The simulation provided a clear, hands-on introduction to building and extending a RESTful web service using Java Spring Boot. Working through the practical steps—from creating resource classes and managers to implementing HTTP GET and POST requests, followed by unit testing—helped reinforce key backend development concepts.

I liked that the simulation provided a practical, step-by-step experience of building a Java Spring Boot RESTful web service. It helped me understand how to create employee resources, implement GET and POST requests, and write unit tests using JUnit. I also liked that each task built on the previous one, making it easier to understand how a real-world web service is developed and tested.

What I liked most was that it felt like real work, not just a classroom exercise. Building the API, then having to actually debug a project setup issue, then writing tests to prove it worked, that's the real dev workflow, not just "make it run once and move on." Using Spring Boot and HPE GreenLake also made it feel closer to what I'd actually be doing on the job.