Quick Answer
The answer is the strangler fig pattern, which is the correct migration strategy from monolith to microservices because it allows the company to incrementally replace specific components of the legacy application with new microservices while keeping the existing system fully operational. This approach directly addresses the risks of tight coupling and shared database schemas by enabling gradual decomposition—each new microservice takes over a discrete function, and the old code is "strangled" over time, avoiding a high-risk big-bang rewrite. On the CompTIA Cloud+ CV0-004 exam, this question tests your understanding of cloud migration patterns and risk mitigation; a common trap is choosing a full re-architecture or lift-and-shift, which ignore the need for iterative, low-risk transition. Remember the memory tip: "Strangle the monolith, don't strangle the business"—the pattern lets you replace parts one by one, keeping the legacy alive until the new system is fully proven.
This CV0-004 practice question tests your understanding of cloud architecture and design. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 company is migrating a legacy monolithic application to a microservices architecture on the cloud. The application has tight coupling and shared database schemas. Which migration strategy should the company adopt to reduce risk and enable iterative migration?
Re-platform to a managed service and rewrite later
Why wrong: Does not address coupling.
Use the strangler fig pattern to gradually replace components
Allows iterative migration with risk reduction.
Containerize the monolithic application and run it on a cluster
Why wrong: Still a monolith.
Lift and shift the entire application, then refactor in-place
Why wrong: High risk of disruption.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Use the strangler fig pattern to gradually replace components
The strangler fig pattern is the correct migration strategy because it allows the company to incrementally replace specific functionalities of the legacy monolithic application with new microservices, reducing risk by keeping the existing system operational during the transition. This approach directly addresses the tight coupling and shared database schema issues by enabling gradual decomposition without requiring a complete rewrite or a risky big-bang migration.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Re-platform to a managed service and rewrite later
Why it's wrong here
Does not address coupling.
Use the strangler fig pattern to gradually replace components
Why this is correct
Allows iterative migration with risk reduction.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Containerize the monolithic application and run it on a cluster
Why it's wrong here
Still a monolith.
Lift and shift the entire application, then refactor in-place
Why it's wrong here
High risk of disruption.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the strangler fig pattern with containerization or lift-and-shift, mistakenly believing that simply moving the monolith to containers or a managed service constitutes a migration strategy, when in fact those approaches do not break the tight coupling or enable iterative decomposition.
Detailed technical explanation
The strangler fig pattern works by routing requests through a facade that intercepts calls to the monolith; as each microservice is built, the facade redirects specific API calls to the new service while the monolith continues to handle the rest. This pattern often requires implementing an API gateway (e.g., Kong, AWS API Gateway) to manage routing and can leverage feature toggles to control traffic flow. In practice, the shared database schema is a significant challenge because microservices should own their data; the strangler fig pattern allows for incremental database decomposition by introducing anti-corruption layers and event-driven synchronization (e.g., using change data capture with Debezium) to keep the monolith and new services consistent during the transition.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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.
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FAQ
Cloud Architecture and Design — This question tests Cloud Architecture and Design — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Use the strangler fig pattern to gradually replace components — The strangler fig pattern is the correct migration strategy because it allows the company to incrementally replace specific functionalities of the legacy monolithic application with new microservices, reducing risk by keeping the existing system operational during the transition. This approach directly addresses the tight coupling and shared database schema issues by enabling gradual decomposition without requiring a complete rewrite or a risky big-bang migration.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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