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Top 20 AWS Lambda Interview Questions and Answers

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AWS Lambda is an event-driven, serverless computing platform provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It is a compute service that lets you run code without the need for provisioning or managing servers. It is a compute service where you can upload your code and the service can run the code on your behalf using AWS infrastructure.

AWS Lambda is used for a variety of tasks such as running web and mobile applications, data processing, machine learning, content management, and more. It is a great way to quickly and easily run code without having to worry about managing servers.

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For those who are looking to get an edge in the job market and increase their knowledge about AWS Lambda, it is important to have a comprehensive understanding of the service and the questions that may be asked in AWS Lambda job interviews.

This blog post will provide a comprehensive list of AWS Lambda Interview Questions & Answers. We will take a look at some of the most commonly asked questions and provide answers to those questions. We will also discuss some of the more advanced topics related to AWS Lambda and provide some tips for mastering the interview process.

By the end of this blog post, you should be well prepared to answer any AWS Lambda Interview Questions & Answers that may come your way during a job interview. With a thorough understanding of the service and the questions you may be asked, you can feel confident and prepared when it is time to ace the job interview.

Overview of Aws Lambda Interview Process

The AWS Lambda interview process is designed to evaluate a candidate’s experience and skills in a range of areas related to AWS Lambda. It typically starts with a phone screen, in which candidates will answer general questions about their experience with Lambda and other AWS services. Following the phone screen, candidates will often be asked to complete a coding challenge, which may involve writing Lambda functions or other solutions. After completing the coding challenge, the candidate will typically move on to a technical interview. This interview is often conducted over video and focuses on specific topics related to Lambda, such as serverless computing, function design, and security. The interviewer may also ask general questions about the candidate’s experience with other AWS services, such as DynamoDB and EC2.

Following the technical interview, candidates may be asked to complete a case study. This involves designing a solution to a specific problem, such as creating a serverless API or setting up a data pipeline. The candidate must present the proposed solution in detail and explain their approach. This is an important part of the AWS Lambda interview process as it allows the interviewer to assess the candidate’s ability to design and build solutions with Lambda.

The final part of the AWS Lambda interview process is the in- person interview. This is an opportunity for the candidate to meet the team and discuss their experience, as well as any topics related to Lambda. They may also be asked to answer more technical questions about Lambda and related services. After the in- person interview, the candidate may be asked to submit a portfolio of their work, which may be in the form of code samples, blog posts, or other materials demonstrating their experience.

Top 20 Aws Lambda Interview Questions and Answers

1. What is AWS Lambda?

AWS Lambda is a serverless compute service that runs your code in response to events and automatically manages the underlying compute resources for you. With Lambda, you can run code for virtually any application or backend service — all with zero administration. You can set up your code to automatically trigger from other AWS services or call it directly from any web or mobile app. AWS Lambda can be used for building microservices, streaming data processing, content management systems, and much more.

2. What is the main purpose of using AWS Lambda?

The primary purpose of using AWS Lambda is to simplify application development and deployment by running code without needing to manage or provision servers. This allows developers to build and deploy applications faster, with less complexity, and more reliability. With Lambda, you can run code for virtually any application or backend service, all with zero administration.

3. What are the advantages of using AWS Lambda?

There are several advantages of using AWS Lambda:

  • Cost-effectiveness : Lambda functions are based on a pay-per-use model, which means you only pay for the compute time you use. This can help reduce costs significantly.
  • Scalability : Lambda automatically scales with the size of your workload, meaning you don’t have to manually scale or manage servers.
  • Versatility : Lambda can be used for a wide range of applications, from microservices to streaming data processing and content management systems.
  • High availability : Lambda runs on highly available, fault-tolerant infrastructure, so you can be sure your code is always running.

4. What is the difference between EC2 and AWS Lambda?

The primary difference between EC2 and AWS Lambda is that EC2 is a traditional server-based computing platform, while AWS Lambda is a serverless computing platform. With EC2, you need to manage and provision your own servers, while with Lambda, you don’t need to manage or provision any servers—it automatically scales with your workload. Additionally, EC2 is a pay-per-hour model, while Lambda is a pay-per-use model.

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5. What languages does AWS Lambda support?

AWS Lambda currently supports the following languages for code execution: Node.js, Python, Java, C#, and Go.

6. What are the best practices for using AWS Lambda?

There are several best practices for using AWS Lambda to ensure optimal performance and cost savings:

  • Use managed services : Lambda integrates with managed services such as Amazon S3, Amazon DynamoDB, and AWS Step Functions, which can help reduce the complexity of your code and enable faster development.
  • Monitor and optimize your functions : Lambda provides metrics, logs, and other tools to monitor and optimize your functions.
  • Use versioning and aliases : Lambda provides versioning and aliases to help manage the different versions of your functions and enable seamless rollbacks if necessary.
  • Leverage cold-starts : Lambda functions can take a few seconds to start up, so leveraging techniques such as queuing, caching, or batching can help reduce latency.

7. How does AWS Lambda work?

AWS Lambda is designed to run code on demand in response to events. When an event occurs, Lambda identifies the applicable code to run and then runs it. The code is then executed in an isolated environment, and the results are sent back to the event source. AWS Lambda runs the code on a compute infrastructure that is managed by Amazon. This compute infrastructure is designed to scale automatically, so you don’t have to worry about provisioning additional resources.

8. What is the maximum duration of an AWS Lambda function?

The maximum duration of an AWS Lambda function is 15 minutes.

9. How is AWS Lambda different from Amazon EC2?

The primary difference between AWS Lambda and Amazon EC2 is that Lambda is a serverless computing platform, while EC2 is a traditional server-based computing platform. With EC2, you need to manage and provision your own servers, while with Lambda, you don’t need to manage or provision any servers—it automatically scales with your workload. Additionally, EC2 is a pay-per-hour model, while Lambda is a pay-per-use model.

10. What are some use cases for AWS Lambda?

  • AWS Lambda can be used for a wide range of applications, from microservices to streaming data processing and content management systems. Some common use cases for Lambda include:
  • Automatically processing files stored in Amazon S3 buckets
  • Automatically reacting to changes in Amazon DynamoDB tables
  • Automatically responding to changes in Amazon CloudWatch metrics
  • Automatically executing custom code in response to events from other AWS services

11. What is AWS Lambda?

AWS Lambda is a serverless computing service that runs code in response to events and automatically manages the computing resources required by that code. It is a compute service that runs code in response to events and automatically manages the computing resources required by that code. It is a fully managed service that lets developers run code in the cloud without having to manage any of the underlying infrastructure. With Lambda, developers can focus on their application logic and not have to worry about provisioning or managing any of the infrastructure, resulting in a faster development and deployment cycle.

12. What are the key components of AWS Lambda?

AWS Lambda consists of three main components: the Lambda runtime, the Lambda code, and the Lambda functions. The Lambda runtime is the environment in which functions are executed. It takes care of the underlying infrastructure and provides an environment for code execution. The Lambda code is the code that is executed within the Lambda runtime and is written in either Node.js, Python, Java, or C#. The Lambda functions are the actual software components that are written using the Lambda code and are triggered in response to events. The Lambda functions can be triggered in a variety of ways, such as an API request, an Amazon S3 event, or an AWS IoT message.

13. What are the benefits of using AWS Lambda?

AWS Lambda provides many benefits to developers. It is a cost-effective solution for running code in the cloud, as it automatically scales to match the demand and does not require additional infrastructure management. It also provides a faster development and deployment cycle, as developers only need to upload their code and not worry about provisioning or managing any of the underlying infrastructure. Additionally, it supports a wide range of languages, including Node.js, Python, Java, and C#, and provides a wide range of event types that can be used to trigger Lambda functions.

14. How does AWS Lambda work?

AWS Lambda works by running code in response to events. When an event occurs, such as an API request or an Amazon S3 event, the Lambda runtime is triggered and starts running the code. The Lambda runtime then manages all of the computing resources, such as memory, storage, and CPU, required by the code and automatically scales to meet the demand. The code is then executed and the results are returned to the caller.

15. What is the Amazon API Gateway?

The Amazon API Gateway is an AWS service that enables developers to create, publish, maintain, monitor, and secure APIs at any scale. It can be used to create REST APIs that allow applications to communicate with other applications, providing a secure and reliable connection between applications. It also provides features such as API versioning, throttling, and authentication, making it easy to control and manage access to APIs. It also enables developers to easily connect API requests to other AWS services, such as Amazon EC2, Amazon S3, and AWS Lambda.

16. What are the different types of triggers available for AWS Lambda functions?

AWS Lambda functions can be triggered in a variety of ways. The most common types of triggers are API requests, S3 events, and IoT messages. API requests can be used to trigger Lambda functions when the API is called. S3 events can be used to trigger Lambda functions when an object is added or removed from an Amazon S3 bucket. IoT messages can be used to trigger Lambda functions when an IoT device sends a message. Other triggers include Cloudwatch Events and Kinesis Streams.

17. What are the deployment options for AWS Lambda?

AWS Lambda provides two deployment options: deployment packages and single file deployment. Deployment packages are used when the code is larger than 50 MB and consists of multiple files, such as libraries or frameworks. Single file deployments are used when the code is smaller than 50 MB and is contained in a single file. Both types of deployments can be uploaded using the AWS CLI, the AWS Management Console, or the AWS SDKs.

18. What are the best practices for using AWS Lambda?

When using AWS Lambda it is important to follow best practices in order to ensure the best performance and reliability. These best practices include using versioning for your Lambda functions, using VPCs for security, using Cloudwatch for logging, using the Lambda function version alias for easy versioning and deployment, using S3 buckets for storing code, minimizing the size of packages, and using IAM roles for authentication. Additionally, it is important to use the appropriate language and framework for your application and to use the serverless framework to easily deploy and manage your Lambda functions.

19. What are the pricing models for AWS Lambda?

AWS Lambda uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model. This model charges customers based on the number of requests and the duration of each request. The cost also depends on the amount of memory allocated and the amount of time it takes for the code to execute. Additionally, for applications that require more compute resources, AWS Lambda offers a Reserved Capacity pricing model, which provides a discounted price for customers who commit to a certain amount of compute resources for a pre-defined period of time.

20. What are the limits of AWS Lambda?

AWS Lambda has several limits that must be taken into account when using the service. These limits include the amount of concurrent executions, the amount of memory allocated per function, and the execution duration. Additionally, the size of the deployment packages must not exceed 50 MB and the size of the unzipped packages must not exceed 500 MB. Additionally, the maximum timeout for a Lambda function is 15 minutes and the maximum number of environment variables is 4 KB.

Tips on Preparing for a Aws Lambda Interview

  1. Understand the basics of serverless computing, its core components, and the AWS Lambda service.
  2. Understand the differences between serverless architectures and traditional architectures.
  3. Become familiar with the different services Lambda interacts with, such as API Gateway and DynamoDB.
  4. Learn about the various programming languages that are supported by Lambda.
  5. Research the best practices and features of Lambda,as well as its pricing model.
  6. Practice setting up and deploying a Lambda function.
  7. Be prepared to explain the advantages and disadvantages of using Lambda.
  8. Understand the different triggers and event sources that can be used to invoke Lambda functions.
  9. Be prepared to discuss potential use cases for Lambda.
  10. Learn how to use the CloudWatch Logs to troubleshoot and monitor Lambda functions.
  11. Familiarize yourself with the AWS CLI and AWS SAM.
  12. Understand the security models and authentication methods available for Lambda.
  13. Learn about the different testing and deployment strategies for Lambda.
  14. Review the various tools and services that can be used to manage Lambda functions.
  15. Practice responding to questions about Lambda by providing practical examples and solutions.

Conclusion

Aws Lambda is an important tool for a range of applications. With its powerful cloud computing capabilities, it is a great way for companies to save time and money. Understanding the basics of the technology and the common questions associated with it can be a valuable asset to any potential employer. This article has provided a list of common AWS Lambda interview questions and their answers. Taking the time to understand the answers to these questions can help any IT professional land their dream job. Additionally, the information provided here can help an interviewer make an informed decision when it comes to hiring a candidate who is knowledgeable about AWS Lambda.