A plugin is being designed to send a notification to a Slack channel whenever a new version of a component is released. The plugin listens to release events from the catalog and posts messages to Slack. How should this plugin be classified?

Frontend plugin, because it displays notifications in the UI

Both frontend and backend, because it uses events and sends messages

Neither, because it is an external integration

Backend plugin, because it reacts to events and calls an external service

A Backstage plugin needs to show the current status of a Kubernetes cluster. The cluster's API is only accessible from within the corporate network. The Backstage backend runs inside that network. What is the best way to display the status?

The frontend plugin uses a WebSocket to connect directly to the cluster

The backend plugin writes the status to a public file that the frontend reads

The backend plugin calls the Kubernetes API and exposes the status via an endpoint

The frontend plugin calls the Kubernetes API directly

A team is building a plugin that allows users to create a new component in the catalog. The plugin must validate the component name against a regex pattern and also check for duplicates in the database. The team wants to ensure the validation is not bypassed. Where should the validation logic be implemented?

Only in the frontend plugin, because it is faster and provides immediate feedback

Only in the backend plugin, because it is the authoritative source

In both frontend and backend plugins, with the backend as the final authority

In a database trigger, not in the plugin

A plugin is being designed to export catalog data to a CSV file that users can download. The export logic is simple and uses only data already in the frontend. How should this plugin be implemented?

As a standalone script, not a plugin

As a frontend plugin that generates the CSV in the browser

As both frontend and backend plugins

As a backend plugin that generates the CSV and sends it to the frontend

A team is building a plugin that displays a dashboard of metrics from multiple monitoring systems. Some metrics are public, while others require credentials. The team wants to minimize the number of backend plugins. What is the best approach?

Create separate backend plugins for each monitoring system, and one frontend plugin

Fetch public metrics directly in the frontend and use a backend plugin only for private metrics

Use a single backend plugin that fetches all metrics and returns them as a single JSON object

Create one backend plugin that aggregates all metrics and exposes a single API, and one frontend plugin that displays them

Certified Backstage Associate (CBA)

Domain 4Objective 1

Understand Frontend Versus Backend Plugins CBA Practice Questions (Page 2)

Part of the Customizing Backstage domain, which accounts for 32% of the CBA exam. Linux Foundation does not publish an official question count, but from its 90-minute exam (~35–60 total, ~11–19 in this domain), expect 3–5 from this objective — we provide 17 practice questions to prepare you well beyond it. (estimate)

17questions here

4free pages

3concepts

32%of the exam

Questions 6–10

6application · medium
A plugin is being designed to send a notification to a Slack channel whenever a new version of a component is released. The plugin listens to release events from the catalog and posts messages to Slack. How should this plugin be classified?
Select an answer first
7application · medium
A Backstage plugin needs to show the current status of a Kubernetes cluster. The cluster's API is only accessible from within the corporate network. The Backstage backend runs inside that network. What is the best way to display the status?
Select an answer first
8expert · hard
A team is building a plugin that allows users to create a new component in the catalog. The plugin must validate the component name against a regex pattern and also check for duplicates in the database. The team wants to ensure the validation is not bypassed. Where should the validation logic be implemented?
Select an answer first
9application · easy
A plugin is being designed to export catalog data to a CSV file that users can download. The export logic is simple and uses only data already in the frontend. How should this plugin be implemented?
Select an answer first
10expert · hard
A team is building a plugin that displays a dashboard of metrics from multiple monitoring systems. Some metrics are public, while others require credentials. The team wants to minimize the number of backend plugins. What is the best approach?
Select an answer first

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