Complex System Troubleshooting and Incident Diagnosis Questions

Tests systems thinking and approaches for diagnosing problems that span multiple components services layers or domains and present multiple related symptoms. Candidates should show how they map interdependencies prioritize which symptoms to address first generate and test hypotheses correlate telemetry across logs metrics and traces and distinguish root causes from secondary effects. The topic includes using instrumentation and monitoring to isolate failures reproducing issues in controlled environments understanding cascading failures and failure modes across networking storage database and application layers and applying mitigations rollbacks or fixes while minimizing user impact. Candidates should also describe incident communication documentation and post incident analysis to prevent recurrence.

MediumTechnical

0 practiced

You suspect data corruption in your replicated object store. Describe a forensic process to confirm corruption, preserve evidence for audits, and restore consistent state. Include snapshots, checksums, and coordination steps with legal/compliance teams.

MediumTechnical

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During a high-severity incident you must choose between a full rollback and a targeted hotfix. Describe how you'd evaluate the decision, list the risks for each option, and what information you need to make a timely decision under uncertainty.

HardTechnical

0 practiced

A P1 incident requires either an immediate rollback that will remove a high-value feature or a partial mitigation that reduces capacity by 30% but keeps the feature. As incident commander, explain how you would make this choice, who you consult, and what tickets/approvals you require to proceed.

HardSystem Design

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Design a recovery plan for partial data loss in one region when your system uses eventual consistency and multi-master replication. Prioritize actions to prevent further loss, reconcile replicas, and restore client trust. Discuss trade-offs of manual reconciliation vs automated repair.

HardTechnical

0 practiced

Design an incident command structure for enterprise P1 incidents including roles (Incident Commander, Scribe, Communication Lead, Tech Leads), their responsibilities, and escalation timelines. Show how the structure supports rapid diagnosis, decision-making, and client communication.

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