How can you rename a file or directory in Node.js?

0-2 years experience

1. 1We need to move an uploaded image into a 'processed' folder and rename it to include a timestamp. How would you implement that in Node.js?
2. 2What happens if you try to rename a file to a name that already exists on the same filesystem, and how would you handle that situation?
3. 3Show me a short snippet that renames a directory synchronously. When might you choose the sync version over the async one?

2-5 years experience

1. 1Our batch job sometimes throws an EXDEV error when renaming files. Why does this occur and how would you resolve it?
2. 2We need to rename files that may reside on different mounted volumes. Discuss the trade‑offs between using fs.rename versus copying then deleting.
3. 3A deployment script that renames configuration files is failing silently. How would you add robust error handling and logging?

5-8 years experience

1. 1Design a microservice that handles thousands of rename requests per second, guarantees atomicity, and avoids race conditions when two requests target the same path. Which Node.js APIs and architectural patterns would you choose?
2. 2Explain how you would implement a retry mechanism for rename operations that can fail due to temporary file locks while keeping throughput high.
3. 3What are the implications of using fs.rename on a network file system in a distributed environment, and how would you ensure consistency?

8+ years experience

1. 1Our legacy codebase uses callback‑based fs.rename throughout many services. We want to migrate to a promise/async‑await utility without breaking existing workflows. What migration strategy would you propose?
2. 2We are launching a cross‑team initiative to standardize file‑management APIs, including rename, across all Node.js services. How would you design an abstraction layer, version it, and manage the rollout while minimizing operational risk?
3. 3In a multi‑tenant SaaS platform, renames must satisfy strict audit, rollback, and compliance requirements. How would you architect the rename feature to meet these constraints across teams?