200-901 Software Development and Design Practice Question
A developer is designing a microservices-based network management system. One requirement is that when a new device is discovered, multiple other services must be notified asynchronously to perform tasks like inventory update, monitoring setup, and log collection. Which architectural pattern best fits this requirement?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between synchronous (REST) and asynchronous (event-driven) communication patterns, and the trap here is assuming that RESTful APIs can be used for asynchronous notifications when they are inherently synchronous unless combined with additional mechanisms like webhooks or polling.
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
✓
Event-driven architecture
The event-driven architecture is correct because it enables asynchronous, decoupled communication between services. When a new device is discovered, an event (e.g., a message on a message broker like Kafka or RabbitMQ) is published, and multiple subscriber services (inventory, monitoring, logging) react independently without blocking the discovery service. This pattern directly supports the requirement for loose coupling and asynchronous notification.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Event-driven architecture
Why this is correct
Event-driven architecture enables asynchronous communication via events, suitable for decoupled notification.
- ✗
Model-View-Controller (MVC)
Why it's wrong here
MVC is a design pattern for user interfaces, not for inter-service communication.
- ✗
RESTful API
Why it's wrong here
REST is a synchronous request-response pattern; not ideal for asynchronous notifications.
- ✗
Monolithic architecture
Why it's wrong here
Monolithic architecture combines all functionality into one unit, not consistent with microservices.
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