Top 10 AWS Elastic File System (EFS) Interview Questions and Answers

Here are the top 10 AWS EFS (Elastic File System) interview questions and answers:

1. What is AWS EFS? AWS EFS is a fully managed, scalable, and elastic file storage service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It allows you to create and configure file systems that can be accessed concurrently from multiple instances within your Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC).

2. How does AWS EFS differ from other storage services like Amazon S3 and Amazon EBS? AWS EFS is a file storage service that provides a shared file system, allowing concurrent access to multiple instances. In contrast, Amazon S3 is an object storage service for storing and retrieving files, and Amazon EBS is a block storage service for persistent block-level storage volumes.

3. What are the key features of AWS EFS? Some key features of AWS EFS include:

• Shared file system accessible from multiple instances.

• Support for the Network File System version 4 (NFSv4) protocol.

• Elastic and scalable storage capacity.

• Automatic scaling of storage throughput.

• Multi-AZ durability and availability.

1. How does AWS EFS ensure durability and availability? AWS EFS automatically replicates data across multiple Availability Zones (AZs) within a region to provide durability and high availability. This means that even if one AZ becomes unavailable, your file system remains accessible from the other AZs.

2. What is the performance mode in AWS EFS, and how does it affect file system performance? AWS EFS offers two performance modes: General Purpose and Max I/O. The General Purpose mode is the default and is suitable for most workloads. The Max I/O mode is designed for higher-performance applications with higher request rates, but it incurs higher costs.

3. Can I mount an AWS EFS file system across different AWS accounts or VPCs? Yes, it is possible to mount an EFS file system across different AWS accounts or VPCs. This is achieved by configuring the appropriate security group rules and using AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies to allow access.

4. How can I back up my data in AWS EFS? AWS EFS does not provide a built-in backup mechanism, but you can create backups by using third-party tools or implementing custom backup solutions. You can also take snapshots of Amazon EBS volumes that are connected to the EC2 instances accessing the EFS file system.

5. How can I control access to my AWS EFS file system? Access to an AWS EFS file system can be controlled using AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) policies. You can define fine-grained access permissions for users, groups, and roles, allowing you to control read and write access at both the file system and directory levels.

6. Can I resize an AWS EFS file system? Yes, AWS EFS allows you to increase the size of a file system dynamically. You can also decrease the size, but only if the current size of the file system is less than 8 TiB.

7. Can I encrypt data stored in AWS EFS? Yes, you can encrypt data stored in AWS EFS using AWS Key Management Service (KMS) keys. By enabling encryption, data at rest will be encrypted, ensuring the security and confidentiality of your files.

Remember, these are common interview questions, and it's always a good idea to have a thorough understanding of AWS EFS, its features, and best practices before attending an interview.