Today, an Azure DevOps professional can make more than six figures and work for some of the world’s most renowned enterprises like Cisco, General Motors, Hewlett Packard, and Accenture. However, the interviews for this role can be rigorous and test you on various aspects.
What questions can you expect? How do you increase the chances of cracking the interview? How can a certificate like you can earn from the DevOps course impact your chances of bagging your dream role?
This guide has compiled some of the most common Azure DevOps interview questions. Plus, you’ll find tips and strategies to be your confident best and get the job you set your eyes on.
Azure DevOps Interview Questions
How do you ace your Azure DevOps interview? The first step is to prepare for questions you’ll most likely be asked.
Most such interviews have a technical round where they will assess the theoretical and practical knowledge of the candidates. Below are some related questions, along with their answers. We have divided them into basic and experienced based on the difficulty levels.
Basic Azure DevOps Interview Questions
1. What is DevOps?
DevOps stands for Development and operations. There are 3 Ps in focus here: process, people, and product. With continuous integration of the development and operations, there is continuous delivery of value to end users. It speeds up the process of app and software delivery. It follows a continuous delivery system with low-risk factors.
This is a basic Azure DevOps interview question to examine how well you have covered the basics. There is no point going further if you cannot nail it. Understand the fundamentals and frame the answer comprehensibly in your own words.
2. Why do we use DevOps?
In the past, software developers had to wait a long time to see their code working on real servers. The development and operations teams would often be at odds as they could not agree on what was causing the problems. DevOps is a way to solve this situation. DevOps helps developers and deployers work together and quickly deliver small features to customers.
This question is a fundamental look into testing how well you understand it.
3. How does DevOps work?
DevOps is a working method that brings together software application developers and operators. It aims to make the process faster, easier and better. It is achieved by:
- Automating processes, such as building, testing, and deploying code, to reduce human errors and save time
- Integrating code changes continuously so that new features and bug fixes can be delivered quickly and reliably
- Communicating effectively between teams so that they can share feedback, resolve issues, and collaborate on solutions
4. What are the tools used in DevOps?
DevOps uses various tools and practices to make it happen. Some of the tools used are:
- Version control systems, such as Git or SVN, to manage and track code changes
- Configuration management tools, such as Ansible or Chef, to automate and standardize the setup of servers and environments
- Continuous integration tools, such as Jenkins or Travis CI, to build and test code changes automatically
- Continuous delivery tools, such as Docker or Kubernetes, to package and deploy applications to different platforms and clouds
- Testing tools, such as Selenium or JUnit, to verify the functionality and quality of applications
- Monitoring tools, such as Nagios or Prometheus, to measure and improve the performance and availability of applications
Also Read: DevOps Tutorial: How to Install Docker on Ubuntu?
5. What is Azure DevOps?
Azure DevOps is a cloud-based platform by Microsoft. It was previously called Microsoft VSTS (Visual Studio Team Services). It offers a set of tools and services for software development and delivery. With Azure DevOps, teams can better collaborate, automate, and innovate products and services.
In short, it is a lifecycle management tool. It has functions like version control of source code, management of branches, and management and execution of test plans. It is made of different components that help with different functions.
6. What are the Components of Azure DevOps?
Azure DevOps involves the following components:
- Azure Boards: A tool for agile planning and tracking work, code defects, and issues using Kanban and Scrum methods. It provides traceability and reporting facilities for your projects.
- Azure Repos: A tool for source control management. It supports Git and Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC). With this tool, you can create, host, and share code repositories with your team and integrate them with your pipelines.
- Azure Pipelines: This is a tool for continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD). It works with any language, platform, and cloud. You can create, test, and deploy your applications with this tool.
- Azure Artifacts: This tool is used for creating, hosting, and sharing packages. You can share packages such as Maven, npm, NuGet, and Python with your team. It simplifies package management and integration with your pipelines.
- Azure Test Plans: A tool for manual and exploratory testing of your applications. This tool can improve your code quality and ensure customer satisfaction.
- Azure DevOps Marketplace: A place where you can access more than 1,000 extensions and integrations built by the community. You can also create your own.
This section covered some basic but fundamental aspects of DevOps and Azure DevOps. Once you have covered these, consider practicing the higher-level questions. Again, this is based on the position you are applying to and the level of experience you have under your belt.
Azure DevOps Interview Questions for Experienced Professionals
Following are questions that are more focused on the complexities of the field. These are designed to measure your depth of knowledge in these areas. You can use these answers here to improve your chances.
7. What is the use of Azure Ad applications?
Azure Ad applications are a feature that lets you choose and connect to web applications securely and easily. You can access them in the same way as you access the SaaS apps in Azure. You don’t need a VPN to change the network infrastructure.
8. What is VNet?
VNet is the term for your cloud network. It isolates your cloud instances from the rest of the resources with the help of VNet. You can control the network settings and security of your VNet.
9. What are fault domains?
These are the logical hardware groups with the same power source and network connection. They are used to organize the physical servers in the data centers on-premise. Fault domains are automatically assigned by the Azure platform when you create virtual machines (VMs) using availability sets. This way, you can avoid network failures, physical hardware failures, and other issues that might affect your VMs. Fault domains help you to increase the availability and reliability of your applications.
10. What is the purpose of the update domains feature?
Update domains are the logical groups of hardware that can be updated and restarted simultaneously. Update domains are automatically assigned when you create virtual machines (VMs) using availability sets. This ensures that your application instance and the Azure platform are periodically maintained and updated. Only one update domain can be rebooted at a time.
11. What is the role of an active directory in Azure?
An active directory is a service that helps you manage access to your network resources. It allows you to grant or deny access to your employees to specific products and services on your network. For example, you can use an active directory to let your employees log in to Salesforce.com or Twitter with their work credentials. An active directory also supports built-in integration with many applications in the Azure gallery.
12. What is the difference between system capabilities and user capabilities in the Azure pipeline?
The self-hosted agent has a set of capabilities that define what it can do. These are name-value pairs that describe the agent’s features. They are known as system capabilities when the agent software automatically detects them. For example, the agent software can find out the name of the operating system, the machine name, and other installed software. They are called user capabilities when you define them. For example, you can add a user capability to specify a tool or framework installed on the agent machine.
13. What is a self-hosted agent in the Azure pipeline?
A self-hosted agent is an agent you can set up and manage independently. You can use a self-hosted agent when you want more control over installing and configuring the software and tools needed for your jobs. You can also improve the speed of your jobs by using the machine-level caches and settings that persist from run to run.
14. What is a Microsoft-hosted agent in the Azure pipeline?
A Microsoft-hosted agent is an agent that is provided and maintained by Microsoft. It is the default option for running your jobs. You don’t have to worry about allocating and managing the resources, installing and updating the software, or cleaning up the agent after each job. Microsoft-hosted agents are always up-to-date and ready to use.
Also Read: A DevOps Engineer Job Description for Aspiring Professionals
How to Prepare for Azure DevOps Interview Questions
By now, you have an idea of what questions to expect. But your learning should not stop at these. As mentioned, they give you some idea of what areas to focus on. For more comprehensive preparation, you must proceed strategically. Here are some tips.
Understand DevOps Principles and Practices
Have a solid grasp of DevOps fundamentals. Key concepts to master include Continuous Integration (CI), Continuous Deployment (CD), Infrastructure as Code (IAC), Configuration Management, Monitoring and Logging, Containerization and Orchestration, and familiarity with Cloud Computing Platforms such as AWS, Azure, and GCP.
Master Relevant Tools and Technologies
Get comfortable with Version Control systems like Git, CI/CD Tools like Jenkins and Travis CI, Configuration Management tools like Ansible and Puppet, Infrastructure as Code solutions like Terraform, and Containerization platforms like Docker. Understanding container orchestration with Kubernetes is also essential.
Brush Up on Programming and Scripting Languages
Automation and scripting are at the core of DevOps. Proficiency in scripting languages like Python, Ruby, Bash, or PowerShell is a plus.
Study System Design and Networking Concepts
To excel as a DevOps engineer, have a strong foundation in system design and networking concepts. Be prepared to discuss these topics to display your prowess in these areas.
Earn an Industry-recognized Certificate
One sure-shot way of showing how committed you are to this field is to have a credible certificate to showcase your skills. Invest your time and resources in a DevOps program. This will help you learn and stand as a testament to your skills.
The Importance of Upskilling
Before you begin your career in DevOps, consider earning a DevOps certificate from a top university. A valid DevOps certificate is like a gold star on your DevOps journey, recognizing your expertise in its practices and principles. Here are some reasons why earning a certificate matters.
- Stand out from your peers: A credible certificate can make your resume shine. It shows potential employers that you have the DevOps chops they seek.
- Get higher salary offers: DevOps-certified professionals tend to enjoy better paychecks. Someone with a good university certificate to vouch for their skills and experience in capstone projects can be more valuable in the eyes of employers.
- More access to opportunities: A certificate opens doors to exciting career opportunities by expanding your networks and exposing you to industries via projects and internships.
Therefore, a DevOps certificate is your ticket to success, whether aiming to climb the career ladder, grab that dream job, or simply earn a higher income.
Earn Your DevOps Certificate Today!
The DevOps bootcamp is designed to help you bridge the gap between software development and operations. It offers hands-on experience with essential DevOps tools like Ansible, Terraform, Docker, and Kubernetes through industry projects. You’ll learn from experienced instructors, engage in applied learning with 20+ hands-on projects, and even have a capstone project to showcase your skills to top companies.
Additionally, career guidance and mock interview sessions included in the bootcamp can boost your ability to answer Azure DevOps interview questions. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned professional looking to advance your skills in DevOps, the bootcamp can be your stepping stone to success in your DevOps career path.
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How to Become a DevOps Engineer: A Complete Guide
What is Azure DevOps? A Complete Guide
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