I've been working with API Connect and DataPower for a few years now in a consulting role and just passed the IBM API Connect v10.0.3 certification C1000-138 exam a month ago. For your question, you don’t need to be a DataPower expert, but you should definitely know how it fits into the overall API Connect setup. Here’s what I remember being important on the C1000-138 exam questions:
- Understanding what role the DataPower Gateway plays (enforcement, security, routing, etc.).
- The general architecture, how API calls flow through the system.
- How Gateway Services are created and linked to APIs.
- Some basic troubleshooting and deployment scenarios, not deep config, but more like identifying misconfigurations or deployment issues.
If you’ve been using API Connect but haven’t done much with gateways, I’d suggest reviewing:
- Gateway subsystem and service setup in the API Manager UI
- What happens under the hood when an API call hits the gateway
- Some of the CLI basics and logging for Gateway Services
So yeah, you don’t need to go super deep on DataPower configs, but don’t skip it either. It’s definitely in there. Also, I found the CertBoosters practice test questions really helpful to get a feel for how IBM phrases things. Some of the practice questions were a little tougher than the actual C1000-138 exam, but that helped highlight areas I was shaky on, especially around deployment models and policies. Good luck! you’ll be fine if you’ve already got API Connect experience.