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Microservicessystem_design~10 mins

Monolith vs microservices comparison - Interactive Practice

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Practice - 5 Tasks
Answer the questions below
1fill in blank
easy

Complete the code to identify the main characteristic of a monolithic architecture.

Microservices
A monolithic application is typically built as a single [1].
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
Aservice
Bunit
Ccomponent
Dapplication
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Choosing 'service' because microservices use services.
Confusing 'component' with the whole app.
2fill in blank
medium

Complete the code to describe a key benefit of microservices.

Microservices
Microservices allow teams to develop, deploy, and scale [1] independently.
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
Amodules
Bfeatures
Cservices
Dcomponents
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Choosing 'modules' which is more general.
Choosing 'features' which are user-facing, not architectural units.
3fill in blank
hard

Fix the error in the statement about deployment in microservices.

Microservices
Each microservice can be deployed on a separate [1] to improve scalability.
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
Adatabase
Bserver
Cnetwork
Dapplication
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Choosing 'database' which stores data, not services.
Choosing 'network' which connects but does not host.
4fill in blank
hard

Fill both blanks to complete the comparison between monolith and microservices.

Microservices
Monoliths have [1] codebases, while microservices have [2] codebases.
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
Asingle
Bmultiple
Cshared
Ddistributed
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Mixing 'shared' and 'distributed' which are less precise here.
5fill in blank
hard

Fill all three blanks to complete the microservices architecture benefits.

Microservices
Microservices improve [1] by isolating failures, enable [2] by allowing independent updates, and support [3] by scaling parts separately.
Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'
Areliability
Bagility
Cscalability
Dperformance
Attempts:
3 left
💡 Hint
Common Mistakes
Confusing performance with scalability.
Mixing up agility with reliability.

Practice

(1/5)
1. Which of the following best describes a monolithic architecture?
easy
A. Many small independent services communicating over a network
B. A database optimized for distributed transactions
C. A cloud service that automatically scales resources
D. A single large application where all components are tightly integrated

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand monolithic architecture

    A monolithic architecture means all parts of the application are combined into one single unit.

  2. Step 2: Compare with other options

    Many small independent services communicating over a network describes microservices, C cloud scaling, and D databases, not monoliths.

  3. Final Answer:

    A single large application where all components are tightly integrated -> Option D

  4. Quick Check:

    Monolith = single big app [OK]
Hint: Monolith = one big app, microservices = many small apps [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Confusing microservices with monolith
  • Thinking monolith means cloud scaling
  • Mixing database types with architecture
2. Which syntax correctly describes a microservice in a system design diagram?
easy
A. Multiple boxes each labeled with a specific service name
B. A single box labeled 'App' containing all modules
C. A database icon connected to a single app box
D. A cloud icon with no internal components

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify microservice representation

    Microservices are shown as multiple small boxes, each representing a service.

  2. Step 2: Eliminate incorrect options

    A single box labeled 'App' containing all modules shows a monolith, C shows database relation, D is too vague.

  3. Final Answer:

    Multiple boxes each labeled with a specific service name -> Option A

  4. Quick Check:

    Microservices = many small boxes [OK]
Hint: Microservices = many small boxes, monolith = one big box [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Choosing single box for microservices
  • Confusing database icons with services
  • Ignoring service labels
3. Given a system with a monolithic app and a microservices app, which scenario shows better scaling for microservices?
medium
A. Scaling the entire monolith when only one feature needs more resources
B. Scaling only the specific microservice that handles the busy feature
C. Scaling the database only in the monolith
D. Scaling the user interface layer in the monolith

Solution

  1. Step 1: Understand scaling in monolith vs microservices

    Monolith requires scaling the whole app, microservices allow scaling individual services.

  2. Step 2: Identify the efficient scaling method

    Scaling only the busy microservice is more efficient and flexible than scaling the entire monolith.

  3. Final Answer:

    Scaling only the specific microservice that handles the busy feature -> Option B

  4. Quick Check:

    Microservices scale individual parts [OK]
Hint: Microservices scale parts; monolith scales whole app [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Thinking monolith scales parts independently
  • Confusing database scaling with app scaling
  • Ignoring microservice granularity
4. A team tries to split a monolithic app into microservices but faces frequent communication failures. What is the most likely cause?
medium
A. They deployed all microservices on the same server
B. They used a single database for all microservices
C. They did not implement proper API contracts between services
D. They kept all code in one repository

Solution

  1. Step 1: Identify communication needs in microservices

    Microservices communicate over APIs; clear contracts are essential to avoid failures.

  2. Step 2: Analyze other options

    Using a single database or same server is possible but less likely to cause communication failures; code repo does not affect runtime communication.

  3. Final Answer:

    They did not implement proper API contracts between services -> Option C

  4. Quick Check:

    API contracts prevent communication failures [OK]
Hint: API contracts are key for microservice communication [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Blaming database sharing for communication errors
  • Assuming deployment location causes failures
  • Confusing code repo structure with runtime issues
5. A startup plans to build a new product with a small team and expects rapid changes. Which architecture is best and why?
hard
A. Monolith, because it is simpler to develop and deploy quickly
B. Microservices, because it allows independent scaling from day one
C. Monolith, because it supports multiple databases easily
D. Microservices, because it requires fewer resources initially

Solution

  1. Step 1: Consider team size and speed needs

    A small team with rapid changes benefits from simpler, faster development and deployment.

  2. Step 2: Evaluate architecture fit

    Monolith is simpler to build and deploy quickly; microservices add complexity and overhead not ideal for small teams initially.

  3. Final Answer:

    Monolith, because it is simpler to develop and deploy quickly -> Option A

  4. Quick Check:

    Small team + fast changes = monolith [OK]
Hint: Small teams start monolith for speed, microservices add complexity [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Choosing microservices for small teams without need
  • Assuming microservices always scale better initially
  • Ignoring development speed and team skills