DevOps Exercises: DevOps Interview Questions Prep
/devops-exercises
DevOps Exercises is worth working through if you want breadth: it walks Linux, networking, Kubernetes, Terraform, and cloud fundamentals in a question-and-answer format instead of a wall of prose. The catch is that the README itself warns most of these questions don't mirror an actual interview, so treat it as a concept refresher, not a mock interview simulator.
What is DevOps Exercises?
DevOps Exercises is a GitHub repository containing 2624 questions and exercises spanning DevOps, SRE, cloud, and networking topics, built by bregman-arie and open to community pull requests. It's organized as a plain-text Q&A reference broken into sections like Network, Kubernetes, Cloud, Databases, and CI/CD rather than a structured course with lessons or a fixed order.
What topics are covered in the repository?
- โNetworking fundamentals โ TCP/IP, the OSI model, DNS, subnetting, ARP, DHCP, and SSL handshakes
- โLinux and shell scripting grouped with virtualization and DNS under an 'Operating System' section
- โCloud platforms โ AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and OpenStack each get their own subsection
- โContainers and orchestration โ Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift, and Argo
- โInfrastructure-as-code and config management โ Terraform, Ansible, Puppet
- โObservability and CI/CD โ Prometheus, Grafana, Circle CI, plus a dedicated CI/CD section
- โDatabases and distributed systems โ SQL, Mongo, Big Data, Testing, Distributed
- โExtras โ Security, System Design, Chaos Engineering, Soft Skills, Elastic, Kafka, NodeJs, and a Misc bucket
Strengths
- โWide topic spread in one place โ no bouncing between five separate cheat sheets for Linux, networking, and cloud basics
- โPlain markdown means answers are searchable and skimmable in a browser or a local clone, no account required
- โActively open to community contributions via pull requests, so gaps can get filled by other engineers over time
- โFree to read on GitHub with no signup or paywall
What this repository won't prepare you for
- โณThe README itself says most questions "don't represent an actual interview" โ this is a study aid, not a real mock-interview bank
- โณNo difficulty labels, no answer grading, and no spaced-repetition or quiz mode โ you just read markdown top to bottom
- โณCoverage is uneven: some answers are one line, others (like the OSI model or the SSL handshake breakdown) run into full paragraphs
- โณNot clearly documented how the listed 'DevOps Applications' (KubePrep, Linux Master, System Design Hero) connect to the core exercise list
- โณLicense is not clearly documented, so reuse terms for the questions are unclear
Other DevOps and SRE interview preparation resources
Frequently asked questions
DevOps Exercises currently contains 2624 questions and exercises, according to the repository's own count, spread across topics like networking, Linux, cloud platforms, and container orchestration.
DevOps Exercises is completely free to read on GitHub โ there's no signup, subscription, or paywall. You can browse the questions in your browser or clone the repository to read them offline.
DevOps Exercises includes dedicated question sections for AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and OpenStack, alongside general cloud-computing questions that apply across providers.
DevOps Exercises leans toward infrastructure and operations topics rather than algorithm-style coding questions, though it does include a Software Development section covering Python, Go, Perl, and Regex.
DevOps Exercises warns in its own README that most of its questions don't represent an actual interview. Treat the repository as a way to review concepts and terminology, not as a script of questions you'll be asked verbatim.
DevOps Exercises covers Python, Go, Perl, and Regex under its Software Development section, reflecting the languages DevOps and SRE roles most commonly touch rather than a full programming curriculum.
Best use cases
- โขRefreshing networking and Linux fundamentals before a DevOps or SRE interview loop
- โขBuilding a study checklist across cloud providers when you're not sure whether the interviewer will ask about AWS, Azure, or GCP
- โขSkimming Kubernetes and Terraform questions the night before a platform-engineering interview
- โขReviewing OSI-model and TCP/IP basics for junior-level networking questions
Who should try it โ and who should skip
DevOps Exercises suits someone who already has hands-on Linux, networking, or cloud experience and wants a fast way to check for gaps before a DevOps, SRE, or platform-engineering interview. It also works for self-taught engineers mapping out what "DevOps" even covers. Skip it if you want graded mock interviews, video explanations, or a guided curriculum โ the README is explicit that reading it isn't the same as knowing the topics, and nothing tracks what you've actually learned.
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