KCNA Cloud Native Architecture Practice Question
Which service mesh component is responsible for handling inter-service communication as a sidecar proxy?
⚠ Common exam trap
CNCF often tests the distinction between data-plane and control-plane components, so the trap here is that candidates may confuse Pilot (control plane) with the sidecar proxy that actually handles traffic, or incorrectly associate Mixer with traffic management due to its former role in policy enforcement.
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
✓
Envoy
Envoy is the correct answer because it is the sidecar proxy component in Istio that handles all inter-service communication. It intercepts traffic between microservices and applies routing, load balancing, and security policies defined by the control plane. Envoy runs as a sidecar container alongside each service instance, managing inbound and outbound traffic at the L4/L7 layer.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.