Was told ahead of time it wouldn't be heavily Linux focused, so I didn't go deep on prep there.
Start by briefly explaining the Linux filesystem hierarchy (e.g., /, /home, /etc, /var) to show conceptual understanding, then list essential commands for navigation, file manipulation, and inspection. Emphasize how you combine commands and use flags to solve real problems, and mention any advanced tools you use for efficiency.
Pro tip: Demonstrate that you understand not just the commands but also when to use them—e.g., using `find` with `-exec` for batch operations or `grep -r` for recursive search—and mention how you troubleshoot issues like permission errors or disk space.
Briefly describe the standard Linux directory structure, highlighting key directories like / (root), /home, /etc, /var, /tmp, and /usr, and their purposes.
Mention commands like pwd, ls (with flags like -l, -a), cd (with shortcuts like ~, -, ..), and tree for visualizing directory structure.
Discuss commands for creating, copying, moving, and deleting files/directories: touch, mkdir, cp, mv, rm (with -r, -f), and ln for links.
Talk about cat, less, head, tail, grep, find, and file for viewing and searching file contents and metadata.
Show how you combine commands with pipes and redirection, use man pages, and handle common issues like permissions (chmod, chown) or disk usage (df, du).
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.
Start by acknowledging that while your primary expertise is software, you have a solid understanding of data center hardware and its management. Structure your answer by covering key physical components (servers, storage, networking, power, cooling) and then explain how they are managed through software layers like BMCs and orchestration tools. Emphasize how this hardware foundation impacts software design and reliability.
Pro tip: Tie hardware management to software reliability: mention how BMCs and telemetry enable proactive maintenance, reducing downtime for services you build. This shows you think holistically about the stack.
Briefly state that your core strength is software, but you recognize the importance of hardware fundamentals in a data center. This sets a humble yet informed tone.
Describe servers (compute), storage arrays, networking gear (switches, routers), power distribution (PDUs, UPS), and cooling systems. Keep it concise but demonstrate breadth.
Discuss how these components are managed: BMCs (e.g., IPMI, Redfish) for out-of-band management, orchestration tools (e.g., Kubernetes, OpenStack) for provisioning, and monitoring systems (e.g., Prometheus) for health checks.
Explain how hardware management affects software: API-driven infrastructure, failure domains, and the need for resilient, distributed systems that tolerate hardware faults.
Emphasize that at Google's scale, hardware management is highly automated, with software defining and enforcing policies for deployment, maintenance, and decommissioning.
AI-generated suggestions, not part of the candidate's original notes. May be inaccurate — verify before relying on them.