KCNA Cloud Native Architecture Practice Question
A team is deploying a microservices application on Kubernetes. They want to ensure that each microservice can be updated independently without affecting others, and that the application can tolerate the failure of a single microservice. Which cloud-native architecture principle are they applying?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is attributing independent updates and fault tolerance to service mesh rather than the underlying architectural style.
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
✓
Microservices architecture
Microservices architecture is the correct principle because it structures an application as a collection of loosely coupled services, each independently deployable and scalable. This allows teams to update one service without redeploying others, and a failure in one service can be isolated, preventing cascading failures. The scenario highlights these exact benefits, aligning with microservices principles.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Monolithic architecture
Why it's wrong here
Monolithic architecture bundles all functionality into a single deployable unit, which makes independent updates difficult and increases the blast radius of failures. This contradicts the goal of independent updates and fault tolerance. The scenario describes a microservices approach, not a monolith.
- ✓
Microservices architecture
Why this is correct
Microservices architecture decomposes an application into small, independent services that can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently. This enables independent updates and fault isolation, as a failure in one service does not necessarily bring down the entire application. The scenario explicitly describes these characteristics, making microservices the correct principle.
- ✗
Serverless architecture
Why it's wrong here
Serverless architecture abstracts away infrastructure and scales automatically, but it does not inherently enforce independent updates per microservice in the way described. While serverless functions can be independently deployed, the scenario focuses on microservices and their independent lifecycle, which is a defining trait of microservices architecture.
- ✗
Service mesh
Why it's wrong here
A service mesh provides traffic management, security, and observability between services, but it is not the architectural principle that enables independent deployment and fault tolerance. The principle being applied is the decomposition into microservices, not the infrastructure layer that manages their communication.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Cloud Native Application Design Principles
Key term
ReplicaSet and Replication
A ReplicaSet ensures a specified number of identical pod instances are running at all times in Kubernetes, using replication to maintain availability and stability.
Key term
Microservices Architecture
Microservices architecture is a way of building software as a collection of small, independent services that each handle one specific business function and communicate over a network.
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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 CNCF exam blueprint
This KCNA practice question is part of Courseiva's free CNCF 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 KCNA exam.