Software Development Engineer, AWS Billing and Cost Management

Amazon

You are given an array of servers represented by their processing power. You want to join consecutive servers together to form larger, more powerful servers. You can only join server i with server i+1 if the processing power of server i+1 is strictly greater than the processing power of server i. This joining process can cascade, meaning that if you join i and i+1, and the new combined processing power is less than i+2, you can then join the combined server with i+2, and so on. The goal is to maximize the number of these larger servers. For example: Consider the array [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. You can join 1 and 2 to form 3. Then you can join 3 and 3 to form 6. Then you can join 6 and 4 to form 10. Finally, you can join 10 and 5 to form 15, resulting in one server with processing power 15. Consider the array [5, 4, 3, 2, 1]. You cannot join any servers because the processing power is always decreasing. Consider the array [1, 3, 2, 4, 1, 5]. You can join 1 and 3 to get 4. You cannot join 4 and 2. You can join 2 and 4 to get 6. You cannot join 6 and 1. You can join 1 and 5 to get 6. The final servers will be [4, 6, 6]. Write a function that takes an array of integers representing server processing powers and returns the final array of server processing powers after performing all possible joins.

Amazon

Let's explore a scenario involving data transformation. Imagine you're receiving a stream of customer data from various sources. This data includes customer IDs, names, email addresses, and purchase histories. However, the data is inconsistent: some sources use different formats for dates, some have missing fields, and others use abbreviations for states. Your task is to design a robust and efficient system to clean and transform this data into a consistent format suitable for analysis. Specifically: Data Cleaning: How would you handle missing values, inconsistent date formats (e.g., MM/DD/YYYY vs. YYYY-MM-DD), and variations in state abbreviations (e.g., CA vs. California)? Provide code examples (Python is preferred) demonstrating how you would address these issues. Data Transformation: How would you transform the data to ensure consistency? For example, you might need to convert all dates to a standard format, expand state abbreviations to their full names, and ensure all customer IDs are in a uniform format. Scalability: How would you design the system to handle a large volume of data (e.g., millions of records per day)? Consider the technologies and architectures you would use to ensure scalability and performance. Think about potential bottlenecks and how to address them. Error Handling: Describe how you would implement error handling and logging to identify and address data quality issues. What metrics would you track to monitor the quality of the transformed data? For instance, suppose you receive the following data snippets: Source 1: {customer_id: 123, name: Alice, email: alice@example.com, purchase_date: 01/01/2023, state: CA} Source 2: {CustomerID: 456, Name: Bob, Email: bob@example.com, PurchaseDate: 2023-01-01, State: California} How would your system handle these variations and transform them into a unified format like this: {customer_id: 123, name: Alice, email: alice@example.com, purchase_date: 2023-01-01, state: California}

Amazon

Why do you want to work at Amazon? To provide a comprehensive answer, consider the following aspects: Amazon's Mission and Values: How do Amazon's core values, such as customer obsession, innovation, bias for action, and ownership, resonate with your personal and professional values? Provide specific examples of how you've demonstrated similar values in your previous experiences. For instance, can you describe a situation where you went above and beyond to satisfy a customer, or when you took initiative to implement a novel solution to a challenging problem? Amazon's Culture of Innovation: Amazon is renowned for its innovative culture and willingness to experiment. How does this environment appeal to you? Are there any specific Amazon products, services, or initiatives that you find particularly inspiring or exciting? Perhaps you're impressed by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon's foray into artificial intelligence with Alexa, or their advancements in logistics and delivery. Explain why these innovations capture your interest and how you believe you could contribute to future innovation at Amazon. Growth and Learning Opportunities: Amazon offers a wide range of opportunities for professional growth and development. What specific roles or career paths within Amazon are you interested in exploring, and why? Have you researched Amazon's internal training programs or mentorship opportunities? Discuss how you envision leveraging these resources to expand your skillset and advance your career within the company. For example, are you interested in moving into a leadership role, specializing in a particular technology, or working on a global scale? Your Skills and Experience: How do your skills and experience align with Amazon's needs and priorities? Identify specific projects or accomplishments from your past that demonstrate your ability to succeed in a fast-paced, demanding environment. Highlight any experience you have with technologies or methodologies that are relevant to Amazon's business, such as cloud computing, data analysis, machine learning, or agile development. Be prepared to discuss how your unique skills and experiences can contribute to Amazon's continued success. Can you quantify your accomplishments with metrics? Company Impact: What excites you about the potential to contribute to Amazon's impact on customers and the world? Consider how Amazon's products and services have transformed industries and improved people's lives. Are you drawn to the scale and scope of Amazon's operations, or the opportunity to work on projects that have a global reach? Express your enthusiasm for being part of a company that is constantly pushing boundaries and shaping the future.