Questions
1 of 7
1How do you deploy a Lambda function?
2What is a Lambda deployment package?
3What are Lambda versions and aliases?
4How do you manage different environments (dev, prod) in Lambda?
5What are Lambda layers, and when would you use them?
6What is the difference between environment variables and AWS Systems Manager (SSM) Parameter Store for Lambda configuration?
7How can you manage dependencies in a Lambda function?
AWS-lambdaAWS-lambda
Basics
Configuration
Invocation and Triggers
System Design
Scaling
Testing and Troubleshooting
Security
Monitoring
Performance Optimisation
Deployment
01 / 07

How do you deploy a Lambda function?

Deploying a Lambda function involves packaging your code and dependencies, and then uploading them to AWS using the Console, CLI, SDKs, or Infrastructure as Code tools. The deployment method depends on your workflow—manual for quick tests, or automated CI/CD pipelines for production environments.

Common Deployment Methods
  1. 1

    AWS Console: Upload code directly via browser or inline editor

  2. 2

    AWS CLI: Use create-function or update-function-code commands

  3. 3

    AWS SDKs: Programmatically deploy using languages like Python (Boto3), JavaScript, etc.

  4. 4

    SAM (Serverless Application Model): Define functions in a template and deploy using sam deploy

  5. 5

    Terraform or CloudFormation: Automate deployment with Infrastructure as Code

  6. 6

    CI/CD Pipelines: Use tools like GitHub Actions, CodePipeline, or Jenkins for automated deployments

Deploy Using AWS CLI
Difficulty: 5/10
Topics: deployment methods, CI/CD integration, IAM permissions

Scenario Questions

0-2 years experience
  1. 1

    Walk me through how you would deploy a simple Node.js Lambda function using the AWS console.

  2. 2

    If you need to update the function code after a bug fix, what steps do you take in the console?

  3. 3

    What happens if your deployment package exceeds the size limit, and how would you resolve it?

2-5 years experience
  1. 1

    You have a CI pipeline that builds a Docker image for a Lambda function. How would you integrate the deployment into the pipeline, and what trade‑offs would you consider between using SAM and the Serverless Framework?

  2. 2

    During a deployment the function starts failing with a permission error. How would you debug and fix the IAM role configuration?

  3. 3

    Explain how you would set up a canary deployment for a Lambda function and why you might choose that approach.

5-8 years experience
  1. 1

    Our service sees spikes up to 10,000 concurrent invocations. How would you design the Lambda deployment and configuration to handle this scale while minimizing cold starts?

  2. 2

    We need to roll out a new version of a Lambda function across multiple AWS accounts. What strategy would you use to ensure consistency and auditability?

  3. 3

    Discuss the impact of using Lambda layers versus bundling dependencies directly, especially regarding deployment size and version management.

8+ years experience
  1. 1

    Our organization is migrating a monolithic Java application to a serverless architecture using Lambda. How would you plan the deployment strategy, including versioning, CI/CD, and cross‑team coordination?

  2. 2

    We have legacy Lambda functions deployed via manual console steps. How would you refactor the deployment process to a fully automated, auditable pipeline, and what governance considerations would you address?

  3. 3

    When multiple teams share a common Lambda layer, how do you manage layer versioning and dependency conflicts at scale?

Follow-up Questions

  • ❓What are the trade‑offs between using the AWS console and the CLI for deployments?
  • ❓How would you manage environment‑specific configuration without hard‑coding values?
  • ❓Can you describe a strategy for rolling back a faulty Lambda deployment?