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Google

Senior

Build the next-generation Colossus Namespace System (CNS2) — Google's planet-scale distributed file system

Join the CNS2 team building Google's next-generation distributed file system, evolving from CNS1 to deliver a Location Transparent Namespace, cross-cell replication, tiering, and transparent data migration. The role blends hands-on C++ systems work with technical leadership: mentoring engineers and driving architectural direction for foundational storage infrastructure.

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What this interview tests

  • Distributed file systems / storage infrastructure design
  • Distributed systems fundamentals (consistency, concurrency, fault tolerance)
  • Metadata management at scale (Bigtable/Spanner-style systems)
  • C++ systems programming
  • Technical leadership and mentorship on ambiguous problems

Common question themes

Design a location-transparent namespace over sharded metadata

Reasoning about consistency/fault tolerance during cross-cell replication or migration

Handling interrupted data migration or stale replica reads

Translating an ambiguous infra requirement into a concrete roadmap

Mentoring engineers and driving architecture decisions as a technical lead

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