Top 30 Azure DevOps Interview Questions & Answers

Introduction of Azure DevOps

Continuous delivery, continuous integration, and testing automation are all part of the process. Together, individuals with expertise in both development and operations deploy several solutions for continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD), monitoring, and fast customer response to issues and bugs.

The application lifecycle management tool Microsoft VSTS (Visual Studio Team Services) is now known as Azure DevOps. Agile templates and tools facilitate project planning. Additional features include branch management, test plan execution and management, and source code version control.

Furthermore, Azure DevOps facilitates continuous integration and deployment in addition to aiding with solution deployments across multiple platforms via Azure Pipelines.

Let’s move further towards Azure DevOps Interview Questions & Answers

Azure DevOps Interview Questions & Answers

Boost your chances of landing a DevOps role by diving into these Azure DevOps interview questions and answers, covering everything from CI/CD pipelines to version control and cloud integration.

Ques 1. Explain Azure DevOps.

Ans. Azure DevOps is the new name for Microsoft VSTS (Visual Studio Team Services), the application lifecycle management tool. Project planning is facilitated by agile templates and tools. Source code version control, branch management, and test plan execution and management are further functionalities.

Ques 2. Explain some benefits of Azure.

Ans. Benefits of Azure

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform that provides a wide range of services and solutions. Some of the main advantages of Azure include:

• Scalability: Azure’s ability to scale resources up or down based on demand enables businesses to easily handle shifting workloads without the need for actual infrastructure.
• Cost Efficiency: Azure’s pay-as-you-go pricing approach reduces capital investment by allowing you to pay only for the resources you utilize. This can result in significant cost savings over maintaining on-premises infrastructure.
• Global Reach: Azure offers a huge network of data centers across the world, ensuring low latency and high availability for users worldwide. This geographical reach is useful for apps that need to serve a worldwide audience.
• Security and Compliance: Azure’s security features include identity and access management, encryption, and threat protection. It also adheres to a variety of industry standards and laws, assisting firms in meeting their compliance responsibilities.
• Integration with Microsoft Products: Azure interacts easily with other Microsoft products and services, including Office 365, Dynamics 365, and Windows Server, resulting in a unified environment for enterprises that currently use Microsoft technology.

Ques 3. Name some DevOps tools.

Ans. The following are some well-liked DevOps tools:

• Git
• Selenium
• Jenkins
• Puppet
• Chef
• Ansible
• Nagios
• Docker

Ques 4. Which DevOps tools are widely used for continuous deployment and continuous integration?

Ans. Linux, Windows, and macOS are supported by Azure Pipelines. A few well-liked DevOps solutions for continuous integration are listed below:

• Jenkins
• TeamCity
• Codeship
• GitLab CI
• CircleCI
• Travis CI
• Bamboo

Some well-liked tools for continuous deployment are listed below:

• Jenkins
• Azure Pipelines for Deployment
• DeployBot
• TeamCity
• Bamboo
• ElectricFlow
• AWS CodeDeploy
• Octopus Deploy
• Shippable

Ques 5. Define Azure Boards.

Ans. One Azure DevOps product is Azure Boards. It offers a wide range of features, including native support for Scrum and Kanban, customizable dashboards, and integrated reporting, and aids in the management of work in software projects. Boards, sprints, work items, dashboards, backlogs, searches, and other functionalities are all included in Azure Boards.

Ques 6. Define Azure Repos.

Ans. A version control system called Azure Repos is capable of managing code versions as well as the code itself over the course of development. Any modifications made to the code by other teams are simple to follow. For improved team communication, it also maintains a thorough log of these modifications and their past. Later on, the modifications are combined.

Git is a distributed version control system while Team Foundation Version Control is a centralized version control system offered by Azure Repos.

Ques 7. What are Containers?

Ans. Containers are a type of virtualization that allows you to bundle and run applications and their dependencies in a controlled and isolated environment. Here’s a thorough breakdown:

• Bundling: Containers combine software code, configurations, dependencies, and libraries into a single, portable package. This ensures that the application runs consistently, no matter where it is deployed.
• Isolation: Containers enable process and filesystem isolation, which means that each container runs independently and does not interact with others. This isolation makes it easier to manage several programs on the same host without causing conflicts.
• Lightweight: Containers are lightweight in comparison to virtual machines since they do not require a full operating system for each instance. Instead, they use the host operating system’s kernel, which makes them more resource-efficient and faster to boot up.
• Portability: Containers ensure that programs perform the same way in diverse settings, such as development, testing, and production because they contain everything required to run the application.
• Consistency: Using containers ensures consistency across several environments, simplifying deployment and scaling. This is very beneficial for continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.
• Scalability: Containers can be readily scaled up or down to accommodate different loads. Kubernetes is an orchestration platform that can manage and automate container deployment, scalability, and operations.

Ques 8. What is DevOps?

Ans. Development Operations is the full name of DevOps. The 3Ps—process, people, and (functioning) product—are the main points of emphasis. These stand for continuous integration and continuous value delivery to end users.

DevOps expedites the delivery of software services and applications, to put it simply. This capacity to execute consistently reduces the element of risk. Stakeholder and end-user input gathering makes this feasible.

Ques 9. Why do we use DevOps?

Ans. After development was finished, traditional software development always had a delayed code distribution period. Arguments about its state would break out between the development team and the operations or deployment team, with each group blaming the other or the server’s code for the problems. In this case, DevOps provides the solution.

Software can be delivered seamlessly and smaller features can be swiftly and effectively delivered to clients thanks to DevOps.

Ques 10. How does DevOps Work?

Ans. To enhance software development and deployment, development (Dev) and operations (Ops) teams work together in a collaborative manner known as DevOps. It emphasizes good team communication, automation, and continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD).

DevOps fosters a culture of cooperation, agility, and continuous improvement to reduce development cycles, improve software quality, and increase customer satisfaction. It entails applying a variety of techniques and tools to optimize workflows, automate deployment and testing, and guarantee flawless software delivery.

Ques 11. What containers does Azure DevOps Support?

Ans. Azure DevOps offers container support for the following:

• Docker
• Kubernetes
• Azure Container Instances (ACI)
• Azure Container Registry (ACR)

Ques 12. Define Azure pipelines.

Ans. Code projects are automatically developed and tested using Azure DevOps Pipeline. This Azure cloud solution is compatible with the majority of project types and languages. The accessibility of code projects for other users is enhanced by this service.

Ques 13. Explain selenium in DevOps.

Ans.  In DevOps, Selenium plays a crucial role in continuous testing, which is an integral part of the CI/CD pipeline. It is widely used for automating functional and regression testing of web applications to ensure that they perform as expected across different browsers and environments. Selenium’s ability to integrate with tools like Jenkins allows for seamless automated testing, ensuring quick feedback on code changes and enhancing overall software quality.

Ques 14. What are Azure test plans?

Ans. One service offered by Azure DevOps is Azure Test Plans. It offers essential features for exploratory testing, planned manual testing, and user acceptance testing in a browser-based test management system. It also comes with a browser extension that allows feedback from stakeholders and exploratory testing.

Ques 15. Name some important features of Memcached.

Ans. Memcached is an open-source, high-performance, distributed memory object caching technology that speeds up dynamic web applications by reducing database load. Some major characteristics of Memcached are:

• CAS (Check-And-Set) Tokens: This feature helps to avoid the “lost update” problem by letting clients make atomic updates only if the item has not changed since it was last fetched.
• Binary Protocol: The binary protocol is more efficient and extensible than the text-based system, with greater performance and more functionality.
• Distributed Architecture: Memcached may be horizontally extended by adding extra servers, allowing it to handle increased traffic by dispersing cache data over multiple nodes.
• In-Memory Storage: Data is stored in memory, allowing for faster access than disk-based storage.
• Key-Value Storage: It caches data in a basic key-value store that is easily retrieved and changed.
• Eviction Policies: Memcached uses an LRU (Least Recently Used) method to evict outdated or rarely visited items when the memory limit is reached.

Ques 16. How do you prevent the Dogpile effect and what is it?

Ans. The dogpile effect, also known as the cache stampede, occurs when a cache expires and a large number of requests are made to the website at once. As the cache expires, the semaphore lock generates a fresh value, helping to prevent this effect.

Ques 17. What does it mean to test continuously? How does test automation fit into DevOps?

Ans. Continuous testing is the practice of running automated tests as part of the software delivery pipeline, ensuring that code changes are tested on a regular and timely basis. This involves:

• Automated Test Execution: Running tests automatically during the development process rather than manually.
• Integration with CI/CD Pipelines: Adding tests to continuous integration (CI) and continuous delivery (CD) pipelines to ensure that code is tested whenever a change is made.
• Feedback Loops: Giving developers immediate feedback on the quality of their code, allowing them to identify and fix problems early.

Test automation is an important component of DevOps because it correlates with the three DevOps pillars: automation, culture, and people.

• Automation: Automated tests help to achieve the DevOps aim of automation by including testing into the automated CI/CD pipeline. This reduces manual intervention and speeds up the delivery process.
• Culture: It promotes a culture of continuous improvement by delivering timely feedback to development teams, promoting a collaborative environment in which concerns are addressed early and often.
• People: By automating repetitive and time-consuming testing procedures, teams can concentrate on more difficult and valuable operations. This boosts productivity and fosters more efficient workflows.

Ques 18. Define Forking Workflow.

Ans. Developers can access service-side repositories by forking Workflow. It is frequently used in conjunction with a Git hosting service such as Bitbucket and supports open-source projects.

Ques 19. Which Jenkins plugins are some of the most helpful ones?

Ans. Here are some helpful Jenkins plugins:

• Amazon EC2
• Maven 2 project
• HTML Publisher
• Join
• Copy Artifact
• Green Balls

Ques 20. Is it possible to transfer or duplicate Jenkins between servers?

Ans. Yes, It is possible to copy or relocate Jenkins between servers. Jenkins may be copied, and the jobs directory can be moved from the old server to the new one. This makes it possible to copy an installation to the appropriate job directory and move it.

Ques 21. What do projects in Azure DevOps mean?

Ans. Using Git repositories and existing code to create CI and CD pipelines on Azure is made easier with the help of the Azure DevOps project.

Ques 22. What distinguishes Azure DevOps Server from Azure DevOps services?

Ans. The following table outlines the key distinctions between Azure DevOps Services and Azure DevOps Server

Ques 23. Which DevOps solution architectures are there?

Ans. Azure can be used in conjunction with a variety of tools and technologies to create solution architectures for the DevOps situations listed below:

• CI/CD for Azure VMs
• CI/CD for Azure Web Apps
• CI/CD for containers
• DevTest image factory
• Using Azure Web Apps and Jenkins for Java CI/CD
• Using Jenkins and Terraform on Azure Virtual Architecture for immutable infrastructure CI/CD
• Using Jenkins and Kubernetes on Azure Kubernetes Service for Container CI/CD

Ques 24. What justifies the use of Azure Pipelines, CD, and CI?

Ans. This is one of the key interview questions, so make sure you read it through. Code quality and dependability are ensured by CI and CD pipeline implementation.

Azure Pipelines provide a rapid, simple, and safe method of automating project development procedures and availability. For public projects, they are completely free to use, and for private ones, they are reasonably priced (free for 30 hours per month).

Some justifications for utilizing Azure Pipelines and CI/CD pipelines are listed below:

• Accommodates any language or platform.
• Makes working on an open-source project possible.
• constructing on Linux, Mac, and Windows computers.
• Allows for simultaneous deployment to many target types.
• Integration with Azure deployments and GitHub.

Ques 25. How can you reduce the number of publication points while still enabling anonymous people from outside your company to access a NuGet package?

Ans.Reducing the number of publication points while allowing anonymous access to a NuGet package.

To limit the number of publication points while still allowing anonymous access to a NuGet package, you can take the following approach:

Use a Public NuGet Feed: Rather than generating numerous private feeds or managing different publication points, you can upload the package to the NuGet.org repository. NuGet.org is a worldwide feed that allows anyone to obtain packages anonymously. This eliminates the need for several feeds, simplifying the distribution process.

Configure Azure Artefacts for Public Access: If you prefer to use Azure Artefacts and want to allow anonymous access, set your feed to public. Azure Artefacts supports public feeds, allowing packages to be shared with anonymous users.

To do this:

• Create a new feed in Azure Artifacts.
• Set the feed’s visibility to “Public” to enable anonymous access.
• Add your NuGet package to this public feed.

Minimize multiple feeds: Using a single public feed simplifies things and reduces the number of publication sites. This strategy centralizes package distribution, eliminating the need for several private or restricted feeds.

Simplify Access Control: Because public feeds are open to anyone, detailed access levels such as Proprietors, Viewers, Contributors, and Partners are rarely applicable. If you use private feeds and need to manage access, you can do so without requiring anonymous access.

Ques 26. How may Azure DevOps be used to facilitate communication amongst members of a global development team that works remotely?

Ans.Guest access in Microsoft Teams.

External users (such as business partners, contractors, or clients) can be invited to participate in internal Teams channels using Microsoft Teams’ guest access capabilities. This feature promotes collaboration by enabling external users to:

• Participate in chats: Guests can participate in one-on-one or group chats with internal team members.
• Share and Access Files: Guests can browse, upload, and collaborate on files shared in Teams channels to which they have access.
• Join Meetings: Guests can attend Team-scheduled meetings such as video calls, conferences, and collaborative sessions.

Benefits of B2B Project Management:

• Seamless Integration: Guest access enables external people to seamlessly integrate into your internal procedures and work efficiently on projects.
• Enhanced Collaboration: It facilitates business-to-business (B2B) project management by allowing for effective communication and file exchange among firms.
• Controlled Access: Team managers can regulate guest rights to ensure that external users have the necessary access while preserving security and control over internal data.

Ques 27. Which feature can be applied to the creation of a multi-tier application with an Azure SQL database serving as the back end and Azure App Service web apps serving as the front end?

Ans. Feature for multi-tier application management.

The Application Map in Azure Application Insights is a useful tool for monitoring and managing a multi-tier application with an Azure SQL database as the backend and Azure App Service web apps as the front end. Here’s why:

Visualization of Application Components: The Application Map depicts the many components of your application, including web apps, databases, and other services, as well as their dependencies. This aids in understanding the architecture and relationships between your application’s many tiers.

Identification of Issues: It aids in the identification of failure hotspots and performance bottlenecks by identifying components that are having problems or performing poorly. This allows you to rapidly identify where problems exist in your multi-tier architecture.

Dependency Mapping: The map depicts how various components are interconnected, which is critical for diagnosing issues involving service dependencies, such as how the web app interacts with the Azure SQL database.

Alerts and KPIs: With Application Insights, you can set up alerts depending on the health of your application’s components as well as track key performance metrics. This aids in proactive monitoring by allowing you to respond to issues before they have a substantial impact on users.

Ques 28. If there are a lot of empty catch blocks and unneeded variables in the code, what can you do to make it better?

Ans. The solution can be found by choosing “Run PMD” in a Maven build task. A source code analyzer called PMD can spot common programming mistakes including creating objects unnecessarily, using variables that aren’t needed, and having empty code blocks.

The tool will be automatically applied to a project’s source code using an Apache Maven PMD Plugin, and the site report will include a thorough breakdown of the code error results.

Ques 29. What elements are required for Bitbucket and Azure DevOps integration?

Ans. An external Git service connection and a self-hosted agent are needed for the Azure DevOps and Bitbuckets integration. Rather than migrating the complete project to GitLab, an external repository can be connected since GitLab CI/CD is compatible with GitHub and Bitbucket. This is one way that GitLab CI/CD can be used.

Ques 30. Describe pair programming in terms of DevOps.

Ans. Extreme programming guidelines are used in the engineering technique of pair programming. It involves two programmers using the same design, code, and algorithm while working on the same system.

One programmer can take on the role of the driver while the other can act as the observer, continuously tracking the project’s development and spotting issues. The positions are interchangeable at any time without notice.

Conclusion

Hence, here in this blog, we have covered the top 30 Azure DevOps interview questions & answers that can help you to crack any interview. For more information related to Azure DevOps Certification, Azure DevOps Course, Azure DevOps training, etc. do visit our site’s blog page and get ample knowledge on each term.