30+ NetApp Software Developer Interview Questions and Answers

Reverse a singly linked list of integers and return the head of the reversed linked list.

• Iterate through the linked list and reverse the pointers to point to the previous node instead of the next node.

• Keep track of the previous, current, and next nodes while reversing the linked list.

• Update the head of the reversed linked list as the last node encountered during reversal.

Find the lowest floor from which an egg breaks when dropped from a 30 floor building with 4 eggs.

• Use binary search approach to minimize the number of drops

• Start dropping the egg from the middle floor and check if it breaks

• If it breaks, start dropping from the middle of the lower half, else start from the middle of the upper half

• Repeat the process until the lowest floor is found

To find the maximum number from a million numbers entered on the fly or 1000 at a time.

• Create a variable to store the maximum number and initialize it to the first number entered

• Compare each subsequent number entered with the current maximum and update the variable if necessary

• If numbers are given 1000 at a time, store the maximum of each batch and compare them at the end to find the overall maximum

Detect if a singly linked list has a cycle by using Floyd's Cycle Detection Algorithm.

• Use Floyd's Cycle Detection Algorithm to detect a cycle in a singly linked list.

• Maintain two pointers, one moving at twice the speed of the other.

• If there is a cycle, the two pointers will eventually meet.

• If one of the pointers reaches the end of the list (null), there is no cycle.

Implement the strstr() function in C to find the index of the first occurrence of one string in another.

• Iterate through the main string and check if the substring matches at each position.

• Return the index if a match is found, else return -1.

• Handle edge cases like empty strings or when the substring is longer than the main string.

Perform In-Order traversal on a binary tree without recursion.

• Use a stack to simulate the recursive process of In-Order traversal.

• Start with the root node and keep traversing left until reaching a null node, pushing nodes onto the stack.

• Pop nodes from the stack, print the value, and move to the right child if it exists.

• Repeat until the stack is empty and all nodes have been visited.

Find the Lowest Common Ancestor (LCA) of two nodes in a binary tree.

• Traverse the binary tree to find the paths from the root to nodes X and Y.

• Compare the paths to find the last common node, which is the LCA.

• Handle cases where one node is an ancestor of the other.

• Consider edge cases like when X or Y is the root node.

• Implement a recursive or iterative solution to find the LCA efficiently.

Calculate the square root of a positive integer and return the floor value if not a perfect square.

• Use the sqrt() function to calculate the square root of the given integer.

• If the square root is not an integer, return the floor value using floor() function.

• Handle constraints such as the range of 'N' and the number of test cases.

Program to reverse a linked list using extra space.

• Create a new empty linked list

• Traverse the original linked list and push each node to the new linked list

• Return the new linked list as the reversed linked list

Count the number of set bits in binary representation of integers from 0 to N.

• Iterate through integers from 0 to N and count the number of set bits in their binary representation.

• Use bitwise operations to check if a bit is set in the binary representation.

• Return the count of set bits for each integer in the range.

Control is passed through function calls. Return address of main is stored in the stack.

• Control is passed to a function when it is called from main()

• The function executes and returns control to main() using the return statement

• The return address of main() is stored in the stack

• When the function returns, the return address is used to resume execution in main()

Global variables are stored in data segment while local variables are stored in stack memory.

• Global variables are accessible throughout the program while local variables are only accessible within their scope.

• Global variables are initialized to default values while local variables are not.

• Global variables can be modified by any function while local variables can only be modified within their scope.

Using a heap in Q6 can have certain disadvantages.

• Heap operations are slower than array operations.

• Heap requires extra memory allocation.

• Heap may not be suitable for small datasets.

• Heap may not be efficient for certain types of data structures.

• Heap may lead to fragmentation of memory.

To calculate square root without math.h, use Newton's method.

• Choose a number to find the square root of

• Make an initial guess for the square root

• Use Newton's method to refine the guess

• Repeat until desired accuracy is achieved

• Newton's method: new_guess = (guess + (number/guess))/2

In C, structure variables cannot be directly compared using the comparison operators. Cell padding is used to align data in memory for efficiency.

• Structure variables in C cannot be compared directly using comparison operators like == or !=. Instead, you need to compare each member of the structure individually.

• Cell padding refers to the practice of adding empty bytes between structure members to align them in memory. This is done for efficiency reasons, as accessing aligned d...read more

Find the total number of matches to be played in a knockout football tournament with n teams.

• The number of matches played in a knockout tournament is always one less than the number of teams.

• Use the formula (n-1) to calculate the total number of matches.

• For example, in a tournament with 8 teams, the total number of matches played would be 7.

BSS segment in memory stores uninitialized static and global variables.

• BSS segment stands for 'Block Started by Symbol' and is a section of memory where uninitialized static and global variables are stored.

• Variables declared with the 'static' keyword or as global variables without initialization are stored in the BSS segment.

• For example, int a; or static int b; would be stored in the BSS segment.

Variables for kernel level process should be stored in stack.

• Stack is faster than heap for accessing variables.

• Stack is limited in size, so use it for small variables.

• Heap is used for larger variables that need to persist beyond the function call.

• Kernel level processes should avoid dynamic memory allocation.

Accessing a null pointer in C results in a segmentation fault, as the program tries to access memory at address 0.

• Attempting to dereference a null pointer will result in a segmentation fault, as the program tries to access memory at address 0.

• It is important to always check if a pointer is null before attempting to access its value.

• Example: int *ptr = NULL; printf('%d', *ptr); // This will result in a segmentation fault.

The returned value for the 'main' function goes to the operating system.

• The returned value is typically an integer representing the exit status of the program.

• A return value of 0 usually indicates successful execution, while non-zero values indicate errors.

• The operating system can use the return value to determine the success or failure of the program.

Find closest ancestor of two nodes in a tree

• Traverse the tree from root to both nodes and store the paths

• Compare the paths to find the closest common ancestor

• Use recursion to traverse the tree and find the ancestor

• If one node is an ancestor of the other, return the ancestor node

Engineering solution to reduce plastic waste

• Develop biodegradable plastics

• Create recycling machines for households

• Implement a deposit system for plastic bottles

• Encourage the use of reusable bags and containers

• Design products with minimal packaging

• Develop a system to convert plastic waste into fuel

Yes, my role as a software developer at NetApp is clear.

• My role is to develop and maintain software applications for NetApp.

• I work closely with other developers, project managers, and stakeholders to ensure that the software meets the needs of the business.

• I am responsible for writing clean, efficient, and well-documented code.

• I also participate in code reviews and contribute to the overall development process.

• For example, I recently worked on a project to develop a new data ...read more

Program to traverse a linked list

• Start from the head node

• Iterate through each node until the end is reached

• Perform necessary operations on each node

Internal fragmentation is the unused memory space within a partition or block.

• Occurs when allocated memory is larger than required

• Leads to inefficient use of memory

• Can be reduced by using memory allocation techniques like paging or segmentation

Segmentation fault is a type of error that occurs when a program tries to access a memory location that it is not allowed to access.

• Segmentation fault is also known as segfault.

• It is a common error in C and C++ programming languages.

• It occurs when a program tries to access a memory location that it is not allowed to access, such as an area of memory that has not been allocated to the program.

• This can happen due to a variety of reasons, such as dereferencing a null pointer, ac...read more

Phases of a compiler include lexical analysis, syntax analysis, semantic analysis, optimization, and code generation.

• Lexical analysis: Converts source code into tokens.

• Syntax analysis: Checks the syntax of the code using a grammar.

• Semantic analysis: Checks the meaning of the code.

• Optimization: Improves the code for efficiency.

• Code generation: Generates machine code or intermediate code.

Participated in various technical and cultural events, volunteered for social causes.

• Participated in coding competitions like CodeChef, HackerRank, etc.

• Organized technical events like hackathons, coding workshops, etc.

• Volunteered for social causes like blood donation camps, cleanliness drives, etc.

• Participated in cultural events like dance competitions, music concerts, etc.

One ball in a set of 8 has a different weight. Find it using a balance scale.

• Divide the balls into two groups of 4 each.

• Weigh both groups on the balance scale.

• If both groups weigh the same, the different ball is in the remaining 4 balls.

• If one group weighs less, the different ball is in that group.

• Repeat the process with the remaining balls until the different ball is found.

A segmentation fault is a type of error that occurs when a program tries to access a memory location that it is not allowed to access.

• Occurs when a program tries to access memory outside of its allocated space

• Usually caused by bugs in the code such as accessing an uninitialized pointer or writing past the end of an array

• Can lead to program crashes or unexpected behavior

• Example: Accessing an element beyond the bounds of an array

An interrupt is a signal sent to the CPU to alert it of an event that needs immediate attention.

• Interrupts can be generated by hardware devices or software programs.

• They can be used to handle events such as keyboard input, mouse clicks, or network activity.

• Interrupts can be classified as hardware interrupts, software interrupts, or exceptions.

• Examples of interrupts include the timer interrupt, which is used for multitasking, and the I/O interrupt, which is used for input/outp...read more

CSMA stands for Carrier Sense Multiple Access. It is a protocol used in network communication to avoid collisions.

• CSMA allows devices to listen to the network before transmitting data to avoid collisions.

• If a device senses that the network is busy, it waits for a random amount of time before attempting to transmit.

• CSMA/CD (Collision Detection) is a variant of CSMA used in Ethernet networks.

• CSMA/CA (Collision Avoidance) is another variant used in wireless networks.

Connection-oriented protocols establish a dedicated end-to-end connection before data transmission, while connectionless protocols do not.

• Connection-oriented protocols ensure reliable data transmission, while connectionless protocols do not guarantee reliability.

• Connection-oriented protocols are used in applications such as file transfer and email, while connectionless protocols are used in applications such as video streaming and online gaming.

• TCP is an example of a connecti...read more

A system stack is a data structure that stores information about the active subroutines of a computer program.

• A system stack typically consists of a stack of frames, each representing a subroutine call.

• The stack grows and shrinks as subroutines are called and returned.

• The top of the stack points to the currently executing subroutine.

• Common operations on a system stack include push (adding a new frame) and pop (removing the top frame).

The question is about implementing a children sum property in trees and finding the height of a binary tree.

• Children sum property in trees means that the value of a node must be equal to the sum of the values of its children nodes.

• To find the height of a binary tree, you can recursively calculate the height of the left and right subtrees and return the maximum height plus one.

• Example: For a binary tree with nodes 1, 2, 3 where 1 is the root, the height would be 2.

A QA (Quality Assurance) is responsible for ensuring that software products meet the required quality standards.

• Develop and execute test plans and test cases

• Identify and report defects and issues

• Collaborate with developers to resolve issues

• Ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations

• Continuously improve testing processes and methodologies

IP tables is a firewall configuration tool in Linux.

• IP tables is used to filter network traffic based on a set of rules.

• It can be used to block or allow traffic based on source/destination IP address, port number, protocol, etc.

• IP tables is configured using the command line interface.

• It is commonly used in Linux servers to secure the network.

• Example: iptables -A INPUT -s 192.168.1.0/24 -j DROP