[Engineer Interview] Hardware server verification engineer experience sharing

Visitor background introduction

• Wiwing Server Verification Engineer Machine
• Educational background: Research institute of one of the four major management schools
• Job content: Conduct quality verification and debugging for server services designed by R&D units to ensure that the products meet customer needs and specifications, and maintain stability and correctness in actual operations.

Verification engineer interview content

1. Why can I have access to servers and hardware despite my background in writing? What was the first opportunity to get in touch with or learn from it? Why do you want to be a Server Verification Engineer?

I didn’t know much about the concept of hardware at first, but after some exploration, I knew I wanted to develop in the technology industry, so after entering the graduate school, I chose to be guided by teachers with an engineering background. Later, I came into contact with hardware equipment and researched Office plans also need to be implemented, and the hardware I use is like a small computer (such as a Raspberry Pi). In fact, it is not much different from computers, servers, etc., and most of the time I use it during interviews. Share your experiences while studying with the interview supervisor.

So the opportunity that I first came into contact with the hardware part was probably because of the relationship between my supervisor and the research laboratory, which gave me the opportunity to learn hardware knowledge!

2. If you are interested in the field of hardware verification, but have never been exposed to it, how can you test whether you have interest or potential? Would you recommend where to start? How to find a career or research direction that interests you?

There are actually many kinds of hardware, but the most common ones around us are desktop computers, laptops, mobile phones, etc. If you are interested, you still have to explore it yourself, at least make sure that you are not averse to learning about these hardwares. Structure and function, and then continue to extend, so that maybe we can really delve into the research and development, verification and other directions of hardware.

As for the research direction, my research direction was directly designated by the professor at the beginning, and my research direction was not very related to hardware. I personally feel that it is a pity, so I think if I am really interested in hardware Friends, you might as well try to get in touch with hardware in the research direction, which will be more convincing in the interview.

3. How to learn software and hardware knowledge in a structured way? How do you think you can accumulate a portfolio in this area? Do you have any recommendations for self-study platforms?

I didn't learn in a very structured way. I just came into contact with it during graduate school and felt that I wouldn't be repelled by it. Then I became familiar with the hardware I learned, and then I used the program code and the structure of the hardware. Record it so that you have pictures to show to the interviewer during the interview. At that time, you interviewed several companies and asked many questions about pictures and program codes.
So I think if you are interested after contacting me, there should be a lot of relevant information on the Internet, and you can think about how to achieve different results, and then you should keep records every time and have something to present during the interview.

4. I would like to ask whether you are currently engaged in manual or automated testing? What are your thoughts on these two?

At present, most of them are still manual, but a few are automated.
Because the server has many hardware parts, it still needs to be tested and verified manually.
I think both have their pros and cons. The advantage of automation is that it can reduce time and manpower. However, in the current server industry, it may be difficult to fully automate it.
The advantage of manual work is that some unexpected problems cannot be solved by automation. Therefore, by adding manual work at this time, we can use our ideas to imagine the customer's usage situation and discover some hidden bugs.

5. At the beginning of each project, how to choose whether to self-host or purchase external cloud services?

I think the first thing to consider is the cost!
If it's like a server, optical hardware, power supply, installation, maintenance or information security protection are all a very huge expense. If you choose the cloud, you tend to pay for what you use, and long-term cooperation may be better. There will be some discounts.
Next, it should be a matter of time. If your project is very short-term and needs to be executed immediately, then just choose the external cloud!

6. Is there a good way out for verification engineers? Are there any prerequisites for ability?

As for the way out, it still depends on what you think. You think it is very important to find a job that you like.
If the career path is very good, but it is not the content of the job that you want to do, it will be very painful.
I originally chose a job that I felt was more in line with my interests, personality, and the life I wanted, so I decided to pursue a career in this direction. In terms of soft power, I think verification engineers need to be very careful and have a teamwork personality. This job is not done alone, it is almost all about project cooperation, and you will come into contact with RDs, PMs and various customers, so you need to have soft skills. Once you have something to do, then the hard power depends on which aspect of the product you want to verify. Whether it is software or hardware, you must have an understanding of the product.

7. What advice would you give to non-undergraduate students who want to be verification engineers or want to work in the hardware/server field in the future?

You can first learn more about the JD of the verification engineer to understand what conditions are required.
Because many industries have verification or test engineers, if it is a hardware-oriented part, you can participate in some activities or courses during your schooling. If you have the time and budget, you can get a certificate. At least let the interviewer know that you want to move in this direction.
But since you have learned it, you must have a good understanding of the hardware knowledge you have learned before the interview.
The hardware knowledge I was asked about during the interview happened to be something I had to understand first, so if you are not an undergraduate, you must be very familiar with the hardware content you provided.

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