67 questions · from 7 interviews
VMware interview questions
Every question candidates reported from their VMware interviews, most frequently asked first. Each links to the write-up it came from, so you can see the round and how it went.
VMware coding and DSA questions
- 01
Sort Colors with Custom Objects
Given an array of custom objects, sort them in-place such that objects of the same 'color' (or a specific property) are grouped together. This is a modified version of LeetCode's 'Sort Colors' problem. Follow-up: Make the solution generic so it works for any…
Medium · From VMware | MTS3 | Bangalore | July 2023 [Offer]
- 02
Online Stock Span
Design an algorithm that collects daily price quotes for some stock and returns the span of that stock's price for the current day. The span of the stock's price today is defined as the maximum number of consecutive days (starting from today and going…
Medium · From VMware | MTS3 | Bangalore | July 2023 [Offer]
- 03
Design Data Structure for Employee Hierarchy with Search
Given a SQL database table containing Employee objects (id, fname, lname, dept, managerId where managerId references another employee in the same table), design a data structure to store this static data. The data structure should efficiently support two…
Medium · From VMware | MTS3 | Bangalore | July 2023 [Offer]
- 04
Add Two Linked Lists (No Reverse)
Given two linked lists, each representing a number with digits stored in non-reverse order (most significant digit first), add the two numbers and return the sum as a linked list. A critical constraint was that the linked lists cannot be reversed before…
Medium · From VMWare
- 05
Detect Cycle in Undirected Graph
I was asked to describe or implement an algorithm to detect the presence of a cycle in a given undirected graph.
Medium · From VMWare
- 06
Find Minimum Missing Positive Number
Given an array of numbers, which may include zeros, negative numbers, and duplicates, the task was to find the smallest positive integer (greater than 0) that is not present in the array. For example, if the input array is [0, -1, 1, 4, 5] , the minimum…
Hard · From VMWare
- 07
Largest Rectangle in Histogram
Given an array of integers heights representing the histogram's bar height where the width of each bar is 1, find the area of the largest rectangle in the histogram.
Hard · From VMWare
- 08
Merge Two Sorted Arrays
Given two sorted integer arrays nums1 and nums2 , merge nums2 into nums1 as one sorted array. The number of elements initialized in nums1 and nums2 are m and n respectively. You may assume that nums1 has a size equal to m + n such that it has enough space to…
Easy · From VMWare | MTS2 | Bengaluru | Jan 2023 | Offer
- 09
Merge K Sorted Lists
You are given an array of k linked-lists, each sorted in ascending order. Merge all the linked-lists into one sorted linked-list and return it.
Hard · From VMWare | MTS2 | Bengaluru | Jan 2023 | Offer
- 10
Longest Substring with At Most K Distinct Characters
Given a string s and an integer k , return the length of the longest substring of s that contains at most k distinct characters.
Medium · From VMWare | MTS2 | Bengaluru | Jan 2023 | Offer
- 11
Find Triplet with Given Sum
Given an array of numbers, find a triplet (three numbers) whose sum equals a given target value.
Medium · From VMware | SMTS | 8.5 yoe | Interview Experience [Rejected]
- 12
Convert Linked List to Complete Binary Tree
Convert a given singly linked list into a complete binary tree.
Medium · From VMware | SMTS | 8.5 yoe | Interview Experience [Rejected]
- 13
Implement Countdown Latch
Implement a CountDownLatch class or mechanism using multithreading concepts.
From VMware | SMTS | 8.5 yoe | Interview Experience [Rejected]
- 14
Merge Intervals
Given a collection of intervals, merge all overlapping intervals.
From VMware | SMTS | 8.5 yoe | Interview Experience [Rejected]
- 15
Lowest Common Ancestor of a Binary Tree
Given a binary tree, find the lowest common ancestor (LCA) of two given nodes p and q . This initial understanding of the problem assumed both nodes are guaranteed to be present in the tree. (Referenced as LeetCode 236)
Medium · From VMWare Phone interview (experienced)
- 16
Lowest Common Ancestor of a Binary Tree (Nodes Optional)
A clarification to the initial LCA problem: the given nodes p and q may or may not be present in the tree. If only one node is present, that node is considered the LCA. If neither is present, the function should return null. (This problem variation was…
Medium · From VMWare Phone interview (experienced)
- 17
String Compression
Given an array of characters, compress it in-place. The length after compression must always be less than or equal to the original array. Every element of the array should be a character (not int) of length 1. After you are done modifying the input array…
Medium · From VMware | MTS Java Spring boot | Bengaluru
- 18
Add Two Strings as Numbers
Given two strings representing numbers, for example, a = "120" and b = "45" , write a function to add them as if they were actual numbers and return their sum as a string. You are not allowed to convert the strings to integers directly.
- 19
Internal Working of HashMap
Describe the internal working mechanisms of Java's HashMap , including concepts like hashing, collision resolution (e.g., chaining/open addressing), and resizing.
- 20
Count Required Braces to Complete Valid Parentheses
Given a string of parentheses, return the number of braces required to be inserted to make the parentheses valid. Example: ()))(( - 4 (because ()()()()() ), ((())) - 0 . Note: () is valid but )( is invalid. Similar to LeetCode's Score of Parentheses.
Medium · From VMware | MST-4 | Senior Lead Engineer | All Rounds(Team 1) | Jan end 2021
- 21
Subarray Pair with Given Sum K
Given an array of integers and a target sum k , find a pair of elements in the array that sum up to k . If using a map approach, handle duplicate elements. Example: I/p: 1, 2,5, 4, 3 K=7 - O/p: 2,5 . I/p 2 : 3, 4, 1 k=6 - Output: empty . I/p 3: 3, 2, 4, 3, 1,…
Easy · From VMware | MST-4 | Senior Lead Engineer | All Rounds(Team 1) | Jan end 2021
- 22
Print Peripheral Nodes of Binary Tree Clockwise
Given a binary tree, print all peripheral nodes (boundary nodes) of the tree in clockwise order. 4 / \ 6 9 / \ \ 3 1 0 / \ \ / \ 4 2 4 8 3 / / 5 7 \ 1 \ 2 Expected Output: 4,3,6,4,9,0,3,7,8,4,5 . Similar to LeetCode's Boundary of Binary Tree.
Medium · From VMware | MST-4 | Senior Lead Engineer | All Rounds(Team 1) | Jan end 2021
- 23
Cycle Detection and Length in Array Mapping
Given a default index array (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,...) and an int[] array where int[i] gives the next index. Find a cycle and print the node count within that cycle. Examples: int[]-> 2,4,4,5,0,8,9,6 - 3 , int[]-> 2,4,4,5,5,6,2,6 - 4 .
Medium · From VMware | MST-4 | Senior Lead Engineer | All Rounds(Team 1) | Jan end 2021
- 24
Count Even/Odd in Array using Lambda/Streaming
Given an integer array, write a method to return the count of even and odd integers using Java Lambda expressions or the Streaming API.
Easy · From VMware | MST-4 | Senior Lead Engineer | All Rounds(Team 1) | Jan end 2021
- 25
Combine Elements from Two Sorted Arrays
Given two sorted arrays, a and b . a = 10, 11, 22 b = 6, 8, 12, 24 The task is to form combinations adhering to these rules: Both arrays are sorted. First element should be from A. Last element should be from B. Combination should be in ascending order.…
Medium · From VMware | MST-4 | Senior Lead Engineer | All Rounds(Team 1) | Jan end 2021
VMware system design questions
- 01
Design a System for Managing Long-Running Operations
Design a robust system for managing long-running asynchronous operations. The discussion focused on: REST APIs : How to design the APIs. Classes : How to structure the classes. Design : How to design a robust solution. Status/Outcome Tracking : How to manage…
Hard · From VMware | MTS3 | Bangalore | July 2023 [Offer]
- 02
Design Retry Mechanism for HTTP Calls
Design a retry mechanism for HTTP calls, considering aspects such as idempotency, back-off strategies, and error handling.
Medium · From VMware | MTS3 | Bangalore | July 2023 [Offer]
- 03
Implement LRU Cache
Design and implement a Least Recently Used (LRU) cache. It should support the following operations: get and put . get(key) will retrieve the value of the key if it exists in the cache, otherwise return -1. put(key, value) will insert the key-value pair or…
Medium · From VMWare | MTS2 | Bengaluru | Jan 2023 | Offer
- 04
Discuss Vertical vs. Horizontal Scaling
Explain the concepts of vertical scaling (scaling up) and horizontal scaling (scaling out) in system design. Discuss their advantages, disadvantages, appropriate use cases, and limitations.
- 05
DDoS Attack Mitigation Strategies
Describe how you would architect or implement measures to prevent or mitigate a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack from significantly impacting your software or system. Discuss various layers of defense.
- 06
Microservices, Load Balancing, Master-Slave Architecture
Discuss key concepts in system design including Microservices architecture, Load Balancing techniques, and Master-Slave architecture for databases. Explain their purposes, benefits, drawbacks, and how they contribute to a robust and scalable system.
- 07
LLD: Snake and Ladder Game Initialization
Design the Low-Level Design (LLD) for a Snake and Ladder game. Specifically, implement a method to initialize the game board with the following conditions: Custom size of the board. User-defined number of snakes and ladders. All snakes and ladders should have…
From VMware | SMTS | 8.5 yoe | Interview Experience [Rejected]
- 08
HLD: High-Throughput Message Processing System
Design a high-level system that consumes message files generated by an external system. These files are compressed, with uncompressed sizes ranging from 1 MB to 50 MB. The system must consume billions of such messages per hour using limited hardware and pass…
Hard · From VMware | SMTS | 8.5 yoe | Interview Experience [Rejected]
- 09
LLD: Batch Processing System (Cron-like)
Design the Low-Level Design (LLD) for a batch processing system similar to cron.
From VMware | SMTS | 8.5 yoe | Interview Experience [Rejected]
- 10
DBMS Concepts: ACID Properties and Nth Salaries
Discuss the ACID properties in database transactions and explain different approaches to find the Nth highest salary in a database.
- 11
Design a FailProne Method
Design a method that inherently has failure points and discuss strategies to make it more robust and resilient in a production environment.
- 12
Fund Switch System Backend Logic
Discuss the backend logic for implementing a fund switch system. Specifically, would you handle it in one transaction or two?
Hard · From VMware | MST-4 | Senior Lead Engineer | All Rounds(Team 1) | Jan end 2021
- 13
Parallel vs. Sequential Transaction Processing
For handling multiple transactions, would you process them in parallel or one by one?
Medium · From VMware | MST-4 | Senior Lead Engineer | All Rounds(Team 1) | Jan end 2021
- 14
System Design: Vending Machine
Design a Vending Machine with the following user roles: Operator: Refill Vending Machine, Take Money Administrator: Control Vending Machine Administrative Tasks (e.g., Product Management, Machine Configuration like Products Supported, Money), User…
Hard · From VMware | MST-4 | Senior Lead Engineer | All Rounds(Team 1) | Jan end 2021
- 15
Authentication and Authorization Mechanisms
Discussion on authentication and authorization. What do you pass to validate a request (e.g., username/password/token)? How do you assure that an incoming request is a valid request?
Medium · From VMware | MST-4 | Senior Lead Engineer | All Rounds(Team 1) | Jan end 2021
VMware behavioural and HR questions
- 01
Introduce Yourself
Tell me about yourself, highlighting your background, experience, and what brings you to this interview.
- 02
Discuss Your Projects
What all projects have you worked on? Be prepared to discuss your contributions, the technologies used, challenges faced, and outcomes achieved for relevant projects.
- 03
Handle Team Conflict
Describe a situation where you had a conflict with a team member. How did you handle it, and what was the outcome? What did you learn from the experience?
- 04
Handling Manager Feedback
How do you typically receive and respond to feedback from your manager, both positive and constructive? Can you share an example of how you used feedback to improve?
- 05
Self-Rate Java Skills and Improvement Plan
How do you rate yourself in Java on a scale from 1 to 10? Based on your self-assessment, what specific steps would you take to further improve your Java skills?
- 06
Proudest Career Moment
Describe your proudest moment or accomplishment in your career. What made it significant, and what was your role in achieving it?
- 07
Most Recently Learned Skill
What is the most recent skill or technology you have learned? Why did you decide to learn it, and how have you applied it?
- 08
Early Career Challenges and Overcoming Them
What challenges did you face at the beginning of your career, and how did you overcome them? What lessons did you learn from those experiences?
- 09
Handling Pressure and High Workload
Describe how you handle pressure and manage a high workload effectively. Can you provide an example of a time you successfully navigated a demanding period?
- 10
Define Success
How do you define success in a professional context, both for yourself and for a team or project?
- 11
Impact of Your Work on Users
Explain how your past projects or contributions have directly benefited or positively impacted users or stakeholders.
- 12
Do You Have Any Questions for Me?
This is your opportunity to ask questions to the interviewer about the role, team, company culture, or next steps.
VMware other questions
- 01
Java 8 Stream API Question
A question related to Java 8 functional programming, specifically using the Stream API. The interviewer asked to modify the solution to be generic.
- 02
Difference between Stack Memory and Heap Memory
Explain the fundamental differences between stack memory and heap memory, including how memory is allocated and deallocated in each, their typical use cases, and their performance characteristics.
- 03
Advantages of C++ std::vector
Discuss the advantages of using std::vector in C++ compared to raw arrays or other dynamic data structures like std::list . Consider aspects such as memory management, performance, and ease of use.
- 04
Linked List vs Array Traversal Efficiency
Compare the traversal efficiency of linked lists versus arrays. Explain the underlying memory access patterns and how they affect performance for sequential and random access. Discuss scenarios where one data structure would be preferred over the other for…
- 05
System Security Implementations
Discuss security implementations for a given system, including specific approaches and best practices.
From VMware | SMTS | 8.5 yoe | Interview Experience [Rejected]
- 06
Explain Java Features
Discuss the key features and characteristics of the Java programming language.
- 07
Discussion on Java Collections Framework
Provide a detailed discussion on the Java Collections Framework, including its interfaces, core classes, and common use cases.
- 08
Difference between ArrayList and Primitive Array
Explain the fundamental differences between Java's ArrayList and a primitive array, covering aspects such as type safety, resizing, and performance.
- 09
Multithreading Concepts
Discuss fundamental concepts related to Multithreading in Java, such as threads, processes, synchronization mechanisms (locks, semaphores, monitors), and potential concurrency issues.
- 10
OS Concepts: Virtual Memory, Thrashing, Semaphores
Explain the concepts of Virtual Memory, Thrashing, and Semaphores within the context of Operating Systems.
- 11
Java Lambda Expressions
Explain what lambda expressions are and how to write them in Java.
Easy · From VMware | MST-4 | Senior Lead Engineer | All Rounds(Team 1) | Jan end 2021
- 12
Java Streaming API
Discuss Java Streaming API, including what streaming is and its different types.
Medium · From VMware | MST-4 | Senior Lead Engineer | All Rounds(Team 1) | Jan end 2021
- 13
Float vs. Double in Java
Explain the difference between float and double data types in Java.
Easy · From VMware | MST-4 | Senior Lead Engineer | All Rounds(Team 1) | Jan end 2021
- 14
JPA Many-to-Many Relationship Implementation
How to write Many-to-Many annotations in JPA. Provide end-to-end code for JPA with a Many-to-Many relation, specifically for multiple students selecting multiple subjects. The candidate mentions keeping it simple with a relation table rather than using…
Medium · From VMware | MST-4 | Senior Lead Engineer | All Rounds(Team 1) | Jan end 2021
- 15
Spring @Autowired and @Inject with Interfaces
Given a Spring Boot code snippet: @Component Interface I1 class A implements I1 Class B implements I2 main() { @Autowired I1 i; //Will this compile, if not then what can make this work //Requirement is to inject only class A The expected solution is to…
Medium · From VMware | MST-4 | Senior Lead Engineer | All Rounds(Team 1) | Jan end 2021
VMware interview questions FAQ
What questions are asked in VMware interviews?
Candidates reported 67 distinct questions across 7 VMware interviews. 25 coding and DSA questions, 15 system design questions, 12 behavioural and HR questions, 15 other questions.
How difficult are VMware interview questions?
Of the questions candidates rated, 15% were easy, 65% medium and 21% hard.