Binary Searchhard70 minSecurity Engineer

Patch Minimum Feasible Throughput

Security Engineer signal: binary search on answer + monotonic predicate in a patch priority queue context. This is a ProdMatch-owned security engineer drill, framed as a May 2026 MoEngage Vulnerability Management simulation, not a copied platform question.

Company context

MoEngage · Vulnerability Management

Freshness

May 2026

Product surface

patch priority queue

ProdMatch interview simulation based on product-team patterns; not a claim of a real company question.

Question

For patch priority queue, choose the minimum processing rate so all CVEs finish before deadline. Each worker can process rate units per minute, rounded up per item.

Input

Work item sizes and deadline minutes.

Output

Minimum integer rate.

Constraints

1 <= items.length <= 200000
1 <= item size <= 1e9
Deadline is at least items.length.

Concepts

attack graphs
policy tries
anomaly detection
binary search on answer
monotonic predicate

sizes [3,6,7,11], deadline=8 -> 4

Approach

Try framing your own approach first. The 30 seconds you think before peeking is where learning happens.

Clean Solution

Reveal the approach first.

How well did you understand?

Your rating tunes when this problem shows up again.

Common Mistakes

Use low + (high - low) // 2 to avoid overflow.
The predicate must be monotonic or binary search is invalid.

Next Similar Problems

Attack Minimum Feasible Throughputmedium Policy Minimum Feasible Throughputmedium Anomaly Minimum Feasible Throughputmedium