200-901 Software Development and Design Practice Question
In a microservices architecture, which of the following is a key characteristic compared to a monolithic architecture?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is confusing microservices with monolithic characteristics, such as single deployment unit or shared database, which are actually traits of monolithic architectures.
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
✓
Services communicate via lightweight protocols such as HTTP/REST.
In a microservices architecture, services are independently deployable and typically communicate over lightweight protocols such as HTTP/REST or messaging queues. This contrasts with monolithic architectures where components are tightly coupled and communicate via internal method calls.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Changes require rebuilding the entire application.
Why it's wrong here
Rebuilding the entire application describes monolithic deployment coupling, where one code change forces a full artefact rebuild and redeploy. Microservices instead let you build, test and release each service independently. This option is tempting because it accurately characterises monolithic architectures, so it would be the right answer if the question asked for a monolithic trait.
- ✓
Services communicate via lightweight protocols such as HTTP/REST.
Why this is correct
Microservices decompose functionality into independently deployable units that interact over network calls rather than in-process method invocation. Using lightweight protocols such as HTTP/REST lets each service expose a language-agnostic interface, satisfying the loose-coupling and independent-scalability constraint that monolithic architectures cannot meet.
- ✗
The entire application is deployed as a single unit.
Why it's wrong here
Single-unit deployment describes monolithic architectures, where one build artefact contains every component. Microservices deploy each service independently, so this contradicts the stem's requirement. It tempts because monoliths genuinely ship as one unit, making it the right answer when asked to characterise a monolith rather than microservices.
- ✗
All services share the same database.
Why it's wrong here
Shared databases couple services through a common schema, which microservices avoid by giving each service its own datastore. The stem asks for a microservices characteristic, so this describes the opposite. It tempts because monolithic applications do typically share one database, making it correct when describing monoliths.
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Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
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.