Explain the concept of spanning tree protocol (STP) and its role in preventing network loops.

  • STP elects a root bridge to serve as a reference point for path calculations and topology stability.
  • STP operates at Layer 3 of the OSI model and prioritizes traffic based on VLAN configurations.
  • STP uses BPDU messages to exchange information between switches and determine the best path to the root bridge.
  • Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) prevents network loops by blocking redundant paths in a switched network.
STP is vital for ensuring network stability and preventing broadcast storms caused by looping paths in Ethernet networks. By intelligently blocking redundant links while maintaining alternative paths, STP maintains a loop-free topology, optimizing network performance and reliability.

In your role as a security analyst, you discover a vulnerability in a web application that allows attackers to execute arbitrary SQL queries. How would you advise the development team to remediate this vulnerability?

  • Use parameterized queries or prepared statements to sanitize user input and prevent SQL injection attacks.
  • Implement strict input validation on user inputs, perform regular security audits and code reviews.
  • Utilize a web application firewall (WAF) to block malicious SQL queries, restrict database permissions to minimize attack surface.
  • Educate developers on secure coding practices, use stored procedures to encapsulate database operations.
Option 1 suggests using parameterized queries or prepared statements, which are fundamental to preventing SQL injection attacks by separating user input from SQL commands. Option 3 involves additional security measures like WAF and database permissions, which are beneficial but secondary to fixing the core vulnerability. Option 4 addresses secure coding practices but does not focus specifically on remedying SQL injection vulnerabilities.

Dynamic programming is often used to solve problems related to ___________ optimization.

  • Cost
  • Resource
  • Space
  • Time
Dynamic programming is commonly used for resource optimization problems, where the goal is to optimize the allocation of resources such as time, money, or personnel to achieve the best possible outcome. This technique involves breaking down the optimization problem into smaller subproblems and using optimal substructure to find the overall optimal solution.

Thread creation is less expensive than ___________ creation.

  • Monitor
  • Pipeline
  • Process
  • Semaphore
The creation of threads is typically less costly in terms of system resources compared to creating processes. Threads share memory space within a process, while processes have separate memory spaces. Semaphores, monitors, and pipelines are synchronization mechanisms used in concurrent programming but are not directly related to the cost of creation in terms of system resources.

How does a distributed file system differ from a traditional file system?

  • Higher performance due to local disk access
  • Increased data security with centralized storage
  • Scalability and fault tolerance through multiple servers
  • Single point of failure
Distributed file systems use multiple servers to store and manage files, offering scalability and fault tolerance. In contrast, traditional file systems often rely on a single server, which can become a bottleneck and a single point of failure. This fundamental difference impacts scalability, fault tolerance, and overall system resilience.

What SQL keyword is used to retrieve data from a database?

  • FETCH
  • FILTER
  • SEARCH
  • SELECT
The correct SQL keyword used to retrieve data from a database is SELECT. This keyword is followed by specific columns or a wildcard (*) to indicate all columns that should be retrieved from a table or tables in the database. Using SELECT is fundamental in SQL as it forms the basis of querying data from databases.

Which normal form allows multi-valued dependencies to be removed?

  • First Normal Form (1NF)
  • Fourth Normal Form (4NF)
  • Second Normal Form (2NF)
  • Third Normal Form (3NF)
Fourth Normal Form (4NF) is the normal form that allows multi-valued dependencies to be removed. 4NF is an extension of third normal form (3NF) and deals specifically with situations where there are multiple independent multi-valued dependencies between attributes. By decomposing the table into smaller tables and ensuring each table has a single theme, 4NF helps in removing such complex dependencies and reducing data redundancy.

Which data structure is typically used for binary search?

  • Array
  • Linked List
  • Sorted Array
  • Stack
Binary search is typically performed on a sorted array. The reason for this is that binary search requires the elements to be in sorted order to efficiently divide and conquer the search space, reducing the time complexity to O(log n) compared to O(n) for linear search in an unsorted array.

What is synchronization in operating systems?

  • Data encryption
  • Memory management
  • Process coordination
  • Resource allocation
Synchronization in operating systems refers to the management of multiple processes or threads to ensure orderly execution and prevent conflicts when accessing shared resources. This includes methods like mutual exclusion and semaphores.

Your team needs to revert a recent commit due to a critical bug. Explain the steps you would take to revert the commit safely using Git.

  • Use git checkout to checkout the previous state
  • Use git log to identify the commit to revert
  • Use git reset --hard HEAD~1 to revert to the previous commit
  • Use git revert to create a new commit that undoes the changes from the specified commit
To revert a recent commit in Git due to a critical bug, first use git log to identify the commit hash of the commit to revert. Then, use git revert to create a new commit that undoes the changes introduced by that commit. This approach keeps the commit history intact and is safer compared to using git reset --hard HEAD~1, which can lead to data loss by resetting the working directory and index to the previous commit.