- A
Lower latency due to in-process communication
Why wrong: Microservices communicate over network, which adds latency compared to in-process calls in a monolith.
- B
Easier to maintain as a single codebase
Why wrong: Monolithic is easier to maintain as a single codebase; microservices have multiple codebases.
- C
Independent deployability and scalability of services
Each microservice can be deployed and scaled independently, improving resource utilization.
- D
Simpler inter-service communication
Why wrong: Microservices often require complex communication patterns (e.g., REST, messaging).
Question 405 of 1,000
200-901 Software Development and Design Practice Question
This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of software development and design. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A developer is designing a microservices architecture for a network monitoring application. Which of the following is a key advantage of microservices over a monolithic architecture?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Independent deployability and scalability of services
Microservices architecture enables each service to be deployed, updated, and scaled independently without affecting other services. This is a key advantage over monolithic architectures, where any change requires rebuilding and redeploying the entire application. For a network monitoring application, independent scalability allows resource-intensive services (e.g., packet capture) to scale separately from lightweight services (e.g., alerting).
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Lower latency due to in-process communication
Why it's wrong here
Microservices communicate over network, which adds latency compared to in-process calls in a monolith.
- ✗
Easier to maintain as a single codebase
Why it's wrong here
Monolithic is easier to maintain as a single codebase; microservices have multiple codebases.
- ✓
Independent deployability and scalability of services
Why this is correct
Each microservice can be deployed and scaled independently, improving resource utilization.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Simpler inter-service communication
Why it's wrong here
Microservices often require complex communication patterns (e.g., REST, messaging).
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that microservices simplify communication or reduce latency, when in reality they introduce network overhead and complexity, making independent deployability and scalability the primary advantage.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Independent deployability is often achieved through containerization (e.g., Docker) and orchestration (e.g., Kubernetes), where each microservice runs in its own container with isolated dependencies. This allows rolling updates and canary deployments without downtime. In a network monitoring context, a packet analysis service might be scaled horizontally to handle high traffic volumes, while a database service remains at a fixed size, optimizing resource usage.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the 200-901 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this 200-901 question test?
Software Development and Design — This question tests Software Development and Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Independent deployability and scalability of services — Microservices architecture enables each service to be deployed, updated, and scaled independently without affecting other services. This is a key advantage over monolithic architectures, where any change requires rebuilding and redeploying the entire application. For a network monitoring application, independent scalability allows resource-intensive services (e.g., packet capture) to scale separately from lightweight services (e.g., alerting).
What should I do if I get this 200-901 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This 200-901 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-901 exam.
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