Questions that have appeared at snowflake for a Software Engineer (Technical) interview.

1. Data Structures

Question: Can you explain the differences between a stack and a queue and where each might be more appropriately used?

Question: What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a hash table?

Question: Can you explain how a binary search tree works and when it might be used?

2. Algorithms

Question: How would you go about finding the shortest path in a directed graph?

Question: Can you explain an instance when you would use a divide-and-conquer algorithm?

Question: What is your approach to optimizing a slow algorithm?

3. Databases

Question: Can you explain the differences between SQL and NoSQL databases?

Question: How would you handle a situation where a database transaction fails?

Question: What are the pros and cons of using a relational database versus a non-relational database?

4. Distributed Systems

Question: Can you explain what a distributed system is and why it might be used?

Question: How would you handle data consistency across different nodes in a distributed system?

Question: What are some strategies for handling a single point of failure in a distributed system?

5. Networking

Question: Can you explain what happens when you type a URL into your browser and press Enter?

Question: Can you explain the differences between TCP and UDP?

Question: How would you go about diagnosing a network latency issue?

6. Operating Systems

Question: What's the difference between a process and a thread?

Question: Can you explain what memory paging is?

Question: How does an operating system handle a system call?

7. System Design

Question: How would you design a system to handle a large amount of real-time data?

Question: What are the considerations you would take into account when scaling a system?

Question: How would you handle data redundancy in a system design?

8. Cloud Computing

Question: What are the benefits and drawbacks of using a cloud computing platform?

Question: Can you explain the differences between IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS?

Question: How would you handle data security in a cloud environment?

9. Security

Question: Can you explain what a cross-site scripting attack is?

Question: How would you go about managing user permissions in a secure way?

Question: What are some strategies for protecting a system against a DDoS attack?

10. Testing

Question: Can you explain the differences between unit testing, integration testing, and system testing?

Question: How do you decide what parts of a software system to test?

Question: What are some strategies for handling edge cases in testing?