Stateless authentication mental model in Spring Boot - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What does 'stateless' mean in stateless authentication?

It means the server does not keep any information about the user's session between requests. Each request must carry all needed info to verify the user.

beginner

How does a server verify a user in stateless authentication?

The server checks a token sent with each request, like a JWT, to confirm the user's identity without storing session data.

intermediate

Why is stateless authentication good for scaling web apps?

Because servers don't store session info, any server can handle requests. This makes it easier to add more servers and balance load.

beginner

What is a common token format used in stateless authentication?

JSON Web Token (JWT) is commonly used. It contains user info and a signature to verify it hasn't been changed.

intermediate

What is a key difference between stateful and stateless authentication?

Stateful authentication stores session info on the server, while stateless authentication keeps no session data on the server and relies on tokens sent each time.

In stateless authentication, where is the user's session data stored?

A In the server's memory

B In a token sent with each request

C In a database session table

D In browser cookies only

Stateless authentication uses tokens (like JWT) sent with each request to carry session data, so the server does not store it.

Which of these is a benefit of stateless authentication?

A Easier to scale servers horizontally

B Server stores all user sessions

C Requires sticky sessions for load balancers

D Slower request processing

Because no session is stored on the server, any server can handle requests, making horizontal scaling easier.

What does JWT stand for?

A Java Web Token

B JavaScript Web Token

C JSON Web Token

D Joint Web Token

JWT stands for JSON Web Token, a compact token format used in stateless authentication.

In stateless authentication, what must each client request include?

A Authentication token

B Session ID stored on server

C User's password

D Server IP address

Each request must include an authentication token so the server can verify the user without stored session data.

Which is NOT true about stateless authentication?

A Each request is self-contained

B Uses tokens like JWT

C Improves scalability

D Server stores user session data

Stateless authentication does NOT store session data on the server; it relies on tokens sent with each request.

Explain how stateless authentication works in a web application.

Think about how the server knows who you are without remembering past requests.

Describe the advantages of using stateless authentication over stateful authentication.

Consider what happens when you add more servers to handle users.