| 1 | How do you enforce that all HTTP requests to an ASP.NET Core application are redirected to HTTPS? ASP.NET Core › HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | ASP.NET Core | HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | Beginner |
| 2 | What is a self-signed certificate, and why is the ASP.NET Core development HTTPS certificate (dotnet dev-certs) not suitable for production use? ASP.NET Core › HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | ASP.NET Core | HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | Intermediate |
| 3 | How would you test and verify that an ASP.NET Core application's HTTPS configuration (certificate validity, protocol versions, HSTS header) is correctly configured before or after a production deployment? ASP.NET Core › HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | ASP.NET Core | HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | Intermediate |
| 4 | How does the UseHttpsRedirection() middleware determine which port to redirect to, and how do you explicitly configure it when the HTTPS port isn't on the default 443? ASP.NET Core › HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | ASP.NET Core | HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | Intermediate |
| 5 | How does Node's node:https module differ from node:http, and what additional configuration does it require? Node.js › HTTP & HTTPS Modules | Node.js | HTTP & HTTPS Modules | Intermediate |
| 6 | How would you configure Kestrel to use a specific X.509 certificate for HTTPS, and what are the different ways to supply that certificate (file-based, certificate store, Azure Key Vault)? ASP.NET Core › HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | ASP.NET Core | HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | Advanced |
| 7 | How do you configure Kestrel to listen on multiple endpoints (different ports, or both HTTP and HTTPS simultaneously)? ASP.NET Core › Hosting Models: Kestrel, IIS & Reverse Proxies | ASP.NET Core | Hosting Models: Kestrel, IIS & Reverse Proxies | Intermediate |
| 8 | What is the difference between a custom URL scheme deep link, such as myapp://, and a universal link or Android app link that uses a standard https:// web address? Flutter › Deep Linking in Flutter | Flutter | Deep Linking in Flutter | Beginner |
| 9 | How does ASP.NET Core determine the original client IP address and scheme (HTTP/HTTPS) when running behind a reverse proxy that terminates TLS and forwards requests, given the app only sees the proxy's connection? ASP.NET Core › Hosting Models: Kestrel, IIS & Reverse Proxies | ASP.NET Core | Hosting Models: Kestrel, IIS & Reverse Proxies | Intermediate |
| 10 | How would you implement a simple HTTP server (not just a client) using the lightweight com.sun.net.httpserver.HttpServer class bundled with the JDK, without a full framework like Spring? Java › Java Networking & HTTP Client | Java | Java Networking & HTTP Client | Advanced |
| 11 | What is the difference between a certificate's public key and private key, and why must the private key never be exposed or committed to source control? ASP.NET Core › HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | ASP.NET Core | HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | Beginner |
| 12 | How would you create a basic HTTP server using only Node's built-in node:http module, without a framework like Express? Node.js › HTTP & HTTPS Modules | Node.js | HTTP & HTTPS Modules | Beginner |
| 13 | What is HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security), and how does UseHsts() in ASP.NET Core implement it? ASP.NET Core › HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | ASP.NET Core | HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | Intermediate |
| 14 | What is certificate pinning, and why is it generally discouraged for typical web API scenarios despite its security benefits? ASP.NET Core › HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | ASP.NET Core | HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | Intermediate |
| 15 | What TLS protocol versions and cipher suites should a modern ASP.NET Core application support, and how do you configure Kestrel to enforce a minimum acceptable TLS version? ASP.NET Core › HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | ASP.NET Core | HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | Intermediate |
| 16 | Why is it important to validate a server's TLS certificate when making outbound HttpClient calls to external services, and what's the risk of disabling certificate validation? ASP.NET Core › HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | ASP.NET Core | HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | Intermediate |
| 17 | What is HTTP keep-alive, and how does Node's http.Agent manage connection reuse for outgoing requests? Node.js › HTTP & HTTPS Modules | Node.js | HTTP & HTTPS Modules | Intermediate |
| 18 | How would you implement mutual TLS (mTLS) authentication in ASP.NET Core, where the server also validates a client-presented certificate? ASP.NET Core › HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | ASP.NET Core | HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | Advanced |
| 19 | How would you implement automated, zero-downtime certificate renewal using Let's Encrypt (ACME protocol) for a production ASP.NET Core deployment? ASP.NET Core › HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | ASP.NET Core | HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | Advanced |
| 20 | How would you implement Server Name Indication (SNI)-based certificate selection in Kestrel, serving different TLS certificates for different hostnames on the same IP/port? ASP.NET Core › HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | ASP.NET Core | HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | Advanced |
| 21 | How would you configure OCSP stapling or handle certificate revocation checking to ensure a compromised certificate is rejected even if it hasn't yet expired? ASP.NET Core › HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | ASP.NET Core | HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | Advanced |
| 22 | How would you design a certificate rotation strategy that achieves zero downtime, avoiding the risk of an expired certificate causing an outage? ASP.NET Core › HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | ASP.NET Core | HTTPS, Certificates & Transport Security | Advanced |
| 23 | How would you make an outgoing HTTP request from Node.js using the built-in fetch API versus the older http.request()? Node.js › HTTP & HTTPS Modules | Node.js | HTTP & HTTPS Modules | Advanced |
| 24 | How would you implement HTTP/2 server push or basic HTTP/2 support in Node.js using the node:http2 module? Node.js › HTTP & HTTPS Modules | Node.js | HTTP & HTTPS Modules | Advanced |
| 25 | What is Kestrel, and how does its role in ASP.NET Core hosting differ from a traditional web server like IIS? ASP.NET Core › Hosting Models: Kestrel, IIS & Reverse Proxies | ASP.NET Core | Hosting Models: Kestrel, IIS & Reverse Proxies | Beginner |
| 26 | What is the difference between storing an authentication token in localStorage versus an httpOnly cookie, from a security perspective? Node.js › Authentication & Authorization | Node.js | Authentication & Authorization | Beginner |
| 27 | What is the difference between res.set('Cache-Control', 'no-cache') and 'no-store' in an Express response? Node.js › Caching | Node.js | Caching | Beginner |
| 28 | What does the URL/URLSearchParams API provide, and why is it generally preferred over the older querystring module today? Node.js › Core Node.js Modules | Node.js | Core Node.js Modules | Beginner |
| 29 | What does the EXPOSE instruction in a Dockerfile actually do, and what is a common misconception about it? Node.js › Docker & Deployment | Node.js | Docker & Deployment | Beginner |
| 30 | What is Nodemailer, and how does it let a Node.js application send emails via SMTP? Node.js › Email & Notifications | Node.js | Email & Notifications | Beginner |
| 31 | What is the difference between the 'to', 'cc', and 'bcc' fields when sending an email programmatically, and why does 'bcc' matter for privacy? Node.js › Email & Notifications | Node.js | Email & Notifications | Beginner |
| 32 | What is Express.js, and what problem does it solve compared to using Node.js's raw http module directly? Node.js › Express & Middleware | Node.js | Express & Middleware | Beginner |
| 33 | What is the purpose of the express.static() built-in middleware, and how would you use it to serve a folder of static assets? Node.js › Express & Middleware | Node.js | Express & Middleware | Beginner |
| 34 | How does hosting an ASP.NET Core application in a Docker container change considerations around Kestrel configuration and reverse proxying compared to traditional VM or bare-metal hosting? ASP.NET Core › Hosting Models: Kestrel, IIS & Reverse Proxies | ASP.NET Core | Hosting Models: Kestrel, IIS & Reverse Proxies | Intermediate |
| 35 | What role does a reverse proxy play in TLS/SSL termination, and why is this pattern common in production deployments? ASP.NET Core › Hosting Models: Kestrel, IIS & Reverse Proxies | ASP.NET Core | Hosting Models: Kestrel, IIS & Reverse Proxies | Intermediate |
| 36 | How does HttpClient handle automatic following of HTTP redirects (3xx responses), and how would you configure or disable this behavior? Java › Java Networking & HTTP Client | Java | Java Networking & HTTP Client | Intermediate |
| 37 | What HTTP caching headers (Cache-Control, ETag) can a Node.js/Express API use to let clients and CDNs cache responses? Node.js › Caching | Node.js | Caching | Intermediate |
| 38 | What is the risk of caching sensitive or user-specific data with a shared cache key, and how do you avoid it? Node.js › Caching | Node.js | Caching | Intermediate |
| 39 | What is a load balancer, and how does it distribute traffic across multiple Node.js application instances? Node.js › Cloud & DevOps | Node.js | Cloud & DevOps | Intermediate |
| 40 | What is a reverse proxy, and why is Nginx commonly placed in front of a Node.js application in production? Node.js › Cloud & DevOps | Node.js | Cloud & DevOps | Intermediate |
| 41 | What is the difference between the 'sticky' and default load-balancing strategies when using Node's cluster module, and when does it matter? Node.js › Clustering & Worker Threads | Node.js | Clustering & Worker Threads | Intermediate |
| 42 | What does the node:zlib module provide, and how would you use it to compress an HTTP response? Node.js › Core Node.js Modules | Node.js | Core Node.js Modules | Intermediate |
| 43 | How would you send a push notification from a Node.js backend to a mobile app using Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM)? Node.js › Email & Notifications | Node.js | Email & Notifications | Intermediate |
| 44 | What is the difference between transactional email and marketing email, and why do most Node.js applications use separate providers or sending domains for each? Node.js › Email & Notifications | Node.js | Email & Notifications | Intermediate |
| 45 | What is the difference between sending SMS via a provider's REST API (like Twilio) versus using SMTP-based email in terms of a Node.js integration? Node.js › Email & Notifications | Node.js | Email & Notifications | Intermediate |
| 46 | What does the express.json() and express.urlencoded() built-in middleware do, and why must it be registered before routes that need to read req.body? Node.js › Express & Middleware | Node.js | Express & Middleware | Intermediate |
| 47 | What is the purpose of the helmet middleware package for an Express application, and what specific security headers does it set? Node.js › Express & Middleware | Node.js | Express & Middleware | Intermediate |
| 48 | What is CORS middleware in Express, and how does the cors package simplify configuring Cross-Origin Resource Sharing? Node.js › Express & Middleware | Node.js | Express & Middleware | Intermediate |
| 49 | How would you implement a simple rate limiter using Redis's INCR command with expiration? Node.js › Caching with Redis | Node.js | Caching with Redis | Intermediate |
| 50 | How would you configure Kestrel to be production-ready when running standalone (without IIS or another reverse proxy in front of it), and what risks does this expose you to? ASP.NET Core › Hosting Models: Kestrel, IIS & Reverse Proxies | ASP.NET Core | Hosting Models: Kestrel, IIS & Reverse Proxies | Advanced |
| 51 | How would you configure HttpClient to trust a custom or self-signed SSL/TLS certificate for testing against an internal service, and what security risks does disabling certificate validation entirely introduce? Java › Java Networking & HTTP Client | Java | Java Networking & HTTP Client | Advanced |
| 52 | How would you implement API key authentication for a Node.js service consumed by other backend services, and what are its security limitations? Node.js › Authentication & Authorization | Node.js | Authentication & Authorization | Advanced |
| 53 | How do you implement rate-limited job processing so a Node.js worker doesn't exceed a downstream third-party API's request limits? Node.js › Background Jobs & Queues | Node.js | Background Jobs & Queues | Advanced |
| 54 | What is the 'stale-while-revalidate' caching strategy, and how would you implement it for an API response? Node.js › Caching | Node.js | Caching | Advanced |
| 55 | What are SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, and why do they matter for a Node.js application's transactional emails actually reaching users' inboxes? Node.js › Email & Notifications | Node.js | Email & Notifications | Advanced |
| 56 | What is token introspection, and when is it needed instead of simply verifying a JWT's signature locally? Node.js › Authentication & Authorization (JWT, OAuth, Passport) | Node.js | Authentication & Authorization (JWT, OAuth, Passport) | Advanced |
| 57 | What is PKCE (Proof Key for Code Exchange), and why is it now recommended for OAuth flows even in traditional server-side Node.js applications? Node.js › Authentication & Authorization (JWT, OAuth, Passport) | Node.js | Authentication & Authorization (JWT, OAuth, Passport) | Advanced |