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Amazon·Software Engineer·Onsite - System Design / Architecture·Senior

Senior
May 2026

Summary

Amazon solutions architect interview, one big open-ended question about modernizing a bank's legacy systems. Not a lot of context given upfront, which made it harder than expected.

Questions Asked (1)

Q1

How would you digitalize a bank that is running on legacy data and infrastructure?

System DesignTechnical Trade-offsAdaptability & Ambiguity
Author's notes

This question has a lot of surface area and I kind of froze for a second trying to figure out where to even start.

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AI HintsAI Generated

Suggested Approach

Start by clarifying the scope and constraints, then propose a phased, incremental modernization strategy that prioritizes business value and risk mitigation. Emphasize decoupling legacy systems via APIs, event-driven integration, and strangler patterns, while ensuring data consistency and security.

Pro tip: Acknowledge that digital transformation is as much about organizational change and culture as it is about technology; propose a cross-functional team and iterative delivery to build trust and momentum.

1. Clarify Requirements and Constraints

Ask questions to understand the bank's current architecture, regulatory requirements, data sensitivity, and business goals. Identify critical systems and pain points to prioritize.

2. Assess and Prioritize

Evaluate legacy components for business value, technical debt, and risk. Create a prioritized roadmap that balances quick wins with long-term strategic goals.

3. Design Incremental Modernization

Propose a phased approach using patterns like strangler fig, API facade, and event-driven integration to gradually replace or wrap legacy systems without disrupting operations.

4. Implement with Feedback Loops

Adopt DevOps, CI/CD, and observability to enable rapid, safe iterations. Use canary releases and A/B testing to validate changes and gather feedback.

5. Address Data and Security

Plan for data migration, consistency, and governance. Ensure compliance with regulations (e.g., GDPR, PSD2) and implement robust security controls throughout.

Key Points to Mention

  • Strangler fig pattern to incrementally replace legacy functionality
  • API layer to decouple front-end and back-end, enabling independent evolution
  • Event-driven architecture for real-time data synchronization and scalability
  • Data migration strategies: dual-write, change data capture, and eventual consistency
  • Cloud adoption (e.g., AWS) with hybrid deployment during transition
  • Organizational change management and cross-functional collaboration

AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.