20 Pivotal Cloud Foundry Interview Questions and Answers

Pivotal Cloud Foundry is a popular cloud platform that helps developers quickly build, deploy, and scale applications. If you’re interviewing for a position that involves Pivotal Cloud Foundry, it’s important to be prepared to answer questions about the platform. In this article, we’ll review some of the most common Pivotal Cloud Foundry interview questions and provide tips on how to answer them.

Pivotal Cloud Foundry Interview Questions and Answers

Here are 20 commonly asked Pivotal Cloud Foundry interview questions and answers to prepare you for your interview:

1. What is Pivotal Cloud Foundry?

Pivotal Cloud Foundry is an open source cloud computing platform that enables developers to quickly build, deploy, and scale applications. The platform is based on a microservices architecture and provides a self-service platform for developers to deploy and manage their applications.

2. How does the pricing model for Pivotal Cloud Foundry work?

Pivotal Cloud Foundry is a Platform as a Service product, and as such, it is priced based on the resources that are used. There are three main components to the pricing model: compute resources, storage resources, and service resources. Compute resources are charged based on the amount of CPU and memory used, while storage resources are charged based on the amount of storage used. Service resources are charged based on the number and type of services used.

3. What are some of the main components that make up a typical Pivotal Cloud Foundry installation?

The main components of a Pivotal Cloud Foundry installation are the Cloud Controller, the Router, the Diego Cell, and the Buildpack. The Cloud Controller is responsible for managing the applications and services that are deployed on the platform. The Router is responsible for routing traffic to the appropriate Diego Cell. The Diego Cell is responsible for running the actual application or service code. The Buildpack is responsible for providing the necessary dependencies and libraries that an application or service needs in order to run.

4. Do you have to install any external software or tools in order to use PCF? If yes, then how can they be configured and used with PCF?

No, there is no need to install any external software in order to use PCF. All you need is a compatible browser and an account with Pivotal.

5. What’s the difference between an app-level service plan and a cluster-wide service plan in PCF?

An app-level service plan only applies to the app that it’s assigned to, while a cluster-wide service plan applies to all apps in the PCF cluster.

6. Can you explain what diego cells are in context with PCF?

Diego cells are the basic unit of compute in Cloud Foundry. They are responsible for running apps and providing the platform with elasticity.

7. Can you explain what diego brains are in context with PCF?

Diego brains are the components of PCF that are responsible for managing and scheduling apps on Diego cells. They provide the intelligence for the system, making decisions about which apps should go where and when in order to optimize performance and utilization.

8. Can you explain what cf push and cf scale commands do in PCF?

The cf push command is used to deploy an application to Cloud Foundry. This command will take care of everything from creating the necessary application files to pushing the code to the Cloud Foundry server.

The cf scale command is used to scale an application that is already deployed to Cloud Foundry. This command allows you to increase or decrease the number of instances of an application that are running. This is useful for ensuring that your application can handle the load that is being placed on it.

9. What is the purpose of BOSH and why is it required?

BOSH is a tool that helps manage and deploy cloud infrastructure. It is required for Pivotal Cloud Foundry because it provides a way to manage and update the underlying VMs and networking that make up a PCF deployment.

10. Does PCF support both Docker containers as well as VMs for deploying applications?

Yes, PCF supports both Docker containers and VMs for deploying applications.

11. Is it possible to run a single application across multiple instances in different geographical locations using PCF?

Yes, it is possible to run a single application across multiple instances in different geographical locations using PCF. This can be accomplished by configuring the application to use a shared database or other shared storage system that is accessible from all of the different instances.

12. How can you configure your PCF deployment so that all apps running on it have access to a particular database server?

You can configure your PCF deployment to have a shared database service instance that all apps can access.

13. Are there any limitations on the number of users who can connect to a PCF instance?

There are no hard limits on the number of users who can connect to a PCF instance. However, the system may start to experience performance issues if there are a large number of users trying to connect simultaneously.

14. What is a manifest file and how is it used in PCF?

A manifest file is a YAML or JSON file that contains all of the information that is required to deploy an application to PCF. This includes things like the name of the app, the services that it needs, the buildpack that will be used, and any other required configuration. The manifest file is used by the PCF CLI to push apps to PCF.

15. Which one would you prefer: Kubernetes or Pivotal Cloud Foundry? Why?

There is no easy answer to this question, as it depends on a variety of factors. If you are looking for a platform that is more opinionated and easy to use, then Pivotal Cloud Foundry might be a better choice. However, if you are looking for more flexibility and control, then Kubernetes might be a better option. Ultimately, it depends on your specific needs and preferences.

16. What is the best way to deploy Java apps on Pivotal Cloud Foundry?

The best way to deploy Java apps on Pivotal Cloud Foundry is to use the Cloud Foundry Java Buildpack. This buildpack will compile and package your Java application into a runnable JAR file, and then push it to Cloud Foundry.

17. What is the best way to deploy NodeJS apps on Pivotal Cloud Foundry?

There are a few different ways to deploy NodeJS apps on Pivotal Cloud Foundry, but the most recommended way is to use the Cloud Foundry Buildpack for NodeJS. This buildpack will take care of all the necessary dependencies and configuration for you, making it easy to get your NodeJS app up and running on Pivotal Cloud Foundry.

18. What is the best way to deploy Python apps on Pivotal Cloud Foundry?

The best way to deploy Python apps on Pivotal Cloud Foundry is to use the Python Buildpack. This buildpack will compile and launch your Python app on Cloud Foundry.

19. What languages are supported by Pivotal Cloud Foundry?

Pivotal Cloud Foundry supports a variety of languages, including Java, .NET, Node.js, PHP, Python, and Ruby.

20. What is the Spring Runtime Fabric in PCF?

The Spring Runtime Fabric is a set of tools and services that helps developers manage and deploy Spring-based applications on Cloud Foundry. It includes a Spring Boot CLI plugin, a Spring Cloud Connector for Cloud Foundry, and a Spring Cloud Services Broker.