The @SpringBootTest annotation in Spring Boot is used to _____.

  • configure application properties
  • define custom Spring beans
  • load the Spring application context
  • run integration tests
The @SpringBootTest annotation is used to load the Spring application context, including all the beans defined in your application, and configure it for testing. It's typically used in integration tests to ensure that your Spring Boot application context is set up correctly.

How do Flyway and Liquibase primarily differ in managing database migrations in Spring Boot applications?

  • Flyway uses XML-based migration scripts, while Liquibase uses SQL.
  • Flyway is only suitable for small databases, while Liquibase is for large databases.
  • Flyway relies on the Java Persistence API, while Liquibase doesn't.
  • Flyway is a paid tool, while Liquibase is open-source.
Flyway and Liquibase are both popular tools for managing database migrations in Spring Boot applications, but they differ primarily in how they handle migration scripts. Flyway uses SQL-based migration scripts, whereas Liquibase supports various formats, including XML. This distinction can affect the choice of tool based on your team's preferences and existing database scripts. The other options are not accurate differentiators between Flyway and Liquibase.

For creating a custom constraint annotation in Spring Boot, the annotation should be annotated with _____.

  • @Constraint
  • @ConstraintAnnotation
  • @CustomConstraintAnnotation
  • @CustomValidation
In Spring Boot, to create a custom constraint annotation, the annotation itself should be annotated with @Constraint. This indicates to Spring Boot that the annotation is intended to be used as a validation constraint. You can then define your custom validation logic within the annotation class. This allows you to create custom validation rules in Spring Boot.

The use of _____ in Spring Security allows for the application of security constraints on methods across various layers of an application.

  • @ApplyConstraints
  • @EnableMethodSecurity
  • @EnableSecurity
  • @MethodConstraints
The use of @EnableMethodSecurity in Spring Security allows for the application of security constraints on methods across various layers of an application. It is used at the configuration level to enable method-level security annotations.

Your application needs to communicate with multiple external services, each requiring different OAuth2 credentials. How would you manage and secure these credentials and configure the OAuth2 clients in your Spring Boot application?

  • Hardcode the OAuth2 credentials directly in the application code to ensure easy access.
  • Store the credentials in environment variables and configure multiple OAuth2 clients programmatically.
  • Create a configuration file for each external service and store OAuth2 credentials there.
  • Use a secret management tool like HashiCorp Vault to securely store and retrieve OAuth2 credentials dynamically.
To securely manage multiple OAuth2 credentials, it's best to store them in environment variables (option 2) and configure OAuth2 clients programmatically. Hardcoding credentials (option 1) is insecure and inflexible. Creating separate configuration files (option 3) can work but may not be as secure or manageable. Utilizing a secret management tool like HashiCorp Vault (option 4) provides dynamic, secure credential storage but may add complexity to the application.

In what scenario would you use the @Modifying annotation in a Spring Data JPA repository method?

  • When creating a new JPA entity object.
  • When defining a custom query for a read operation.
  • When performing a write operation that modifies the database (e.g., INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE).
  • When retrieving data from multiple tables using a JOIN operation.
The @Modifying annotation in a Spring Data JPA repository method is used when performing a write operation that modifies the database, such as INSERT, UPDATE, or DELETE. It indicates to Spring that the method is going to modify the data, so it should be included in a transaction. The other options are not scenarios where @Modifying is typically used.

For securing REST APIs in Spring Security, the use of _______ is recommended to represent the user's authorization information.

  • Basic Authentication
  • JSON Web Tokens (JWT)
  • OAuth2 Tokens
  • Session Cookies
To secure REST APIs in Spring Security, it's recommended to use JSON Web Tokens (JWT) to represent the user's authorization information. JWTs are a popular choice for token-based authentication and authorization in stateless API environments.

In a Spring Boot application, the _____ annotation can be used to define a class that will handle exceptions for all controllers.

  • @ExceptionHandler
  • @ControllerAdvice
  • @GlobalExceptionHandler
  • @ExceptionController
In Spring Boot, the @ControllerAdvice annotation can be used to define a class that handles exceptions globally for all controllers. This is a common practice to centralize exception handling logic. The other options are not used for this specific purpose. @ExceptionHandler is used at the method level, @GlobalExceptionHandler and @ExceptionController are not standard annotations in Spring Boot.

How can you clear or evict a cached value in a Spring Boot application?

  • By using the @CacheEvict annotation on a method.
  • By restarting the Spring Boot application.
  • By setting the cache timeout to zero.
  • By manually deleting cache files from the system.
In Spring Boot, you can clear or evict a cached value by using the @CacheEvict annotation on a method. This annotation allows you to specify which cache(s) and which entry or entries to evict. The other options are not the standard ways to clear cached values in a Spring Boot application.

Imagine you are designing a Spring Cloud microservices application. How would you implement inter-service communication and ensure load balancing among the service instances?

  • Using RESTful HTTP requests with hardcoded URLs.
  • Implementing a service registry like Netflix Eureka and using client-side load balancing.
  • Hardcoding IP addresses of service instances.
  • Avoiding inter-service communication.
To ensure dynamic and scalable inter-service communication, you should use a service registry like Netflix Eureka and client-side load balancing. Hardcoding URLs or IP addresses is not a scalable solution. Avoiding inter-service communication is not practical in a microservices architecture.