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

Explanation

Correct Answer: Spike control

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>> First things first, HTTP Caching policy is for purposes different than avoiding the backend system from overloading. So this is OUT.

>> Rate Limiting and Throttling/ Spike Control policies are designed to limit API access, but have different intentions.

>> Rate limiting protects an API by applying a hard limit on its access.

>> Throttling/ Spike Control shapes API access by smoothing spikes in traffic.

That is why, Spike Control is the right option.

Explanation

Correct Answer: The API policy is defined in API Manager for a specific API instance, and then ONLY applied to the specific API instance.

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>> Once our API specifications are ready and published to Exchange, we need to visit API Manager and register an API instance for each API.

>> API Manager is the place where management of API aspects takes place like addressing NFRs by enforcing policies on them.

>> We can create multiple instances for a same API and manage them differently for different purposes.

>> One instance can have a set of API policies applied and another instance of same API can have different set of policies applied for some other purpose.

>> These APIs and their instances are defined PER environment basis. So, one need to manage them seperately in each environment.

>> We can ensure that same configuration of API instances (SLAs, Policies etc..) gets promoted when promoting to higher environments using platform feature. But this is optional only. Still one can change them per environment basis if they have to.

>> Runtime Manager is the place to manage API Implementations and their Mule Runtimes but NOT APIs itself. Though API policies gets executed in Mule Runtimes, We CANNOT enforce API policies in Runtime Manager. We would need to do that via API Manager only for a cherry picked instance in an environment.

So, based on these facts, right statement in the given choices is - "The API policy is defined in API Manager for a specific API instance, and then ONLY applied to the specific API instance".

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: An SLA for the upstream API CANNOT be provided.

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>> First thing first, the default HTTP response timeout for HTTP connector is 10000 ms (10 seconds). NOT 500 ms.

>> Mule runtime does NOT apply any such "load-dependent" timeouts. There is no such behavior currently in Mule.

>> As there is default 10000 ms time out for HTTP connector, we CANNOT always guarantee that the invocation of the downstream API will run to completion without timing out due to its unreliable SLA times. If the response time crosses 10 seconds then the request may time out.

The main impact due to this is that a proper SLA for the upstream API CANNOT be provided.

Explanation

Correct Answer: When development is already organized into several independent initiatives or groups

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>> It would require lot of process effort in an organization to have a single C4E team coordinating with multiple already organized development teams which are into several independent initiatives. A single C4E works well with different teams having at least a common initiative. So, in this scenario, federated C4E works well instead of centralized C4E.

When a Basic Authentication policy is applied to an API on CloudHub but clients can still access the API without authentication, the likely cause is a missing Autodiscovery element. Here’s how this affects API security:

Autodiscovery in MuleSoft:

The Autodiscovery element is essential for linking an API implementation deployed in CloudHub with its API instance defined in API Manager. This connection allows the policies applied in API Manager, such as Basic Authentication, to be enforced on the deployed API.

Why Option B is Correct:

Without Autodiscovery, the deployed application does not "know" about the policies configured in API Manager, resulting in unrestricted access. Adding Autodiscovery enables the API to enforce the policies correctly.

Explanation of Incorrect Options:

Option A (incorrect Exchange version) would not cause bypassing of security policies.

Option C (missing client applications) does not impact authentication policy enforcement.

Option D (worker restart) is irrelevant to policy enforcement.

ReferencesRefer to MuleSoft documentation on Autodiscovery configuration and linking API Manager policies for additional information on setting up secure API policies​.

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

In the initial meeting for establishing a Center for Enablement (C4E), it’s essential to lay the foundational vision, objectives, and guiding principles for the team. Here’s why this is crucial:

Clear Vision and Mission:

Defining the mission statement and objectives at the start ensures alignment within the organization and clarifies the C4E’s role in supporting API-led development and integration practices.

Guiding Principles:

Establishing guiding principles will help the C4E maintain consistent practices and strategies across projects. This serves as a framework for decisions and fosters shared understanding among IT leaders and stakeholders.

Explanation of Correct Answer (A):

By prioritizing the C4E’s objectives and mission, the organization builds a solid foundation, paving the way for subsequent meetings focused on technical standards, processes, and operating models.

Explanation of Incorrect Options:

Option B (API monetization) and Option C (common services best practices) are specific topics better suited for later discussions.

Option D (specifying the operating model) is an important step but typically follows the establishment of the C4E’s objectives and vision.

ReferencesFor more on C4E objectives and foundational setup, refer to MuleSoft’s documentation on establishing a C4E and the roles and mission statements recommended for such initiatives​.

In API-led design, an Experience API is enhanced to improve how data is delivered to end-user applications. One primary reason to enhance an Experience API is when new data standards, such as a Canonical Data Model, are adopted. Here’s why:

Canonical Data Model (CDM):

Adopting a CDM standardizes data representations across the organization, making APIs more consistent and easier to consume across various services and applications.

Updating the Experience API ensures that it delivers data in this standardized format, improving interoperability and reusability.

Explanation of Correct Answer (D):

A CDM impacts the structure and types of data the API provides, and this update would be directly relevant to an Experience API, as it is the primary point of interaction for applications.

Explanation of Incorrect Options:

Option A involves adapting to consumer-specific standards, which is against API-led design principles.

Option B involves changes in System APIs, which don’t directly mandate changes to the Experience API unless data formatting adjustments are required.

Option C (IP Allowlist) relates to security rather than API design and would not motivate a functional enhancement of the API.

ReferencesFor more details on the use of Canonical Data Models in API-led architecture, refer to MuleSoft’s guidelines on data standardization and Experience API best practices​.

Explanation

Correct Answer: SLA-based rate limiting

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>> Client Id enforement policy is a "Compliance" related NFR and does not help in maintaining the "Quality of Service (QoS)". It CANNOT and NOT meant for protecting the backend systems from scalability challenges.

>> IP Whitelisting and OAuth 2.0 token enforcement are "Security" related NFRs and again does not help in maintaining the "Quality of Service (QoS)". They CANNOT and are NOT meant for protecting the backend systems from scalability challenges.

Rate Limiting, Rate Limiting-SLA, Throttling, Spike Control are the policies that are "Quality of Service (QOS)" related NFRs and are meant to help in protecting the backend systems from getting overloaded.

https://dzone.com/articles/how-to-secure-apis

Understanding Coarse-Grained vs. Fine-Grained API Design:

A coarse-grained design consolidates multiple operations within a single API, leading to fewer APIs but with more complex implementations. Conversely, a fine-grained design breaks down functionalities into smaller, more specific APIs, resulting in simpler implementations but a larger number of APIs.

Evaluating the Options:

Option A (Correct Answer): With a coarse-grained design, each API handles more functionalities, increasing the complexity of each API implementation as it needs to manage more use cases and logic.

Option B: A coarse-grained design typically reduces the number of APIs, so fewer discoverable assets are available.

Option C: Fewer APIs generally mean fewer connections between them in the application network.

Option D: Network infrastructure usage may actually decrease with fewer APIs, as there are fewer calls between APIs.

Conclusion:

Option A is the correct answer, as the complexity of each API implementation increases in a coarse-grained design due to the consolidation of multiple functionalities into single APIs.

Refer to MuleSoft’s documentation on API design principles and best practices for coarse-grained vs. fine-grained API implementation.

Processing Requirements and Storage Mechanism:

The Reservation Mule application will be deployed to multiple CloudHub workers/replicas, meaning that each worker must share state information to handle records exactly once. This requires a shared storage mechanism where state can be stored and accessed by multiple instances to avoid duplicate processing of the same records.

A Persistent Object Store in Anypoint Platform can be used to store records in a way that is accessible across multiple workers, providing a reliable mechanism for "exactly once" processing.

Evaluating the Options:

Option A (Correct Answer): A Persistent Object Store is designed to retain data across different application instances and can be shared by all workers on CloudHub. It helps achieve idempotency by ensuring that a record is processed exactly once.

Option B: Runtime Fabric Object Store is used for applications deployed in Anypoint Runtime Fabric, not CloudHub. This option would not be compatible with the CloudHub deployment.

Option C: A Non-persistent Object Store does not retain data across application restarts or different instances, making it unsuitable for the requirement of synchronized storage for exactly-once processing.

Option D: An In-memory Mule Object Store is local to each worker and is not shared across instances, so it does not meet the requirement for a shared storage mechanism accessible to all CloudHub workers.

Conclusion:

Option A is the correct answer, as a Persistent Object Store allows data sharing across multiple CloudHub workers, enabling them to synchronize and achieve "exactly once" processing of passenger records with minimal development effort.

Refer to MuleSoft’s documentation on Object Store configurations and usage for best practices on handling state across distributed instances.

Explanation

Correct Answer: The number of API specifications in RAML or OAS format published to Anypoint Exchange

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>> The success of C4E always depends on their contribution to the number of reusable assets that they have helped to build and publish to Anypoint Exchange.

>> It is NOT due to any factors w.r.t # of outages, Manual vs CI/CD deployments or Publicly accessible HTTP endpoints

>> Anypoint Platform APIs helps us to quickly run and get the number of published RAML/OAS assets to Anypoint Exchange. This clearly depicts how successful a C4E team is based on number of returned assets in the response.

MUnit is MuleSoft’s testing framework for creating and running automated tests within Anypoint Studio. It is specifically designed for unit testing Mule applications and is best suited when testing doesn’t require understanding the inner workings or implementation details of the components being tested.

Ideal Use Cases for MUnit:

MUnit is optimal when testing individual flows, functions, or components in isolation. This type of testing focuses on verifying the behavior of each unit without needing to understand the complete system.

Since unit tests do not require external integrations or dependencies to be live, mocking is commonly used in MUnit to simulate the behavior of external services and APIs.

Why Option B is Correct:

Option B aligns with the concept of unit testing, where the emphasis is on testing functionality rather than system integration. Integration tests, on the other hand, would require implementation knowledge and live endpoints, making them unsuitable for MUnit’s scope.

Explanation of Incorrect Options:

Option A (read-only interactions) and Option C (no mocking) do not suit MUnit’s typical testing environment as MUnit is designed with mocking capabilities to simulate dependencies.

Option D (SoapUI-based tests) suggests an external testing tool, while MUnit is specific to MuleSoft.

ReferencesFor more on MUnit best practices, refer to MuleSoft’s MUnit documentation​.

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.

When using CloudHub 1.0’s Shared Load Balancer (SLB) for a Mule application configured with HTTPS in an Anypoint VPC, specific ports must be configured for the application to correctly route incoming traffic:

Port Requirement for SLB:

The CloudHub Shared Load Balancer for HTTPS traffic requires that applications listen on port 8092 for secure (HTTPS) communication. This port is reserved specifically for SSL traffic when using SLB with Anypoint VPCs.

Why Option B is Correct:

Setting the HTTP Listener's connector configuration to 8092 aligns with CloudHub requirements for HTTPS via the Shared Load Balancer.

Explanation of Incorrect Options:

Option A (8082) is used for non-HTTPS (HTTP) traffic.

Option C (80) and Option D (443) are standard web ports but are not applicable within CloudHub SLB’s internal configuration for VPC routing.

ReferencesFor more information on the Shared Load Balancer port configurations, refer to MuleSoft’s documentation on CloudHub and VPC load balancer requirements​.

Explanation

Correct Answer: The SSL certificates used by the API implementation to expose HTTPS endpoints

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>> The assignment of each HTTP request to a particular CloudHub worker is taken care by Anypoint Platform itself. We need not manage it explicitly in the API implementation and in fact we CANNOT manage it in the API implementation.

>> The logging configuration that enables log entries to be visible in Runtime Manager is ALWAYS managed in the API implementation and NOT just for SLB. So this is not something we do EXCLUSIVELY when using SLB.

>> We DO NOT manage the number of DNS entries allocated to the API implementation inside the code. Anypoint Platform takes care of this.

It is the SSL certificates used by the API implementation to expose HTTPS endpoints that is to be managed EXCLUSIVELY by the API implementation. Anypoint Platform does NOT do this when using SLBs.

Explanation

Correct Answer: By refining the response definitions by adding the x-ratelimit-* response headers with description, type, and example

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References:

https://docs.mulesoft.com/api-manager/2.x/rate-limiting-and-throttling#response-headers

https://docs.mulesoft.com/api-manage r/2.x/rate-limiting-and-throttling-sla-based-policies#response-headers