TCP: Connection-oriented, reliable, ordered; HTTP, DBs. UDP: Connectionless, no guarantee; streaming, DNS, IoT. TRADE-OFF: TCP = reliability, higher latency; UDP = speed, possible loss. Data pipelines: mostly TCP (Kafka, DB); UDP for metrics (StatsD) where loss acceptable.
This hard-level General/Other question appears frequently in data engineering interviews at companies like ZS Associates. While less common, it tests deeper understanding that distinguishes strong candidates.
This is a senior-level question that tests architectural thinking. Lead with the high-level design, then drill into specifics. Discuss trade-offs explicitly - there is rarely one correct answer. Show awareness of scale, fault tolerance, and operational complexity.
TCP: Connection-oriented, reliable, ordered; HTTP, DBs. UDP: Connectionless, no guarantee; streaming, DNS, IoT. TRADE-OFF: TCP = reliability, higher latency; UDP = speed, possible loss. Data pipelines: mostly TCP (Kafka, DB); UDP for metrics (StatsD) where loss acceptable.
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Analyze My Answer — FreeAccording to DataEngPrep.tech, this is one of the most frequently asked General/Other interview questions, reported at 1 company. DataEngPrep.tech maintains a curated database of 1,863+ real data engineering interview questions across 7 categories, verified by industry professionals.