AWS API Gateway Fundamentals Quiz Quiz

Assess your understanding of the core features, capabilities, and basic concepts within AWS API Gateway. This quiz focuses on endpoint types, integration options, key terminology, and essential security features, offering a foundational review for cloud and API beginners.

1. API Gateway Primary Function

   Which of the following best describes the primary function of an API Gateway?

   1. A tool used exclusively for serverless application deployments
   2. A storage service for archiving large data sets
   3. A centralized tool that manages, secures, and routes API traffic between clients and back-end services
   4. A database management system for relational data

   Explanation: API Gateways act as a central entry point for APIs, handling security, traffic management, and request routing to back-end services. They do not store data like a storage service, nor are they limited to serverless use cases. Additionally, they are not used as database systems; their main role is API traffic control and management.

2. Supported Protocols

   Which protocol is most commonly supported for API Gateway endpoints to allow clients to connect?

   1. FTP
   2. SMTP
   3. HTTP
   4. SSH

   Explanation: API Gateways normally use HTTP because it is the standard for web APIs, supporting RESTful and WebSocket communications. FTP is a file transfer protocol and not designed for API calls. SMTP is used for sending emails, and SSH is meant for secure remote shell access, neither of which are suited for APIs.

3. API Gateway Security Feature

   Which feature of API Gateway helps restrict access to certain API methods based on user identity?

   1. Monitoring
   2. Caching
   3. Authorization
   4. Throttling

   Explanation: Authorization helps ensure only permitted users can access or execute specific API methods, often by evaluating authentication tokens or credentials. Caching improves performance, throttling manages request rates, and monitoring observes usage and errors, but none of these directly regulates user access.

4. Example of an API Integration Type

   If an API Gateway forwards a client's request to a Lambda function for processing, which integration type is being used?

   1. Lambda integration
   2. Direct SQL integration
   3. FTP integration
   4. Database integration

   Explanation: Lambda integration allows the API Gateway to trigger serverless functions in response to incoming requests, enabling managed and scalable logic processing. Database and direct SQL integration refer to data storage, and FTP integration is unrelated to API calls or endpoint triggers.

5. API Gateway Throttling Purpose

   What is the main purpose of throttling in an API Gateway configuration?

   1. To limit the number of requests a client can make in a given period
   2. To store large files sent by the API client
   3. To encrypt data between the client and server
   4. To block all incoming requests for maintenance

   Explanation: Throttling is used to prevent any single client or user from overloading the API by capping request rates. It does not block all requests, nor is it used for encryption or file storage. Encryption secures data, and storage of large files is not handled by API Gateways.

6. API Gateway Endpoint Types

   Which of the following are major endpoint types supported by most API Gateways?

   1. Regional, Edge-Optimized, and Private
   2. Local, Static, and Public
   3. Shared, Hybrid, and Global
   4. API, HTTP, and Web

   Explanation: These are the core endpoint types, allowing users to choose between serving requests close to specific regions, through global edge locations, or within a private network. The other options include inaccurate or generic terms that do not match standard endpoint typologies in API Gateway.

7. API Gateway Resource Path Example

   Given the URL 'https://api.example.com/users/123', what does 'users/123' represent in API Gateway terminology?

   1. API integration
   2. Authorizer
   3. HTTP method
   4. Resource path

   Explanation: The section 'users/123' is a resource path that maps to a particular resource or endpoint within the API. HTTP method refers to actions like GET or POST, API integration connects to back-end logic or services, and Authorizer relates to access control, not the path structure.

8. Caching Benefits in API Gateway

   What is a primary benefit of enabling caching for an API Gateway endpoint?

   1. Sending alerts for every API call
   2. Forcing data to update with every request
   3. Reducing latency by storing frequent responses
   4. Increasing the number of required authorizations

   Explanation: Caching speeds up responses by keeping copies of popular responses, reducing the need to process each request from scratch. It does not increase authorization checks, send unnecessary alerts, or require updates for every request, which would defeat the purpose of caching.

9. API Gateway Mapping Templates

   Which purpose do mapping templates serve in an API Gateway configuration?

   1. Transforming requests and responses between different data formats
   2. Resetting API usage limits for all clients
   3. Encrypting all incoming API data
   4. Automatically scaling underlying infrastructure

   Explanation: Mapping templates are used to convert or reformat incoming or outgoing data as it passes through the gateway, enabling compatibility with different backends or client needs. They do not manage scaling, reset limits, or provide encryption functions.

10. API Gateway Monitoring Tools

    What kind of information can API Gateway monitoring tools help visualize?

    1. Client-side application animations
    2. Server operating system updates
    3. Request counts, error rates, and latency metrics
    4. Hardware temperature of network routers

    Explanation: Monitoring tools in API Gateway allow observation of API usage and performance metrics such as request rates, error frequencies, and response times. They do not display information about server operating systems, client-side interfaces, or physical network hardware.