Google Cloud Platform (GCP) Interview Questions and Answers for 5 years experience

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100 GCP Interview Questions & Answers (5 Years Experience)

  1. What are the core services offered by Google Cloud Platform (GCP)?

    • Answer: GCP offers a wide range of services, including Compute Engine (virtual machines), App Engine (platform as a service), Kubernetes Engine (container orchestration), Cloud Storage (object storage), Cloud SQL (managed database service), Cloud Bigtable (NoSQL database), Cloud Spanner (globally-distributed database), Cloud Dataflow (stream and batch data processing), Cloud Dataproc (managed Hadoop/Spark service), Cloud Functions (serverless computing), Cloud Pub/Sub (messaging service), Cloud Logging, Cloud Monitoring, and many more. These services cover compute, storage, databases, networking, big data, machine learning, and management tools.

  2. Explain the difference between Compute Engine and App Engine.

    • Answer: Compute Engine provides virtual machines (VMs) giving you complete control over the operating system and environment. App Engine is a Platform as a Service (PaaS) that handles infrastructure management, allowing you to focus on your application code. App Engine is easier to manage but less flexible than Compute Engine.

  3. Describe different types of Cloud Storage buckets.

    • Answer: Cloud Storage offers various storage classes like Standard (high-performance, frequent access), Nearline (30-day retrieval fee), Coldline (90-day retrieval fee), and Archive (retrieval takes hours, lowest cost). The choice depends on access frequency and cost requirements.

  4. How does Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) work?

    • Answer: GKE is a managed Kubernetes service. It automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications. It uses a master node controlling worker nodes where your containers run. It handles tasks like scheduling, networking, and scaling of pods and deployments automatically.

  5. What are different types of Cloud SQL instances?

    • Answer: Cloud SQL offers instances for MySQL, PostgreSQL, and SQL Server. You can choose between First Generation (limited features) and Second Generation (more features, better performance) instances. You also choose the machine type and storage size.

  6. Explain the concept of IAM in GCP.

    • Answer: Identity and Access Management (IAM) controls access to GCP resources. It uses roles (predefined sets of permissions) and members (users, service accounts, groups) to grant or deny permissions. This enables fine-grained control over who can access what resources.

  7. How do you manage and monitor your GCP resources?

    • Answer: GCP provides Cloud Monitoring and Cloud Logging for resource monitoring and logging. Cloud Monitoring tracks metrics, creates alerts, and visualizes resource usage. Cloud Logging collects and analyzes logs from various services. These tools help you identify issues, optimize resource usage, and maintain system health.

  8. What are Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) in GCP?

    • Answer: VPCs in GCP are isolated networks within GCP. They allow you to create a secure environment for your resources, control IP address ranges, and set up firewall rules for enhanced security.

  9. Describe different networking options in GCP.

    • Answer: GCP offers various networking options including VPC networks, Cloud VPN (for connecting on-premises networks), Cloud Interconnect (high-bandwidth connections), and Cloud DNS (for managing domain names).

  10. How does Cloud Functions work?

    • Answer: Cloud Functions is a serverless compute platform. You write code (functions) that are triggered by events (like changes in Cloud Storage or Pub/Sub messages). GCP automatically scales and manages the underlying infrastructure.

  11. Explain the role of Cloud Pub/Sub in GCP.

    • Answer: Cloud Pub/Sub is a messaging service that enables asynchronous communication between different services or applications. It decouples components, improving scalability and reliability.

  12. What is Cloud Dataflow and its use cases?

    • Answer: Cloud Dataflow is a fully managed service for stream and batch data processing. It uses Apache Beam to process large datasets, enabling real-time analytics and batch data transformations.

  13. How does Cloud Dataproc work?

    • Answer: Cloud Dataproc is a fully managed Hadoop and Spark service. It simplifies the deployment and management of Hadoop clusters, allowing users to focus on data processing tasks.

  14. What are the different ways to deploy applications to GCP?

    • Answer: Applications can be deployed using various methods, including Compute Engine (manual deployment), App Engine (automatic scaling), Kubernetes Engine (container orchestration), and Cloud Run (serverless containers).

  15. Explain the concept of regions and zones in GCP.

    • Answer: Regions are geographical areas, while zones are specific locations within a region. Distributing resources across multiple zones enhances availability and fault tolerance.

  16. How do you ensure high availability in your GCP deployments?

    • Answer: High availability is achieved through techniques such as deploying across multiple zones, using managed services with built-in redundancy, implementing load balancing, and utilizing autoscaling.

  17. What are the different types of load balancing in GCP?

    • Answer: GCP offers various load balancing options including HTTP(S), TCP, and internal load balancing. Each type is suited for different applications and protocols.

  18. How do you manage costs in GCP?

    • Answer: Cost management in GCP involves using the Cloud Billing console to track expenses, setting budgets and alerts, utilizing sustained use discounts, right-sizing instances, and leveraging free tier services where applicable.

  19. What are some security best practices for GCP?

    • Answer: Security best practices include using IAM effectively, enabling VPC network security, regularly patching systems, implementing strong access controls, enabling encryption for data at rest and in transit, and using security scanning tools.

  20. Explain the concept of service accounts in GCP.

    • Answer: Service accounts are special accounts used by applications to access GCP resources without requiring human interaction. They have their own credentials and permissions.

  21. How do you handle backups and disaster recovery in GCP?

    • Answer: Backups can be managed using services like Cloud Storage for backups and snapshots of VMs. Disaster recovery can be implemented using tools like Cloud Disaster Recovery or by replicating resources across regions.

  22. What are Cloud Composer and its benefits?

    • Answer: Cloud Composer is a fully managed Apache Airflow service. It allows you to orchestrate complex data pipelines and workflows easily and efficiently.

  23. Explain the difference between Cloud Storage and Cloud Filestore.

    • Answer: Cloud Storage is object storage, suitable for unstructured data like images and videos. Cloud Filestore provides fully managed network file storage, ideal for applications requiring shared file systems.

  24. What is Cloud Build and how does it work?

    • Answer: Cloud Build is a service for building, testing, and deploying software. It uses container images to build artifacts and can integrate with various source code repositories and deployment platforms.

  25. Describe your experience with using Cloud SQL for different database types.

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer based on your experience. Detail your work with MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQL Server on Cloud SQL, including instance creation, configuration, maintenance, and any specific challenges or solutions you encountered.]

  26. How have you used Cloud Monitoring and Cloud Logging to troubleshoot issues in your GCP deployments?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe specific instances where you used these tools to identify and resolve problems. Provide concrete examples of metrics, logs, and alerts that helped you.]

  27. Explain your experience with deploying and managing applications on Kubernetes Engine (GKE).

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Detail your experience with deploying applications, managing clusters, using deployments, services, and ingress controllers, and handling scaling and updates in GKE.]

  28. Describe your experience with designing and implementing solutions using serverless technologies in GCP (Cloud Functions, Cloud Run).

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your experience with designing, deploying, and managing serverless functions. Discuss architectural choices, event handling, scaling, and any challenges encountered.]

  29. How have you used BigQuery for data analysis and reporting?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your experience with querying, loading, and transforming data in BigQuery. Discuss your experience with SQL queries, data visualization, and performance optimization.]

  30. What is your experience with using Cloud Data Fusion for data integration?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. If you have experience, describe your experience with data integration tasks using Cloud Data Fusion, including data pipelines, ETL processes, and data transformations.]

  31. Describe your experience with using Cloud CDN to improve application performance.

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. If you have experience, describe how you used Cloud CDN to cache content and improve the performance and availability of your applications.]

  32. How have you implemented security best practices in your GCP projects? Give specific examples.

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Provide concrete examples of security measures implemented, such as IAM roles, VPC network configurations, firewall rules, encryption, and security scanning tools.]

  33. Explain your approach to cost optimization in GCP. Provide concrete examples.

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Provide concrete examples of cost-saving measures, such as right-sizing instances, using sustained use discounts, automating resource cleanup, and leveraging free tier services.]

  34. How do you approach monitoring and alerting in a production environment on GCP?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your approach to setting up monitoring and alerting, including the metrics monitored, alert thresholds, notification methods, and escalation procedures.]

  35. What are your experiences with deploying and managing databases in GCP (Cloud SQL, Cloud Spanner, Cloud Bigtable)?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your experience with each database type, including instance creation, configuration, schema design, query optimization, and high availability configurations.]

  36. How do you ensure data security and compliance in your GCP projects?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your approach to data security and compliance, including encryption, access controls, data loss prevention, and adherence to relevant regulations.]

  37. What are some common challenges you've encountered while working with GCP, and how did you overcome them?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe specific challenges you've faced and the steps you took to resolve them. This demonstrates problem-solving skills and experience.]

  38. Explain your understanding of DevOps principles and how you apply them to GCP projects.

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your understanding of DevOps practices such as CI/CD, infrastructure as code, and automation, and how you've implemented them using GCP services like Cloud Build, Deployment Manager, and Terraform.]

  39. How familiar are you with using Terraform or other Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) tools to manage your GCP infrastructure?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. If you've used IaC tools, describe your experience, including the tools used, the benefits achieved, and any challenges faced.]

  40. Describe your experience with implementing and managing different types of networks in GCP (VPC, VPN, Cloud Interconnect).

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your experience with network design, configuration, troubleshooting, and security for different network types.]

  41. How familiar are you with the different pricing models in GCP and how do you optimize for cost-effectiveness?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your understanding of GCP's pricing models, including sustained use discounts, committed use discounts, and per-second billing. Explain your strategies for cost optimization.]

  42. What are your experiences with migrating on-premises applications to GCP?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your experience with migration strategies, including lift-and-shift, re-platforming, refactoring, and the tools and services used in the migration process.]

  43. How familiar are you with using Cloud SDK and the gcloud command-line tool?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your experience with using the Cloud SDK and gcloud for managing GCP resources from the command line.]

  44. Describe your experience with using Cloud Functions for various event-driven architectures.

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Provide examples of event-driven architectures you have implemented using Cloud Functions, detailing the triggers, functions, and any challenges faced.]

  45. How have you used Cloud Armor to protect your GCP applications from DDoS attacks?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your experience with configuring and using Cloud Armor to mitigate DDoS attacks and improve the security of your applications.]

  46. What are your experiences with using Cloud Dataproc for big data processing tasks?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your experience with creating, managing, and using Cloud Dataproc clusters for various big data processing tasks, including Hadoop and Spark jobs.]

  47. Explain your understanding of different types of databases offered by GCP and when you would choose one over another.

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Compare and contrast different GCP database offerings (Cloud SQL, Cloud Spanner, Cloud Bigtable, Cloud Datastore) and explain when each would be the appropriate choice based on scalability, data model, and performance requirements.]

  48. How do you manage and troubleshoot networking issues in a GCP environment?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your troubleshooting methodology, including the tools and techniques used to diagnose and resolve network connectivity problems.]

  49. Explain your experience with implementing and managing containerized applications in GCP using GKE.

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your experience with deploying, managing, scaling, and monitoring containerized applications using GKE, including the use of Kubernetes concepts such as deployments, services, and ingress.]

  50. What is your experience with automating tasks in GCP using Cloud Functions or other automation tools?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your experience with automating tasks using Cloud Functions, scheduled jobs, or other automation tools, providing specific examples.]

  51. Describe your experience with using Cloud Vision API or other GCP AI/ML services.

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your experience with using any GCP AI/ML services, specifying the services used, the tasks performed, and the results achieved.]

  52. How do you approach capacity planning and scaling in GCP for your applications?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your approach to capacity planning, including forecasting, resource allocation, and scaling strategies based on application requirements and predicted load.]

  53. Explain your understanding of different GCP regions and how you choose the right region for your deployments.

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Explain your understanding of GCP regions and how factors like latency, data sovereignty, compliance requirements, and cost influence region selection.]

  54. How do you handle logging and monitoring for large-scale applications on GCP?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your experience with implementing centralized logging and monitoring for large-scale applications using Cloud Logging, Cloud Monitoring, and other related tools.]

  55. What are your experiences with integrating GCP services with other platforms and technologies?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your experience integrating GCP services with other platforms, specifying the technologies used and the integration methods employed.]

  56. How familiar are you with the different types of Compute Engine machine types and when you would choose one over another?

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your familiarity with Compute Engine machine types and how the choice depends on factors like CPU, memory, and storage requirements, along with the cost-performance trade-offs.]

  57. Describe your experience with managing and securing Cloud Storage buckets.

    • Answer: [This requires a personalized answer. Describe your experience with creating, configuring, securing, and managing Cloud Storage buckets, including access controls, encryption, and lifecycle management.]

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