200-901 Application Deployment and Security Practice Question
This 200-901 practice question tests your understanding of application deployment and security. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 microservice application uses JWT for authentication. The JWT is signed with RS256. Which practice ensures that the public key used for verification is securely distributed to all services?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Store the public key in a Kubernetes ConfigMap and mount it into pods.
Option D is correct because Kubernetes ConfigMaps allow you to decouple configuration artifacts like public keys from container images, enabling secure, centralized distribution. Mounting the ConfigMap into pods ensures that all microservice instances can access the same public key without embedding it in source code or relying on external PKI for every verification. This approach aligns with cloud-native best practices for managing secrets and configuration in a microservice architecture.
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.
✗
Include the public key in the JWT header.
Why it's wrong here
Not standard for RS256; JWK set is used instead.
✗
Embed the public key in each service's source code.
Why it's wrong here
Insecure and difficult to rotate.
✗
Use a public key infrastructure (PKI) and distribute via HTTPS.
Why it's wrong here
Overkill for this scenario; ConfigMap is simpler.
✓
Store the public key in a Kubernetes ConfigMap and mount it into pods.
Why this is correct
Standard method for distributing configuration in Kubernetes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that PKI is always required for secure key distribution, but in a microservice environment with a static public key, a simpler configuration management approach (like Kubernetes ConfigMaps) is more practical and aligns with DevOps principles.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Overkill for this scenario; ConfigMap is simpler.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
RS256 (RSA Signature with SHA-256) uses an asymmetric key pair: a private key to sign tokens and a public key to verify them. In Kubernetes, a ConfigMap stores the public key as a file (e.g., 'public.pem'), which is mounted into each pod's filesystem at a known path (e.g., /etc/jwt/public.pem). The microservice reads this file at startup or on a watch event, allowing key rotation without restarting the pod if the ConfigMap is updated and the service watches for changes. This pattern is commonly used with tools like Istio or custom JWT validation middleware.
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 small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Application Deployment and Security — This question tests Application Deployment and Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Store the public key in a Kubernetes ConfigMap and mount it into pods. — Option D is correct because Kubernetes ConfigMaps allow you to decouple configuration artifacts like public keys from container images, enabling secure, centralized distribution. Mounting the ConfigMap into pods ensures that all microservice instances can access the same public key without embedding it in source code or relying on external PKI for every verification. This approach aligns with cloud-native best practices for managing secrets and configuration in a microservice architecture.
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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Question Discussion
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