# Functional and nonfunctional integration requirements

*MuleSoft Platform Integration Architect Study Guide · Initiating integration solutions on the Anypoint Platform · Last updated November 13, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/mulesoft-platform-integration-architect/initiating-integration-solutions-on-the-anypoint-platform/functional-and-nonfunctional-integration-requirements*

Separate what an integration does (routing, transformation, orchestration) from how well and under what conditions it does it (availability, reliability, manageability, access protection), and match each requirement with the evidence and Anypoint mechanism that satisfies it.

- Certification: Salesforce MuleSoft Platform Integration Architect
- Exam section: Initiating integration solutions on the Anypoint Platform
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/mulesoft-platform-integration-architect

**Official exam objective:**

> Differentiate between functional and non-functional requirements for integration solutions.

## What the exam expects

- Classify a requirement as functional (what the integration does) or nonfunctional (a quality or constraint on how it runs).
- Recognize routing, data transformation and orchestration as functional concerns, and availability, reliability and manageability as nonfunctional ones.
- Treat access and security rules as nonfunctional requirements that runtime policies enforce, separate from the API's business function.
- Decide what evidence each requirement needs, so that proof of one kind is not accepted as proof of the other.

**Functional requirement**: the behavior the integration must deliver, defined by the API developer and owner. **Nonfunctional requirement**: a quality such as availability, reliability, manageability or security that governs how that behavior is delivered. **Orchestration**: the sequence of business actions an integration performs. **Policy**: a regulation applied to an API instance in API Manager without changing the implementation ([ESB requirements](https://www.mulesoft.com/resources/esb/ha-importance-esb), [Policies overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/mule-gateway/policies-policy-overview)).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Functional concerns | Message routing, data transformation, orchestration. | [ESB requirements](https://www.mulesoft.com/resources/esb/ha-importance-esb) |
| Nonfunctional concerns | Manageability, reliability, availability. | [ESB requirements](https://www.mulesoft.com/resources/esb/ha-importance-esb) |
| Who defines functionality | The API developer and API owner. | [Application network principles](https://blogs.mulesoft.com/learn-apis/application-network/4-key-guiding-principles-to-building-your-application-network/) |
| Security patterns | Nonfunctional; enforced through runtime policies, not mixed with functionality. | [Application network principles](https://blogs.mulesoft.com/learn-apis/application-network/4-key-guiding-principles-to-building-your-application-network/) |
| Policy effect on code | Applied with no modification to the code implementation. | [Policies overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/mule-gateway/policies-policy-overview) |
| Access-only policies | Client ID Enforcement and OAuth 2.0 token enforcement admit authorized client apps. | [Included policies](https://docs.mulesoft.com/mule-gateway/policies-included-directory) |
| HA mechanism | Clusters move current transactions to a failover node. | [ESB requirements](https://www.mulesoft.com/resources/esb/ha-importance-esb) |
| Monitoring scope | Application-level metrics; no VPC-level traffic or monthly outbound bytes. | [Anypoint Monitoring](https://docs.mulesoft.com/monitoring/) |
| Replica manageability | Each CloudHub 2.0 replica is deployed and monitored independently. | [CloudHub 2.0 architecture](https://docs.mulesoft.com/cloudhub-2/ch2-architecture) |

## Check yourself

- Why does an integration layer need a well-designed high-availability solution more than many single applications do?
- When a node fails in an active/active configuration, what happens to the traffic meant for it?
- Why does an in-memory data grid shorten the switch from a failed node to its backup?
- Which four characteristics does the CloudHub 2.0 architecture page list for replicas?

## Sources

- [Importance of high availability in ESB](https://www.mulesoft.com/resources/esb/ha-importance-esb)
- [4 key guiding principles to building your application network](https://blogs.mulesoft.com/learn-apis/application-network/4-key-guiding-principles-to-building-your-application-network/)
- [Mule Gateway Policies Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/mule-gateway/policies-policy-overview)
- [Included Policies Directory](https://docs.mulesoft.com/mule-gateway/policies-included-directory)
- [Anypoint Monitoring Overview](https://docs.mulesoft.com/monitoring/)
- [CloudHub 2.0 Architecture](https://docs.mulesoft.com/cloudhub-2/ch2-architecture)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 4 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the MuleSoft Platform Integration Architect pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams