18 ‐ Cybage ‐ Azure Cloud Architect Interview Questions and Answers - SanjeevOCI/Study GitHub Wiki

Azure Cloud Architect Interview Questions and Answers

1. Cloud Strategy and Design

Q1: How would you assess an organization's existing infrastructure for cloud migration suitability?
A:

  • Perform a cloud readiness assessment by evaluating the current infrastructure, applications, and workloads.
  • Identify dependencies, legacy systems, and potential challenges.
  • Use tools like Azure Migrate to analyze workloads and recommend migration strategies (e.g., rehost, replatform, refactor).
  • Prioritize workloads based on business impact, complexity, and cost-benefit analysis.

Q2: How do you ensure scalability and resilience in Azure cloud architecture?
A:

  • Use Azure Availability Zones and Availability Sets for high availability.
  • Implement auto-scaling for Virtual Machines and AKS (Azure Kubernetes Service).
  • Use Azure Traffic Manager or Azure Front Door for global traffic distribution.
  • Design for stateless applications and leverage Azure Load Balancer for fault tolerance.

Q3: What are the key components of a cloud governance policy?
A:

  • Identity and Access Management (IAM): Define RBAC policies using Azure Active Directory.
  • Cost Management: Use Azure Cost Management and enforce budgets.
  • Resource Organization: Use Management Groups, Subscriptions, and Resource Tags.
  • Security: Enforce policies using Azure Policy and monitor compliance with Azure Security Center.

2. Implementation and Deployment

Q4: How do you implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) in Azure?
A:

  • Use Terraform or ARM templates to define and deploy infrastructure.
  • Store IaC scripts in a version control system like GitHub or Azure Repos.
  • Automate deployments using Azure DevOps Pipelines or GitHub Actions.
  • Validate templates using tools like Terraform Plan or Azure Resource Manager Template Validator.

Q5: How would you troubleshoot a failed deployment in Azure?
A:

  • Check Azure Activity Logs for deployment errors.
  • Use Azure Resource Manager (ARM) to validate the deployment template.
  • Review Azure Monitor and Log Analytics for detailed error logs.
  • Debug CI/CD pipelines for misconfigurations in IaC or deployment scripts.

Q6: How do you automate deployment and configuration processes in Azure?
A:

  • Use Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions to create CI/CD pipelines.
  • Automate infrastructure provisioning with Terraform or ARM templates.
  • Use Azure Automation or PowerShell scripts for post-deployment configurations.
  • Leverage Azure Blueprints to enforce consistent deployments across environments.

3. Security and Compliance

Q7: How do you implement identity and access management in Azure?
A:

  • Use Azure Active Directory (AAD) for centralized identity management.
  • Implement Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) to assign least privilege access.
  • Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all users.
  • Use Conditional Access Policies to enforce security requirements based on user location, device, or risk level.

Q8: How do you ensure compliance with industry standards like GDPR or HIPAA in Azure?
A:

  • Use Azure Policy to enforce compliance rules (e.g., encryption, data residency).
  • Enable Azure Security Center to monitor and assess compliance.
  • Use Azure Blueprints to deploy pre-configured environments for specific compliance standards.
  • Encrypt sensitive data using Azure Key Vault and ensure data is stored in compliant regions.

Q9: How would you secure data in Azure?
A:

  • Encrypt data at rest using Azure Storage Service Encryption or Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) for databases.
  • Encrypt data in transit using TLS/SSL.
  • Store secrets, keys, and certificates in Azure Key Vault.
  • Use Azure Firewall and NSGs (Network Security Groups) to restrict network access.

4. Azure Services Expertise

Q10: How would you design a solution using Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)?
A:

  • Deploy AKS in a Virtual Network (VNet) for secure communication.
  • Use Azure Container Registry (ACR) to store container images.
  • Enable auto-scaling for pods using the Horizontal Pod Autoscaler.
  • Secure AKS with Azure AD integration and network policies.
  • Monitor AKS using Azure Monitor for Containers.

Q11: What are the key differences between Azure Blob Storage, Azure Files, and Azure Disks?
A:

  • Blob Storage: Object storage for unstructured data (e.g., images, videos).
  • Azure Files: Managed file shares accessible via SMB or NFS protocols.
  • Azure Disks: Block storage for Virtual Machines (e.g., OS and data disks).

Q12: How do you monitor and log Azure resources?
A:

  • Use Azure Monitor for metrics and alerts.
  • Use Azure Log Analytics to query and analyze logs.
  • Enable Application Insights for application performance monitoring.
  • Use Azure Security Center for security-related alerts and recommendations.

5. Preferred Skills

Q13: How would you migrate an on-premises application to Azure?
A:

  • Use Azure Migrate to assess and plan the migration.
  • Choose a migration strategy (e.g., rehost, replatform, refactor).
  • Use Azure Site Recovery (ASR) for VM replication.
  • Migrate databases using Azure Database Migration Service (DMS).
  • Validate the application post-migration and optimize for Azure.

Q14: How do you use containerization and orchestration in Azure?
A:

  • Use Docker to containerize applications.
  • Deploy containers to Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) for orchestration.
  • Use Helm Charts for managing Kubernetes deployments.
  • Monitor containers using Azure Monitor for Containers.

Q15: How do you implement serverless computing in Azure?
A:

  • Use Azure Functions for event-driven serverless workloads.
  • Use Azure Logic Apps for workflow automation.
  • Store data in Cosmos DB or Blob Storage for serverless applications.
  • Monitor serverless workloads using Application Insights.

6. Behavioral and Scenario-Based Questions

Q16: Describe a challenging cloud migration project you worked on. How did you handle it?
A:

  • Explain the project scope, challenges (e.g., downtime, data integrity), and your role.
  • Highlight tools used (e.g., Azure Migrate, DMS) and how you ensured a smooth migration.
  • Emphasize collaboration with stakeholders and lessons learned.

Q17: How do you ensure cost optimization in Azure?
A:

  • Use Azure Cost Management to monitor and analyze costs.
  • Implement auto-scaling to shut down idle resources.
  • Use Azure Reserved Instances for predictable workloads.
  • Optimize storage costs with Azure Storage Lifecycle Management.

Q18: How do you handle a situation where a critical Azure service is down?
A:

  • Check the Azure Service Health Dashboard for outages.
  • Use Azure Monitor and Log Analytics to identify the root cause.
  • Implement a failover strategy using Azure Traffic Manager or Backup Services.
  • Communicate with stakeholders and provide regular updates.

7. Certifications and Continuous Learning

Q19: Why is the Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification important for this role?
A:

  • Demonstrates expertise in designing and implementing Azure solutions.
  • Validates knowledge of Azure services, security, and governance.
  • Shows commitment to staying updated with cloud technologies.

Q20: How do you stay updated with the latest Azure trends and best practices?
A:

  • Follow Microsoft Learn, Azure blogs, and community forums.
  • Attend Azure webinars, conferences, and training sessions.
  • Experiment with new Azure services in a sandbox environment.

These questions and answers are tailored to the Azure Cloud Architect role and cover technical, scenario-based, and behavioral aspects to help candidates prepare effectively.