20 HP-UX Interview Questions and Answers

HP-UX is a proprietary Unix operating system developed by Hewlett-Packard. It is widely used in enterprise environments, making it a valuable skill for any system administrator or software engineer. During a job interview, you may be asked questions about your experience with HP-UX. Answering these questions confidently can help you demonstrate your expertise and land the job. In this article, we review some common HP-UX interview questions and provide tips on how to answer them.

HP-UX Interview Questions and Answers

Here are 20 commonly asked HP-UX interview questions and answers to prepare you for your interview:

1. What is HP-UX?

HP-UX is a proprietary Unix operating system developed and maintained by Hewlett-Packard (HP). It is HP’s version of Unix and is based on the System V kernel.

2. Can you explain what a virtual console is in the context of HP-UX?

A virtual console is a logical console that is created by the operating system. It provides a way for the user to interact with the system, and can be used to run applications and perform other tasks.

3. What is the significance of using a logical volume manager (LVM)?

There are several benefits to using a logical volume manager (LVM) on HP-UX systems. One of the main benefits is that it allows for more flexibility when allocating storage to different parts of the system. For example, if you have a large disk that you want to split up into several smaller disks, you can do so easily with an LVM. Additionally, LVM can help to improve performance by allowing you to stripe data across multiple disks.

4. What are some common commands that can be used to manage system resources with HP-UX?

Some common commands that can be used to manage system resources with HP-UX include:

– top: displays information about the currently running processes
– ps: displays information about the currently running processes
– kill: sends a signal to a process to terminate it
– pkill: sends a signal to a process to terminate it, based on its name
– nice: changes the priority of a process
– renice: changes the priority of a process

5. How do you use pvcreate to create a physical volume?

You can use the pvcreate command to create a physical volume on HP-UX. This is typically done when you are setting up a new storage device, or when you are repurposing an existing storage device for use with HP-UX. To use pvcreate, you will need to specify the device name and the size of the physical volume you want to create.

6. What is the purpose of vgcreate and how is it used?

The vgcreate command is used to create a new volume group in HP-UX. This is typically done when you are setting up a new system, or when you are adding new storage to an existing system. To use vgcreate, you will need to specify the name of the new volume group, the physical devices that will be included in the volume group, and the maximum number of logical volumes that can be created in the volume group.

7. What’s the difference between lvcreate, lvextend and lvreduce?

The lvcreate command is used to create a new logical volume, lvextend is used to extend an existing logical volume, and lvreduce is used to reduce the size of an existing logical volume.

8. What command can be used to check the current status of your disks on an HP-UX server?

The ioscan command can be used to check the current status of your disks on an HP-UX server.

9. What are some best practices for managing disk space on an HP-UX machine?

Some best practices for managing disk space on an HP-UX machine include:

-Regularly check disk usage and free space
-Delete unnecessary files and folders
-Archive or compress old or infrequently used files
-Move or delete large files that are no longer needed
-Defragment the disk regularly to improve performance

10. What are NFS exports and how are they managed?

NFS exports are shares that are made available to NFS clients. They are managed by the /etc/exports file, which contains a list of shares and the clients that are allowed to access them.

11. What are some best practices for configuring DNS in HP-UX?

There are a few best practices to keep in mind when configuring DNS in HP-UX:

1. Make sure to use a reliable and robust DNS server.
2. Configure DNS caching to improve performance.
3. Use split-horizon DNS to improve security.
4. Make sure to configure DNS security features, such as DNSSEC.

12. What tools can be used to monitor network traffic for HP-UX servers?

There are a few different tools that can be used to monitor network traffic for HP-UX servers. One option is to use the built-in HP-UX network monitoring tool, which can be found in the HP-UX Management Console. Another option is to use a third-party network monitoring tool, such as SolarWinds or Nagios.

13. What are some useful commands for checking memory related information on an HP-UX server?

There are a few useful commands for checking memory related information on an HP-UX server. The first is the “top” command, which will show you a list of the processes running on the server and how much memory each is using. The “free” command will show you a summary of the server’s free and used memory. The “swapinfo” command will show you information about the server’s swap space, including how much is being used and how much is available.

14. What are some useful commands for gathering CPU related information on an HP-UX server?

Some useful commands for gathering CPU related information on an HP-UX server include:

– top: displays real-time information about CPU usage
– vmstat: displays information about virtual memory usage
– iostat: displays information about I/O usage
– sar: displays system activity information

15. What are some performance tuning tips for an HP-UX server?

Some performance tuning tips for an HP-UX server include:

– Use the “tunehpux” command to optimize kernel parameters for performance
– Use the “glance” command to monitor system performance in real-time
– Use the “sam” command to monitor and manage system resources
– Use the “hpuxmibd” command to monitor HP-UX specific SNMP MIBs

16. What are some important logs files on HP-UX?

The most important log files on HP-UX are the system log files, which are located in the /var/adm/syslog directory. These files contain information on system events, such as startup and shutdown messages, kernel messages, and messages from system daemons. Other important log files on HP-UX include the application log files, which are located in the /var/adm/applog directory, and the HP-UX audit log files, which are located in the /var/adm/audit directory.

17. Can you list out some commonly used file systems for HP-UX machines?

The most common file systems used on HP-UX machines are the HFS, HFS+, and VxFS file systems.

18. What’s the difference between CIFS and NFS? Which one would you prefer for sharing data across multiple systems? Why?

CIFS is a Windows-based file sharing protocol, while NFS is a Linux-based file sharing protocol. I would prefer NFS for sharing data across multiple systems because it is more widely supported and easier to set up.

19. What are some ways to ensure high availability for an HP-UX server?

There are a few ways to ensure high availability for an HP-UX server. One way is to use a tool like HPE Serviceguard to create a cluster of servers that can take over for each other if one goes down. Another way is to use HPE NonStop Server, which is designed for high availability from the ground up. Finally, you can use HPE Integrity Servers, which are designed for mission-critical applications.

20. What’s the most efficient way to find a file by name on an HP-UX server?

The most efficient way to find a file by name on an HP-UX server is to use the “find” command. This command will search through the entire directory structure on the server and return a list of all files that match the search criteria.