Centralized vs distributed auth in Microservices - Quick Revision & Key Differences

Recall & Review

beginner

What is centralized authentication in microservices?

Centralized authentication means all user login and identity checks happen in one place, like a single service or server, which issues tokens or session info for other services to trust.

beginner

What is distributed authentication in microservices?

Distributed authentication means each microservice handles its own user identity checks independently, often by validating tokens or credentials without relying on a single central service.

intermediate

Name one advantage of centralized authentication.

It simplifies user management because all login logic and user data are in one place, making it easier to update and secure.

intermediate

Name one challenge of distributed authentication.

It can be complex to keep user data consistent and secure across many services, and each service must implement authentication logic correctly.

intermediate

How does token-based authentication support distributed auth?

Tokens like JWTs carry user identity and permissions, so services can verify them locally without calling a central server every time.

Which is a key feature of centralized authentication?

A Each microservice stores user passwords locally

B No tokens are used for identity

C One service handles all user login and issues tokens

D Users authenticate separately to each service

Centralized authentication means one service manages login and issues tokens for others to trust.

What is a common token format used in distributed authentication?

A HTML

B JWT (JSON Web Token)

C CSV

D XML

JWTs are widely used tokens that carry user info and can be verified by each service independently.

Which is a disadvantage of centralized authentication?

A Single point of failure

B Hard to manage user data

C Each service must implement login logic

D No token support

Centralized auth can fail if the central service goes down, affecting all services.

In distributed authentication, how do services verify user identity?

A By ignoring authentication

B By calling a central login server every time

C By storing passwords in each service

D By checking tokens locally

Services verify tokens locally to avoid dependency on a central server.

Which scenario favors centralized authentication?

A When you want simple user management

B When services are highly independent

C When you want no single point of failure

D When each service has different user databases

Centralized auth simplifies managing users in one place.

Explain the main differences between centralized and distributed authentication in microservices.

Think about where login happens and how services trust user identity.

Describe advantages and challenges of using token-based authentication in distributed systems.

Focus on how tokens help services trust users independently.