MCPA-Level-1-Maintenance MuleSoft Certified Platform Architect - Level 1 MAINTENANCE Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

Explanation

Correct Answer: Invoke the system API deployed to the primary environment; add timeout and retry logic to the process API to avoid intermittent failures; if it still fails, invoke the system API deployed to the DR environment

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There is one important consideration to be noted in the question which is - System API in DR environment provides only 20% of the rate limiting offered by the primary environment. So, comparitively, very less calls will be allowed into the DR environment API opposed to its primary environment. With this in mind, lets analyse what is the right and best fault-tolerant invocation strategy.

1. Invoking both the system APIs in parallel is definitely NOT a feasible approach because of the 20% limitation we have on DR environment. Calling in parallel every time would easily and quickly exhaust the rate limits on DR environment and may not give chance to genuine intermittent error scenarios to let in during the time of need.

2. Another option given is suggesting to add timeout and retry logic to process API while invoking primary environment's system API. This is good so far. However, when all retries failed, the option is suggesting to invoke the copy of process API on DR environment which is not right or recommended. Only system API is the one to be considered for fallback and not the whole process API. Process APIs usually have lot of heavy orchestration calling many other APIs which we do not want to repeat again by calling DR's process API. So this option is NOT right.

3. One more option given is suggesting to add the retry (no timeout) logic to process API to directly retry on DR environment's system API instead of retrying the primary environment system API first. This is not at all a proper fallback. A proper fallback should occur only after all retries are performed and exhausted on Primary environment first. But here, the option is suggesting to directly retry fallback API on first failure itself without trying main API. So, this option is NOT right too.

This leaves us one option which is right and best fit.

- Invoke the system API deployed to the primary environment

- Add Timeout and Retry logic on it in process API

- If it fails even after all retries, then invoke the system API deployed to the DR environment.

Explanation

Correct Answer: When the API implementation changes the structure of the request or response messages

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>> RAML definition usually needs to be touched only when there are changes in the request/response schemas or in any traits on API.

>> It need not be modified for any internal changes in API implementation like performance tuning, backend system migrations etc..

Explanation

Correct Answer: They provide an additional layer of resilience on top of the underlying backend system, thereby insulating clients from extended failure of these systems.

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In API-led connectivity,

>> Experience APIs - allow for innovation at the user interface level by consuming the underlying assets without being aware of how data is being extracted from backend systems.

>> Process APIs - compose data from various sources and combine them with orchestration logic to create higher level value

>> System APIs - reduce the dependency on the underlying backend systems by helping unlock data from backend systems in a reusable and consumable way.

However, they NEVER promise that they provide an additional layer of resilience on top of the underlying backend system, thereby insulating clients from extended failure of these systems.

https://dzone.com/articles/api-led-connectivity-with-mule

Explanation

Correct Answer: Create separate Anypoint VPCs for non-production and production environments, then configure connections to the backend systems in the corresponding customer-hosted environments.

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>> Creating different Business Groups does NOT make any difference w.r.t accessing the non-prod and prod customer-hosted environments. Still they will be accessing from both Business Groups unless process network restrictions are put in place.

>> We need to modify or couple the Mule Application Implementations with the environment. In fact, we should never implements application coupled with environments by binding them in the properties. Only basic things like endpoint URL etc should be bundled in properties but not environment level access restrictions.

>> IP addresses on CloudHub are dynamic until unless a special static addresses are assigned. So it is not possible to setup firewall rules in customer-hosted infrastrcture. More over, even if static IP addresses are assigned, there could be 100s of applications running on cloudhub and setting up rules for all of them would be a hectic task, non-maintainable and definitely got a good practice.

>> The best practice recommended by Mulesoft (In fact any cloud provider), is to have your Anypoint VPCs seperated for Prod and Non-Prod and perform the VPC peering or VPN tunneling for these Anypoint VPCs to respective Prod and Non-Prod customer-hosted environment networks.

Explanation

Correct Answer: API Design and Development, API Runtime Execution and Hosting, API Operations and Management, API Consumer Engagement

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>> API Design and Development - Anypoint Studio, Anypoint Design Center, Anypoint Connectors

>> API Runtime Execution and Hosting - Mule Runtimes, CloudHub, Runtime Services

>> API Operations and Management - Anypoint API Manager, Anypoint Exchange

>> API Consumer Management - API Contracts, Public Portals, Anypoint Exchange, API Notebooks

Explanation

Correct Answer: Search Anypoint exchange for a suitable existing fallback API, and then implement invocations to this fallback API in addition to the order API

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>> It is not ideal and good approach, until unless there is a pre-approved agreement with the API clients that they will receive a HTTP 3xx temporary redirect status code and they have to implement fallback logic their side to call another API.

>> Creating separate entry of same Order API in API manager would just create an another instance of it on top of same API implementation. So, it does NO GOOD by using clone od same API as a fallback API. Fallback API should be ideally a different API implementation that is not same as primary one.

>> There is NO option currently provided by Anypoint HTTP Connector that allows us to invoke a fallback API when we receive certain HTTP status codes in response.

The only statement TRUE in the given options is to Search Anypoint exchange for a suitable existing fallback API, and then implement invocations to this fallback API in addition to the order API.

Explanation

Correct Answer: When the response time of API invocations exceeds a threshold

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>> Alerts can be setup for all the given options using the default Anypoint Platform functionality

>> However, the question insists on an alert whose conditions depend on the end-to-end request processing of the API implementation.

>> Alert w.r.t "Response Times" is the only one which requires end-to-end request processing of API implementation in order to determine if the threshold is exceeded or not.

Explanation

Correct Answer: API Consumer requests access to API >> API Client implementes logic to call an API >> API routes the request to >> API Implementation

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>> API consumer does not implement any logic to invoke APIs. It is just a role. So, the option stating "API Consumer implementes logic to call an API" is INVALID.

>> API Implementation does not route any requests. It is a final piece of logic where functionality of target systems is exposed. So, the requests should be routed to the API implementation by some other entity. So, the options stating "API Implementation routes the request to >> API" is INVALID

>> The statements in one of the options are correct but sequence is wrong. The sequence is given as "API Client implementes logic to call an API >> API Consumer requests access to API >> API routes the request to >> API Implementation". Here, the statements in the options are VALID but sequence is WRONG.

>> Right option and sequence is the one where API consumer first requests access to API on Anypoint Exchange and obtains client credentials. API client then writes logic to call an API by using the access client credentials requested by API consumer and the requests will be routed to API implementation via the API which is managed by API Manager.

Explanation

Correct Answer: Apply a JSON threat protection policy to all APIs to detect potential threat vectors

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>> Usually, if the APIs are designed and developed for specific consumers (known consumers/customers) then we would IP Whitelist the same to ensure that traffic only comes from them.

>> However, as this scenario states that the APIs are publicly available and being used by so many mobile and web applications, it is NOT possible to identify and blacklist all possible bad actors.

>> So, JSON threat protection policy is the best chance to prevent any bad JSON payloads from such bad actors.

Explanation

Correct Answer: In parallel, invoke the system API deployed to the primary environment and the system API deployed to the DR environment, and ONLY use the first response.

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>> The API requirement in the given scenario is to respond in least possible time.

>> The option that is suggesting to first try the API in primary environment and then fallback to API in DR environment would result in successful response but NOT in least possible time. So, this is NOT a right choice of implementation for given requirement.

>> Another option that is suggesting to ONLY invoke API in primary environment and to add timeout and retries may also result in successful response upon retries but NOT in least possible time. So, this is also NOT a right choice of implementation for given requirement.

>> One more option that is suggesting to invoke API in primary environment and API in DR environment in parallel using Scatter-Gather would result in wrong API response as it would return merged results and moreover, Scatter-Gather does things in parallel which is true but still completes its scope only on finishing all routes inside it. So again, NOT a right choice of implementation for given requirement

The Correct choice is to invoke the API in primary environment and the API in DR environment parallelly, and using ONLY the first response received from one of them.

Explanation

Correct Answer: The test runs immediately after the Mule application has been compiled and packaged

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>> Integration tests are the last layer of tests we need to add to be fully covered.

>> These tests actually run against Mule running with your full configuration in place and are tested from external source as they work in PROD.

>> These tests exercise the application as a whole with actual transports enabled. So, external systems are affected when these tests run.

So, these tests do NOT run immediately after the Mule application has been compiled and packaged.

FYI... Unit Tests are the one that run immediately after the Mule application has been compiled and packaged.

Explanation

Correct Answer: API Consumer

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>> API clients are piece of code or programs that use the client credentials of API consumer but does not directly interact with Anypoint Exchange to get the access

>> API consumer is the one who should get registered and request access to API and then API client needs to use those client credentials to hit the APIs

So, API consumer is the one who needs to request access on the API from Anypoint Exchange

Explanation

Correct Answer: At the API proxy

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>> API Policies can be enforced at two places in Mule platform.

>> One - As an Embedded Policy enforcement in the same Mule Runtime where API implementation is running.

>> Two - On an API Proxy sitting in front of the Mule Runtime where API implementation is running.

>> As the deployment scenario in the question has API Proxy involved, the policies will be enforced at the API Proxy.

Explanation

Correct Answer: IP whitelist

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>> OAuth 2.0 access token and Client ID enforcement policies are VERY common to apply on Experience APIs as API consumers need to register and access the APIs using one of these mechanisms

>> JSON threat protection is also VERY common policy to apply on Experience APIs to prevent bad or suspicious payloads hitting the API implementations.

>> IP whitelisting policy is usually very common in Process and System APIs to only whitelist the IP range inside the local VPC. But also applied occassionally on some experience APIs where the End User/ API Consumers are FIXED.

>> When we know the API consumers upfront who are going to access certain Experience APIs, then we can request for static IPs from such consumers and whitelist them to prevent anyone else hitting the API.

However, the experience API given in the question/ scenario is intended to work with a consumer mobile phone or tablet application. Which means, there is no way we can know all possible IPs that are to be whitelisted as mobile phones and tablets can so many in number and any device in the city/state/country/globe.

So, It is very LEAST LIKELY to apply IP Whitelisting on such Experience APIs whose consumers are typically Mobile Phones or Tablets.

Explanation

Correct Answer: At the process and system tiers

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>> Experience Layer APIs are modeled and designed exclusively for the end user's experience. So, the data models of experience layer vary based on the nature and type of such API consumer. For example, Mobile consumers will need light-weight data models to transfer with ease on the wire, where as web-based consumers will need detailed data models to render most of the info on web pages, so on. So, enterprise data models fit for the purpose of canonical models but not of good use for experience APIs.

>> That is why, EDMs should be used extensively in process and system tiers but NOT in experience tier.

Explanation

Correct Answer: Anypoint Runtime Fabric

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>> When a customer is already having an Azure environment, It is not at all an ideal approach to go with hybrid model having some Mule Runtimes hosted on Azure and some on MuleSoft. This is unnecessary and useless.

>> CloudHub is a Mulesoft-hosted Runtime plane and is on AWS. We cannot customize to point CloudHub to customer's Azure environment.

>> Anypoint Platform for Pivotal Cloud Foundry is specifically for infrastructure provided by Pivotal Cloud Foundry

>> Anypoint Runtime Fabric is right answer as it is a container service that automates the deployment and orchestration of Mule applications and API gateways. Runtime Fabric runs within a customer-managed infrastructure on AWS, Azure, virtual machines (VMs), and bare-metal servers.

-Some of the capabilities of Anypoint Runtime Fabric include:

-Isolation between applications by running a separate Mule runtime per application.

-Ability to run multiple versions of Mule runtime on the same set of resources.

-Scaling applications across multiple replicas.

-Automated application fail-over.

-Application management with Anypoint Runtime Manager.

Explanation

Correct Answer: Implement different system APIs named createCustomer, amendCustomer, retrieveCustomer and suspendCustomer as they are modular and has seperation of concerns

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>> It is quite normal to have a single API and different Verb + Resource combinations. However, this fits well for an Experience API or a Process API but not a best architecture style for System APIs. So, option with just one customerManagement API is not the best choice here.

>> The option with APIs in createCustomerInCRMZ format is next close choice w.r.t modularization and less maintenance but the naming of APIs is directly coupled with the legacy system. A better foreseen approach would be to name your APIs by abstracting the backend system names as it allows seamless replacement/migration of any backend system anytime. So, this is not the correct choice too.

>> createCustomer, amendCustomer, retrieveCustomer and suspendCustomer is the right approach and is the best fit compared to other options as they are both modular and same time got the names decoupled from backend system and it has covered all requirements a System API needs.