A Batch scope has three batch steps. A message processor in the second batch step throws an exception because the input data is incomplete. What is the default behavior after the exception is thrown?

• A. Skips to the next batch step
• B. Retries the failed step
• C. Continues with remaining steps
• D. Stops processing the entire batch job

Answer: (D)

In a Batch scope, steps are processed in order, and an exception inside a step is treated as a failure of the entire batch. When the message processor in the second step throws an exception due to incomplete input, Mule stops processing the rest of the batch by default, and the batch job is marked as failed. This default behavior ensures data integrity, preventing further steps from running on potentially inconsistent data. If you want to continue despite errors, you’d configure the step with Continue on error or add an error handling strategy to manage and resume processing. Retrying or skipping steps would also require explicit configuration rather than being the default.