Preparing for MuleSoft Level 1 Certification: Module 1 — Introducing Application Networks and API-led Connectivity

This series of articles aims to provide all the necessary information to help you pass the MuleSoft Level 1 Certification exam. In this first module, “Introducing Application Networks and API-led Connectivity”, we will cover the foundational concepts of application networks and the principles of API-led connectivity. You will gain an understanding of how these concepts form the backbone of modern integration strategies, enabling seamless connectivity and efficient API management.

The IT Challenge and MuleSoft Solution

The challenge that companies have encountered is that advancements in IT have widened the gap between customer needs and the companies’ ability to meet them. Customer expectations have become more complex, and they desire more seamless services.

For example, a customer expects to track their order in real-time through a mobile app. However, the company uses different systems for inventory, logistics, and customer service, making real-time tracking difficult. This gap between customer expectations and company capabilities is significant.

The solution is MuleSoft, which provides tools and an approach called API-led connectivity to connect different applications and systems, allowing for seamless integration and better meeting customer needs.

Building Reusable APIs with MuleSoft

With MuleSoft, both Central IT and Line of Business (LOB) IT teams can create valuable assets such as APIs and connectors. These assets can be easily reused by other developers within the organization, which simplifies development processes and improves overall quality.

Central IT typically handles the core technology infrastructure, while LOB IT focuses on specific business unit needs. By using MuleSoft, both teams can build and share reusable components like APIs. For instance, once an API for accessing customer data is created, other developers can use it for various applications without having to rebuild it from scratch. This collaborative approach saves time, ensures consistency, and enhances the quality of the services provided.

API-led Connectivity Approach

API-led connectivity is an approach to integration that uses modern APIs to connect and expose assets. This method involves organizing APIs into three distinct layers: Experience APIs, Process APIs, and System APIs. Each layer serves a specific purpose in the overall architecture, ensuring that the integration is scalable, flexible, and easy to manage.

Experience APIs

• Designed for end-user interactions.
• Tailored for specific channels like mobile apps and web applications.
• Provides a smooth and efficient user experience.

Process APIs

• Handles business logic and processes.
• Orchestrates data from multiple sources.
• Prepares and transforms data for Experience APIs.

System APIs

• Connects to core systems of record (e.g., databases, ERP systems).
• Provides secure and controlled access to system data.
• Ensures consistent data access and integration.

Advantages of API-led Connectivity

API-led connectivity increases agility by allowing for rapid development and deployment of new services, facilitating quick adaptation to changing business needs. It enhances reusability by encouraging the creation of reusable APIs and connectors, reducing redundancy, and accelerating development processes.

Better governance and security are achieved through controlled access to sensitive data and standardized API management. Finally, API-led connectivity delivers a consistent user experience by providing a unified experience across various platforms and devices, ensuring that end-users have a seamless interaction with the services.

Improved collaboration is another advantage, as this approach enables different teams, such as Central IT and LOB IT, to work together effectively, promoting the sharing of common assets across the organization. The scalability of this approach supports scalable integration solutions, ensuring the system can grow and evolve with the business.

Modern APIs

— Characteristics of Modern APIs

Modern APIs have three main characteristics that make them effective and user-friendly:

1. Discoverable and Accessible Through Self-Service
   Modern APIs are easy to find and use. They come with documentation and tools that allow developers to access them on their own, without needing extra help.
2. Productized and Designed for Ease of Consumption
   These APIs are created like products, making them simple to use and integrate with other systems. They use standard formats, so developers can easily work with them.
3. Easily Managed for Security, Scalability, and Performance
   Modern APIs are built with features that make them secure and reliable. They can handle increased use and ensure good performance, making them dependable for various applications.

— Core Characteristic of Modern APIs

Designed First Using API Specifications for Rapid Feedback
The core characteristic of modern APIs is that they are designed from the beginning. This approach allows for rapid feedback and iterative improvement. By defining the API’s structure and behavior upfront, developers and stakeholders can quickly understand, test, and refine the API before actual implementation.

Center for Enablement (C4E)

The Center for Enablement (C4E) is a group of experts within an organization that guides and supports teams in effectively using MuleSoft tools and adopting the API-led connectivity approach.

The C4E supports both Central IT and Line of Business (LOB) IT teams in creating APIs and integrations. They provide guidance and best practices, ensuring APIs are reusable and well-designed. The C4E also offers training and helps maintain security and governance, making it easier for teams to build and manage their APIs efficiently.

Application Network

An Application Network is created by connecting various applications and services through reusable APIs. These APIs act as building blocks that different teams can use for various projects, making integration simpler and faster.

Every time a new API or service (node) is added to the network, it increases the possibilities for reuse. For example, if a team develops an API for payment processing, other teams can use this same API for different projects like e-commerce websites, mobile apps, or billing systems.

As more nodes are added, the Application Network becomes more valuable because it offers more reusable components.

Key to Success of an Application Network

The success of an Application Network largely depends on the APIs being easily accessible and discoverable. When APIs are well-documented and readily available, it becomes easier for different teams to understand and implement them in their projects.

Ensuring that APIs are designed with reuse in mind and are standardized across the organization helps in creating a cohesive and efficient Application Network.

RESTful Web Services

A web service is a specific type of API designed for communication over the web using standardized protocols(like those in RESTful web services, which use HTTP methods such as GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to exchange data and perform operations.

Key Characteristics of RESTful Web Services

• Stateless: Each request from a client to a server must contain all the information needed to understand and process the request. The server does not store any information about the client’s state between requests. This makes the system more scalable and reliable.
• Client-Server Architecture: The client and server are separate entities that interact through requests and responses.
• Uniform Interface: RESTful APIs use a consistent and standardized way to interact with resources. This typically involves using URLs to represent resources and HTTP methods to perform operations on these resources.
• Resource-Based: Everything in a RESTful API is considered a resource, which can be any kind of object, data, or service that can be accessed. Resources are identified by URLs.

RESTful web service request methods

Questions & Answers — Quiz

1- What MuleSoft API-led connectivity layer is intended to expose part of a backend database without business logic?

A. Experience
B. Data
C. System
D. Process
E. Security

— — Correct Answer: C

Explanation:

System Layer: This layer connects to the backend systems like databases and exposes the raw data directly. It does not add any business logic or processing. The main purpose of this layer is to provide access to the underlying data in its original form.

• Experience Layer: Tailors data for specific user interfaces or applications.
• Data Layer: Not a recognized layer in MuleSoft’s model.
• Process Layer: Adds business logic and processes data from multiple sources.
• Security Layer: Not one of the main layers in MuleSoft’s API-led connectivity.

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2- What statement is part of MuleSoft’s description of an application network?

A. Creates reusable APIs and assets designed to be consumed by other business units
B. Creates and manages high availability and fault tolerant services and infrastructure
C. Leverages Central IT to deliver complete point-to-point solutions with master data management
D. Creates and manages a collection of JMS messaging services and infrastructure

— — Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

MuleSoft’s idea of an “application network” is about making APIs (which are tools for different software to talk to each other) that can be used over and over by different parts of a company.

• B talks about making sure services are always available, which is important but not specifically about an application network.
• C involves using a central IT team for specific solutions, not about connecting different apps.
• D is about messaging services, which is a specific type of technology, not the overall concept of an application network.

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3- According to MuleSoft, what is the Center for Enablement’s role in the new IT operating model?

A. Creates and manages discoverable assets to be consumed by line of business developers
B. Centrally manages partners and consultants to implement line of business projects
C. Implements line of business projects to enforce common security requirements
D. Produces and manages API policies for line of business deployments

— — Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

Even though the Center for Enablement (C4E) does not create APIs directly, it plays a crucial role in creating and managing the overall assets and resources that make it easier for developers to find and use APIs and other tools. This means that C4E ensures that these tools are available and properly organized for use across different business units.

• B involves managing external partners and consultants, which isn’t the main focus of C4E.
• C refers to implementing projects and ensuring security, which is not the primary function of C4E.
• D is about managing API policies, which is part of governance but not the main role of C4E.

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4- What is a core characteristic of the Modern API?

A. API is designed first using an API specification for rapid feedback
B. API is rapidly prototyped following AGILE methodology
C. API follows the RESTful architecture
D. API has a mechanism to accept feedback and suggestions for improvement

— — Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

A Modern API starts by creating a clear plan or design before any coding begins. This design is often done using an API specification, which is a detailed document that outlines how the API will work. This approach helps get quick feedback and makes sure the API is built correctly from the start.

• B talks about fast development methods, but not about the planning and design stage.
• C mentions RESTful architecture, which is a style for designing APIs but isn’t a unique feature of modern APIs.
• D is about getting feedback on the API after it’s made, but the core characteristic is actually about planning the API before starting to build it.

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5- Refer to the exhibit. The API specification supports searching for articles on the searchworld.org site. What is the most idiomatic (used for its intended purpose) URL and method to retrieve articles about “einstein” in XML format?

— — Correct Answer: A

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6- What HTTP method in a RESTful web service is typically used to completely replace an existing resource?

A. PATCH
B. PUT
C. POST
D. GET

— — Correct Answer: B

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7- An app team is developing a mobile banking app. It took them two months to create their own APIs to access transaction information from a central database. The app team later found out that another team had already built an API that accesses the transaction information they need. According to MuleSoft, what organization structure could have saved the app team two months of development time?

A. Center of Excellence
B. Center for Enablement
C. MuleSoft Support Center
D. Central API Review Board

— — Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

A Center for Enablement (C4E) helps to streamline and improve the use of existing resources and tools within an organization. It acts as a hub to manage, share, and promote reusable assets like APIs. If the app team had consulted the Center for Enablement, they might have found the existing API and saved the two months they spent developing their own.

Here’s why the other options are less suitable:

• Center of Excellence focuses on best practices and standards but may not specifically help in discovering existing APIs.
• MuleSoft Support Center provides technical support for MuleSoft products but doesn’t usually manage or track internal APIs.
• Central API Review Board reviews API designs and governance but may not actively promote or inform teams about existing APIs that could be reused.

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8- According to MuleSoft. what is the first step to create a Modern API?

A. Gather a list of requirements to secure the API
B. Create an API specification and get feedback from stakeholders
C. Performance tune and optimize the backend systems and network
D. Create a prototype of the API implementation

— — Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

The first step in creating a Modern API is to create an API specification. This is a detailed plan that describes how the API will work. Getting feedback from stakeholders during this phase helps ensure that the API meets the needs of its users before development begins.

• A is about security, which comes after planning the API.
• C involves optimizing systems, which is done after the API design.
• D involves creating a prototype, which happens after the API specification is developed.