.
A: Normalization organizes data to reduce redundancy and dependency. Forms: 1NF, 2NF, 3NF.
Q: How do you use a JOIN in SQL?
A: JOIN combines rows from two tables based on a related column. Types: INNER JOIN, LEFT
JOIN, RIGHT JOIN, FULL OUTER JOIN.
Q: What is the difference between WHERE and HAVING clauses?
A: WHERE filters rows before grouping; HAVING filters groups after grouping.
Q: What are indexes, and why are they used in databases?
A: Indexes improve query performance by allowing faster data retrieval but may slow down
insert/update operations.
