HPE

Role: System Software Engineer 2 at Aruba Networks (an HPE company)

College: Not Specified

Interview Date: March 22, 2022

Interview Type: Full-Time

Result: Selected

Difficulty: Hard

Rounds: 6 rounds

Topics Asked: C/C++ basics (Pointers, bit manipulation, string manipulation, 2D and 3D dynamic arrays), Arrays, Strings, Networking (OSI layer, ARP protocol, how packets travel, TCP and UDP protocols), Data Structures (Linked List variations - cloning, finding loop, finding intersection point, deleting middle node; Binary tree class structure and insert operation), Operating Systems (Memory management, Process vs Threads, Segmentation, Paging, Memory layout in programs, Critical sections, Mutex, Semaphores, Race conditions), Linux OS (inode structure, Daemons), Projects, Behavioral (Why leave current company, conflict with team member, why Aruba, expected salary, relocation, company culture).

Experience:

The candidate was selected for the role of System Software Engineer 2 at Aruba Networks, an HPE company, after a comprehensive interview process consisting of 6 rounds, all conducted in a single day.

1st Round (1 hour):
This round involved a deep dive into C and C++ basics, including pointers, bit manipulation, string manipulation, and 2D and 3D dynamic arrays. Questions on arrays and strings were also asked. Additionally, basics of Networking, specifically the OSI layer, were covered.

2nd Round (1.5 - 2 Hours):
This round was extensive, focusing on Data Structures and Operating Systems.

• Data Structures: All variations of linked lists were covered (cloning, finding a loop, finding the intersection point, deleting the middle node, etc.), with a total of 6 questions asked on linked lists. The candidate also had to write the full class structure of a binary tree and implement the insert operation.
• Operating Systems: Deep dive into concepts like memory management, difference between process and threads, segmentation, paging, and memory layout in programs.
• Networking: Questions included ARP protocol, how packets travel from source to destination, and TCP and UDP protocols.
• Linux OS: Questions on inode structure and Daemons were asked.

3rd Round (~1 hour):
This round involved implementing a circular queue (push and pop operations). Further deep dive into OS concepts covered critical sections, mutex, semaphores, and race conditions.

4th Round (SDM round, 1.5 hours):
This was a managerial round with behavioral questions such as "Why you want to leave the company" and "tell a time when you had a conflict with a team member." There was also a deep and detailed discussion on projects, requiring the candidate to explain the entire codebase.

5th Round (Senior Manager, 1 hour):
Similar to the SDM round, this round also involved the senior manager explaining what Aruba does and what was expected from the candidate.

6th Round (HR round):
This final round included basic behavioral questions, discussions on expected salary, comfort with relocation, and company culture.