Target audience: Senior SRE / Staff / Principal Cloud Engineer (10+ years experience)
Source materials: Synthesized from 3 books on Linux internals, systems programming, and SRE practice, combined with real-world production knowledge from operating large-scale infrastructure.
| # | Topic | Notes | Interview Qs | Cheatsheet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 00 | Fundamentals (Boot, Kernel, Syscalls) | fundamentals.md | questions | cheatsheet |
| 01 | Process Management | process-management.md | questions | cheatsheet |
| 02 | CPU Scheduling | cpu-scheduling.md | questions | cheatsheet |
| 03 | Memory Management | memory-management.md | questions | cheatsheet |
| 04 | Filesystem and Storage | filesystem-and-storage.md | questions | cheatsheet |
| 05 | LVM and Disk Management | lvm.md | questions | cheatsheet |
| 06 | Networking (TCP/IP, DNS, Netfilter) | networking.md | questions | cheatsheet |
| 07 | Kernel Internals (Modules, cgroups, Namespaces) | kernel-internals.md | questions | cheatsheet |
| 08 | Performance and Debugging | performance-and-debugging.md | questions | cheatsheet |
| 09 | Security (SELinux, PAM, Hardening) | security.md | questions | cheatsheet |
| 10 | System Design Scenarios | system-design-scenarios.md | questions | cheatsheet |
| 11 | Real-World SRE Incidents | sre-incidents.md | questions | cheatsheet |
- Interview Questions Bank -- 229 questions across all topics
- Cheatsheets Quick Reference -- command references and debugging workflows
Focus on the four topics that appear most frequently in SRE interviews. Spend 1-2 days per topic.
| Day | Topic | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | 01 - Process Management | fork/exec, zombies, signals -- asked in nearly every interview |
| 3 | 03 - Memory Management | OOM, page cache, RSS vs VSZ -- top production debugging topic |
| 4-5 | 06 - Networking | TCP states, DNS, conntrack -- the other half of every SRE interview |
| 6-7 | 08 - Performance and Debugging | USE method, perf, eBPF, flame graphs -- how you prove your operational depth |
Cover all foundational and systems topics (00-09). Work through one topic per day, then use remaining days for the interview question banks.
| Week | Topics |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | 00 Fundamentals, 01 Process Management, 02 CPU Scheduling, 03 Memory Management, 04 Filesystem and Storage |
| Week 2 | 05 LVM, 06 Networking, 07 Kernel Internals, 08 Performance and Debugging, 09 Security |
All 12 topics plus dedicated practice time. This path is for Principal-level interviews or when you want no gaps.
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Topics 00-03 (Fundamentals, Process, CPU, Memory) |
| Week 2 | Topics 04-07 (Filesystem, LVM, Networking, Kernel Internals) |
| Week 3 | Topics 08-11 (Performance, Security, System Design, SRE Incidents) |
| Week 4 | Practice all interview question banks. Do timed mock answers (2-3 min conceptual, 3-5 min scenario). Review cheatsheets daily. |
Every topic follows a consistent 9-section structure designed for progressive depth:
| Section | Purpose |
|---|---|
| 1. Concept | Senior-level understanding of the core ideas |
| 2. Internal Working | Kernel-level deep dive -- data structures, code paths, algorithms |
| 3. Commands | Production toolkit -- the commands you actually use |
| 4. Debugging | Systematic methodology for diagnosing issues |
| 5. Real-World Scenarios | Production incidents mapped to investigation workflows |
| 6. Interview Questions | 15-20 questions per topic with full answers |
| 7. Common Pitfalls | Misconceptions that trip up even experienced engineers |
| 8. Pro Tips | Expert techniques from 15+ years of production experience |
| 9. Cheatsheet | Quick reference for rapid recall |
- Read the topic notes for deep understanding (Sections 1-2)
- Practice the commands on a test system (Section 3)
- Study the debugging workflows (Section 4-5)
- Answer interview questions aloud -- time yourself (Section 6 + question bank)
- Review cheatsheets daily during the final week before interviews
- Focus on "why" not "what" -- interviewers care about your mental model, not memorized commands