20 Platform Engineering Interview Questions and Answers

As a platform engineer, you will be responsible for designing, building, and maintaining the technical infrastructure that supports the software applications of a company. This can include anything from the server hardware to the network infrastructure to the storage solutions. In order to be successful in this role, you will need to have strong technical skills and be able to communicate effectively with other members of the engineering team.

In this article, we will review some common interview questions that you may be asked during a platform engineering job interview. By preparing for these questions, you will be able to put your best foot forward and increase your chances of landing the job.

Platform Engineering Interview Questions and Answers

Here are 20 commonly asked Platform Engineering interview questions and answers to prepare you for your interview:

1. What is a platform?

A platform is a type of software that provides a foundation upon which other software can be built. A platform can be a complete operating system, a set of libraries, or even just a set of tools. A platform is typically designed to be extensible, so that other software can be built on top of it.

2. What do you understand by Platform Engineering?

Platform Engineering is the process of designing, building, and maintaining a platform that can be used to develop, test, and deploy software applications. A platform can be either a physical or virtual machine, or a set of software components that are used to build, test, and deploy applications.

3. How does Platform Engineering differ from DevOps?

Platform Engineering is a term that is sometimes used interchangeably with DevOps, but there are some key differences. Platform Engineering focuses on the automation of the entire software development lifecycle, from development to testing to deployment. DevOps, on the other hand, is more focused on the collaboration between development and operations teams to streamline the software development process.

4. Can you explain what some of the main components of a platform are?

The main components of a platform are the hardware, the operating system, the file system, the user interface, and the applications.

5. What do you understand about continuous integration, continuous delivery, and continuous deployment? How does it relate to platform engineering?

Continuous integration is the practice of merging all developer working copies with a shared mainline several times a day. Continuous delivery is the practice of building and testing code changes in a production-like environment before deploying to production. Continuous deployment is the practice of automatically deploying code changes to production as soon as they are built and tested.

Platform engineering is the practice of building and maintaining a platform that can be used to deploy software applications. A platform engineer is responsible for ensuring that the platform is always up-to-date and can be used to deploy the latest software changes. A key part of platform engineering is continuous integration, continuous delivery, and continuous deployment.

6. What’s your opinion on whether software development teams should be responsible for managing their own infrastructure?

There are pros and cons to both approaches. On one hand, if software development teams are responsible for managing their own infrastructure, they will have a better understanding of the system as a whole and be able to optimize it for their needs. On the other hand, this approach can lead to silos within the organization, and it can be difficult to keep track of who is responsible for which part of the system. Ultimately, it depends on the organization and what will work best for them.

7. Is it possible to use Platform Engineering without using any cloud services?

Yes, it is possible to use Platform Engineering without using any cloud services. However, many of the benefits of Platform Engineering come from the ability to leverage cloud services, so it is often recommended to use at least some cloud services when implementing a platform engineering solution.

8. What are some common challenges faced when implementing a platform?

There are a few common challenges that can be faced when implementing a platform. One challenge is ensuring that the platform is able to scale as needed. This can be difficult to do from a technical standpoint, as well as making sure that there are enough resources (such as manpower) to support the platform as it grows. Another challenge is making sure that the platform is secure, both from an external standpoint (such as hackers) and from an internal standpoint (such as data leaks). Finally, it can be difficult to keep the platform up-to-date with the latest technology, which can make it difficult to compete with other platforms.

9. What are some best practices that help ensure that a new platform implementation is successful?

There are a few key best practices that can help ensure the success of a new platform implementation:

1. Define the business goals and objectives that the platform is meant to achieve.

2. Conduct a comprehensive analysis of the existing IT landscape to identify gaps and areas of improvement.

3. Put together a detailed plan for the platform implementation, including timelines, milestones, and deliverables.

4. Assign dedicated resources to manage and oversee the platform implementation.

5. Test and validate the platform before going live.

10. Do you think there are situations wherein an organization shouldn’t try to implement its own custom platform? If yes, then can you give me some examples?

Yes, there are definitely situations where it wouldn’t make sense for an organization to try to implement its own custom platform. For example, if an organization is already using a platform that meets its needs and there is no reason to switch, then there is no need to try to create a new platform. Additionally, if an organization does not have the resources or expertise to develop and maintain a custom platform, then it would be better off using an existing platform.

11. What are some ways in which Platform Engineers provide value to an organization?

Platform Engineers provide value to an organization by developing and maintaining the technical infrastructure that allows the organization to function. This can include developing and maintaining software applications, managing data storage and security, and ensuring that the organization’s network is up and running. Platform Engineers also work to ensure that the organization’s technical infrastructure is scalable and can meet the demands of the organization’s growth.

12. What role does security play in Platform Engineering?

Security is a critical concern in Platform Engineering. Platforms must be designed with security in mind from the start, and security must be built into every layer of the platform. Platform Engineers must be familiar with common security threats and how to mitigate them. They must also be able to design systems that are resilient to attack and can recover quickly from any security breaches that do occur.

13. What types of organizations are most likely to benefit from deploying a Platform Engineering strategy?

Any organization that relies heavily on software development to create and/or maintain a competitive edge is a good candidate for Platform Engineering. This includes companies in the fields of information technology, e-commerce, web development, and mobile app development. In general, any company that needs to move quickly and efficiently in order to stay ahead of the competition can benefit from a Platform Engineering strategy.

14. Does Platform Engineering require the use of containers?

No, containers are not required for platform engineering. However, they can be helpful in certain situations. For example, if you need to run multiple services on a single server, using containers can help to isolate those services from each other. This can be helpful in terms of security and stability.

15. Why did Docker emerge as a popular technology even though other container technologies like LXC were available earlier?

Docker emerged as a popular technology because it was able to provide a more user-friendly experience than other container technologies. LXC, for example, required a lot of configuration and setup in order to get it working properly. Docker, on the other hand, was designed to be much more easy to use and get started with. This made it a much more attractive option for developers and engineers who were looking for a way to containerize their applications.

16. What is Kubernetes?

Kubernetes is a container orchestration platform that helps you to manage and deploy your containerized applications. It provides you with a way to automate the deployment, scaling, and management of your applications.

17. How does Kubernetes compare with alternatives like Apache Mesos or AWS ECS?

Kubernetes is an open-source container orchestration platform that can be used to manage containerized workloads and services. Apache Mesos and AWS ECS are both alternatives to Kubernetes, but they have different features and use cases. Apache Mesos is a cluster manager that can be used to manage containerized workloads, while AWS ECS is a cloud-based container management service that is used to manage and deploy containerized applications on AWS.

18. What is Istio? How do you configure it to work alongside Kubernetes?

Istio is a tool that helps to manage microservices deployments. It provides features such as service discovery, load balancing, and monitoring. Istio can be configured to work alongside Kubernetes by using the Istioctl command line tool.

19. What are some of the key features offered by Jenkins X?

Some of the key features offered by Jenkins X include:

– Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)
– Automated Testing
– GitOps
– Cloud Native

20. Is it possible to run multiple Kubernetes clusters side-by-side inside a single machine or server? If yes, then how?

Yes, it is possible to run multiple Kubernetes clusters side-by-side inside a single machine or server. This can be done by using a tool such as kubeadm to initialize each cluster.