Cloud Engineer interview question · Most asked
How do you make sure backups will actually work when needed?
Summary
Define RPO/RTO, centralise backups with policies applied by tag, copy them to another account and region, make them immutable (vault lock), monitor backup jobs and recovery-point age, and run automated restore tests plus periodic full recovery drills that measure real RTO.
Longer Answer
Restores need configuration too (parameter groups, replicas, secrets, connection strings); keep them in code.
Key Points
- Policies by tag.
- Cross-account, cross-region, immutable.
- Monitor jobs.
- Test restores regularly.
Deep dive: Cloud Engineering in Production: The Backup That Didn't Restore
Explanation
What interviewers look for
Emphasis on restore testing and isolation.
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