KCNA Container Orchestration Practice Question
Which TWO of the following are characteristics of microservices architecture? (Choose 2)
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse microservices with service-oriented architecture (SOA) or mistakenly think that sharing a database or tight coupling is acceptable, when in fact microservices require database-per-service and loose coupling to achieve independent deployability.
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 can be deployed independently
Microservices architecture is defined by the ability to deploy each service independently without affecting other services. This independence enables teams to update, scale, and roll back individual components, which is a core principle of container orchestration platforms like Kubernetes that manage these services as separate units.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
All services share the same database
Why it's wrong here
Microservices often have their own databases to avoid tight coupling.
- ✓
Services can be deployed independently
Why this is correct
Each microservice can be developed, deployed, and scaled independently.
- ✓
Communication between services is often via APIs
Why this is correct
Microservices typically communicate through lightweight APIs such as HTTP/REST or gRPC.
- ✗
The entire application is deployed as a single unit
Why it's wrong here
That describes a monolithic architecture, not microservices.
- ✗
Services are tightly coupled
Why it's wrong here
Microservices are loosely coupled, meaning they can change independently without affecting others.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Cloud Native Architecture and Concepts
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.
About these practice questions
One of 833 original KCNA practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.