Cloud deployment overview (AWS, Azure) in Spring Boot - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Understanding AWS Elastic Beanstalk Deployment

You deploy a Spring Boot application using AWS Elastic Beanstalk. What happens when you upload a new version of your application?

A Elastic Beanstalk only stores the new version but does not deploy it automatically.

B Elastic Beanstalk creates a new environment and deletes the old one immediately.

C Elastic Beanstalk requires manual server restarts after deployment to apply changes.

D Elastic Beanstalk updates the existing environment by deploying the new version with zero downtime using rolling updates.

💡 Hint

Think about how Elastic Beanstalk manages application updates to avoid downtime.

AWS Elastic Beanstalk performs rolling updates to deploy new application versions without downtime by updating instances in batches.

❓ Architecture

intermediate

Azure App Service Deployment Architecture

You want to deploy a Spring Boot app on Azure App Service. Which architecture best describes how Azure manages your app?

A Azure App Service runs your app on dedicated virtual machines that you manage directly.

B Azure App Service runs your app in a managed platform with automatic scaling and patching, abstracting the underlying infrastructure.

C Azure App Service requires you to manually configure load balancers and virtual networks for your app.

D Azure App Service only supports containerized apps, so you must use Docker for deployment.

💡 Hint

Consider how Azure App Service simplifies app hosting by managing infrastructure for you.

Azure App Service provides a fully managed platform that handles scaling, patching, and infrastructure, so you focus on your app code.

❓ security

advanced

Securing Spring Boot App on AWS with IAM Roles

You deploy a Spring Boot app on AWS EC2 instances. You want the app to access S3 buckets securely without embedding credentials. Which is the best practice?

A Store AWS access keys in application.properties and encrypt the file.

B Use environment variables to store AWS credentials on each EC2 instance.

C Assign an IAM role to the EC2 instances with permissions to access the S3 buckets.

D Hardcode AWS credentials in the Spring Boot source code.

💡 Hint

Think about AWS best practices for granting permissions to EC2 instances.

Assigning IAM roles to EC2 instances allows secure, temporary credentials managed by AWS without hardcoding or manual management.

❓ service_behavior

advanced

Azure App Service Auto-Scaling Behavior

Your Spring Boot app is deployed on Azure App Service with auto-scaling enabled based on CPU usage. What happens when CPU usage exceeds the threshold?

A Azure App Service automatically adds more instances to handle the load.

B Azure App Service restarts the existing instances to reduce CPU usage.

C Azure App Service sends an alert but does not change the number of instances.

D Azure App Service shuts down the app to prevent overload.

💡 Hint

Consider how auto-scaling helps maintain app performance under load.

Azure App Service auto-scaling adds instances automatically when CPU usage exceeds the set threshold to maintain performance.

✅ Best Practice

expert

Choosing Deployment Strategy for Zero Downtime on AWS

You want to deploy a new version of your Spring Boot app on AWS with zero downtime and the ability to quickly roll back if needed. Which deployment strategy should you choose?

A Blue/Green deployment using Elastic Beanstalk environments.

B In-place deployment by updating the existing instances directly.

C Manual deployment by stopping the app, updating, then restarting.

D Deploy to a single instance and switch traffic manually.

💡 Hint

Think about strategies that allow running two environments simultaneously.

Blue/Green deployment creates two separate environments so you can switch traffic instantly and roll back easily, ensuring zero downtime.

Practice

1. What is the main benefit of deploying a Spring Boot application on cloud platforms like AWS or Azure?

easy

A. You don't need to manage physical servers yourself

B. You must write your own operating system

C. You have to buy hardware for deployment

D. You need to install Spring Boot manually on each device

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand cloud deployment basics

   Cloud platforms provide infrastructure so you don't manage physical servers.

2. Step 2: Identify the benefit for Spring Boot apps

   Deploying on AWS or Azure means your app runs online without hardware management.

3. Final Answer:

   You don't need to manage physical servers yourself -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Cloud deployment = no physical server management [OK]

Hint: Cloud means no physical server hassle [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking you must buy or manage hardware
• Confusing cloud with local installation
• Assuming manual OS installation is needed

2. Which AWS service is commonly used to deploy Spring Boot applications with minimal server management?

easy

A. AWS Elastic Beanstalk

B. AWS Lambda

C. Amazon EC2

D. Amazon S3

Solution

1. Step 1: Review AWS services for app deployment

   Amazon EC2 is virtual servers, AWS Lambda is serverless functions, Elastic Beanstalk manages app deployment, and S3 is storage.

2. Step 2: Choose the service for easy Spring Boot deployment

   Elastic Beanstalk automates deployment and scaling for Spring Boot apps with minimal server management.

3. Final Answer:

   AWS Elastic Beanstalk -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Elastic Beanstalk = easy app deployment [OK]

Hint: Elastic Beanstalk automates app deployment on AWS [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing EC2 which requires manual server setup
• Confusing Lambda with full app hosting
• Selecting S3 which is only for storage

3. Given this Azure deployment option for a Spring Boot app: Azure App Service, what is the expected behavior after deployment?

medium

A. You need to install Java manually on each server

B. You must manually configure virtual machines and load balancers

C. The app runs on managed infrastructure with automatic scaling

D. The app only runs locally on your development machine

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Azure App Service features

   Azure App Service provides managed hosting with automatic scaling and patching.

2. Step 2: Identify expected app behavior after deployment

   The Spring Boot app runs online on managed infrastructure without manual VM setup or Java installation.

3. Final Answer:

   The app runs on managed infrastructure with automatic scaling -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Azure App Service = managed, scalable hosting [OK]

Hint: Azure App Service manages servers and scaling [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking manual VM setup is required
• Assuming app runs only locally
• Believing manual Java install is needed

4. You deployed a Spring Boot app on AWS EC2 but it is not accessible from the internet. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. AWS Lambda function is missing

B. Security group does not allow inbound HTTP traffic

C. Spring Boot app is not installed

D. Amazon S3 bucket is empty

Solution

1. Step 1: Check network access for EC2 instance

   EC2 instances need security groups allowing inbound HTTP (port 80) or HTTPS (port 443) traffic.

2. Step 2: Identify why app is inaccessible

   If security group blocks HTTP, the app won't be reachable even if running correctly.

3. Final Answer:

   Security group does not allow inbound HTTP traffic -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Security group rules control internet access [OK]

Hint: Check EC2 security group inbound rules first [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming app is not installed without checking network
• Confusing EC2 with Lambda or S3 services
• Ignoring firewall/security group settings

5. You want to deploy a Spring Boot app on Azure with minimal management and automatic scaling. Which approach best fits this need?

hard

A. Use Azure Virtual Machines and manually configure scaling

B. Run the app on a local server and connect to Azure SQL Database

C. Store the app in Azure Blob Storage

D. Deploy on Azure App Service with autoscale enabled

Solution

1. Step 1: Compare Azure deployment options for minimal management

   Azure Virtual Machines require manual setup and scaling; Blob Storage is for files; local servers are not cloud deployment.

2. Step 2: Identify best option for automatic scaling and minimal management

   Azure App Service provides managed hosting with autoscale features, ideal for Spring Boot apps.

3. Final Answer:

   Deploy on Azure App Service with autoscale enabled -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Azure App Service + autoscale = easy, scalable deployment [OK]

Hint: Choose managed service with autoscale for ease [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Picking VMs which need manual scaling
• Confusing storage with app hosting
• Using local servers instead of cloud