Viasat Software Engineer Interview Questions and Answers

Round duration - 15 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

This was a group discussion round where we were divided into groups of 10 and we had 15 minutes for GD.

Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Medium

This is all about how good you are with the fundamentals. Out of 10 I would give it a 6.5 on difficulty.

Q1. 
Reverse the String Problem Statement
You are given a string STR which contains alphabets, numbers, and special characters. Your task is to reverse the string.
Example:
Input:
STR = "abcde"
Output:
"e...read more
Ans. 
Reverse a given string containing alphabets, numbers, and special characters.
• Iterate through the string from the end to the beginning and append each character to a new string.

• Use built-in functions like reverse() or StringBuilder in languages like Python or Java for efficient reversal.

• Handle special characters and numbers while reversing the string.

• Ensure to consider the constraints on the length of the string and the
Answered by AI
Add your answer
Q2. What is a deadlock?
Ans. 
A deadlock is a situation in which two or more processes are unable to proceed because each is waiting for the other to release a resource.
• Occurs in multitasking environments where processes compete for limited resources

• Can be resolved using techniques like deadlock prevention, deadlock avoidance, and deadlock detection

• Example: Process A holds Resource X and waits for Resource Y, while Process B holds Resource Y and wa
Answered by AI
Add your answer
Q3. What is a thread?
Ans. 
A thread is a lightweight sub-process that allows concurrent execution within a single process.
• Threads share the same memory space within a process.

• Threads are used to achieve parallelism and improve performance.

• Examples of threads include the main thread in a program and worker threads in a multi-threaded application.
Answered by AI
Add your answer
Q4. What is the difference between Multiprocessing and Multiprogramming?
Ans. 
Multiprocessing involves multiple processors executing multiple tasks simultaneously, while multiprogramming involves multiple programs sharing a single processor by switching between them.
• Multiprocessing utilizes multiple processors to execute multiple tasks concurrently.

• Multiprogramming involves multiple programs sharing a single processor by switching between them.

• Multiprocessing is more efficient in terms of perfor...read more
Answered by AI
Add your answer
Q5. Can you explain the process life cycle in an operating system?
Ans. 
Process life cycle in an operating system involves creation, execution, termination, and resource management.
• Creation: When a process is created, it is assigned a unique process ID and allocated necessary resources.

• Execution: The process is then scheduled by the operating system to run on the CPU.

• Termination: Once the process completes its task or is terminated by the user, it is removed from memory.

• Resource Management...read more
Answered by AI
Add your answer
Q6. What are the differences between Windows XP and Windows 7?
Ans. 
Windows XP and Windows 7 are both operating systems developed by Microsoft, but they have several key differences.
• User interface: Windows 7 has a more modern and user-friendly interface compared to Windows XP.

• Performance: Windows 7 is generally faster and more stable than Windows XP.

• Security: Windows 7 has more advanced security features and updates compared to Windows XP.

• Hardware support: Windows 7 supports newer hard...read more
Answered by AI
Add your answer

Round duration - 60 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

Technical round with questions on DBMS and Networking mainly.

Q1. What is the difference between RDBMS and DBMS?
Ans. 
RDBMS is a type of DBMS that stores data in a structured format with relationships between tables.
• RDBMS enforces referential integrity and allows for normalization of data.

• DBMS is a general term for any system that manages databases, while RDBMS specifically refers to relational databases.

• Examples of RDBMS include MySQL, Oracle, and SQL Server.

• Examples of DBMS include MongoDB and Redis.
Answered by AI
Add your answer
Q2. What is an Object-Oriented Database Management System (OODBMS)?
Ans. 
An Object-Oriented Database Management System (OODBMS) is a type of database management system that supports the creation and management of objects in a database.
• OODBMS stores data in the form of objects, which can contain attributes and methods.

• It allows for complex data structures and relationships to be represented more easily.

• Examples of OODBMS include db4o, ObjectDB, and ObjectStore.
Answered by AI
Add your answer
Q3. How do you find the number of unique values in a SQL database?
Ans. 
Use the COUNT DISTINCT function in SQL to find the number of unique values in a database.
• Use the COUNT DISTINCT function along with the column name to count the number of unique values in that column.

• For example, SELECT COUNT(DISTINCT column_name) FROM table_name;

• You can also use GROUP BY to find the number of unique values for multiple columns.
Answered by AI
Add your answer
Q4. What is the difference between a hub and a switch in networking?
Ans. 
A hub operates at the physical layer and broadcasts data to all devices on the network, while a switch operates at the data link layer and forwards data only to the intended recipient.
• Hub operates at the physical layer, while switch operates at the data link layer

• Hub broadcasts data to all devices on the network, while switch forwards data only to the intended recipient

• Switch is more efficient and secure compared to a
Answered by AI
Add your answer
Q5. Can you explain the different OSI layers?
Ans. 
The OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model is a conceptual framework that standardizes the functions of a telecommunication or computing system into seven different layers.
• Physical Layer: Deals with the physical connection between devices. Example: Ethernet cables.

• Data Link Layer: Responsible for node-to-node communication. Example: MAC addresses.

• Network Layer: Manages routing of data packets. Example: IP addresses.

• T...read more
Answered by AI
Add your answer
Q6. What are the different protocols supported at each OSI layer?
Ans. 
Different protocols supported at each OSI layer
• Layer 1 (Physical): Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

• Layer 2 (Data Link): MAC, PPP, HDLC

• Layer 3 (Network): IP, ICMP, ARP

• Layer 4 (Transport): TCP, UDP, SCTP

• Layer 5 (Session): NetBIOS, PPTP

• Layer 6 (Presentation): SSL, TLS

• Layer 7 (Application): HTTP, FTP, SMTP
Answered by AI
Add your answer

Round duration - 15 minutes
Round difficulty - Easy

IF you make it to the HR round you are selected. All 28 that attended got selected . It was more like stuff for formality. The usual questions.