Node.js Deployment and Production Readiness Quiz Quiz

Evaluate your understanding of Node.js deployment strategies and best practices for achieving production readiness. This quiz covers scalable configurations, environment handling, error management, and performance optimization techniques tailored for deploying Node.js applications.

1. Environment Variables Usage

   Which method is most recommended for managing sensitive configuration values, such as API keys, when deploying a Node.js application?

   1. Hardcoding them in the source code
   2. Including them in client-side scripts
   3. Saving them in plain-text log files
   4. Storing them in environment variables

   Explanation: Storing sensitive values in environment variables is preferred because it keeps secrets out of source code and logs, reducing security risks. Hardcoding secrets in the code is unsafe, as it can lead to accidental exposure. Saving them in log files is insecure and makes secrets accessible to unauthorized users. Including them in client-side scripts exposes sensitive data to any user.

2. Port Availability

   Why should you avoid hardcoding a specific port number in your Node.js application's production deployment?

   1. To allow the operating system to assign a free port
   2. To avoid memory leaks
   3. Because hardcoding increases CPU usage
   4. It forces the application to only use HTTP

   Explanation: Using environment variables or configuration files for port numbers avoids collision and allows flexibility based on deployment needs. Hardcoding does not increase CPU usage and does not force protocol type. Memory leaks are unrelated to how ports are assigned.

3. Unhandled Exceptions

   What is a recommended action when your Node.js application encounters an unhandled exception during production?

   1. Automatically clear all application data
   2. Display the error stack trace to all users
   3. Log the error and gracefully restart the process
   4. Ignore the error and continue processing requests

   Explanation: Gracefully restarting after logging maintains reliability and availability while preserving diagnostic information. Ignoring exceptions can lead to an unstable state, showing stack traces to users exposes sensitive details, and clearing data is inappropriate and risky.

4. Cluster Module Usage

   In a production environment on a multi-core server, why might you use the cluster module with your Node.js app?

   1. To reduce application code size
   2. To distribute workload across multiple CPU cores
   3. To avoid using environment variables
   4. To execute only asynchronous tasks

   Explanation: The cluster module allows creating multiple processes to utilize all CPU cores, improving performance and scalability. It does not impact code size, is unrelated to asynchronous execution, and does not help with environment variable management.

5. Process Management

   What is the key benefit of using a dedicated process manager for Node.js applications in production?

   1. Reducing the size of the node_modules folder
   2. Enabling client-side routing
   3. Automatic application restarts after crashes
   4. Decreasing the JavaScript compilation time

   Explanation: A process manager ensures uptime by watching for crashes and restarting the process. It does not impact dependency folder size, has no effect on client-side routing mechanisms, and does not alter JavaScript compilation speed.

6. Logging Practices

   When configuring logging in a Node.js production app, what is a best practice to follow?

   1. Record all HTTP requests in plain text including passwords
   2. Only display logs on the development computer
   3. Log errors with timestamps and avoid printing sensitive data
   4. Disable logging to improve performance

   Explanation: Adding timestamps helps debugging, and omitting sensitive data protects users. Logging passwords is insecure, disabling logs removes critical information for diagnosing problems, and restricting logs to development hinders production monitoring.

7. Handling Static Files

   Which approach is generally recommended for serving static files such as images or stylesheets in a production Node.js app?

   1. Embedding static files directly into JavaScript code
   2. Generating static files on every client request
   3. Storing static files only in an in-memory cache
   4. Hosting static files through a dedicated static file server

   Explanation: Using a static file server is efficient and scalable for serving assets in production. Generating files on each request is resource-intensive, embedding them in code causes bloat and inefficiency, and in-memory caching alone is risky for large or numerous files.

8. Graceful Shutdown

   What does implementing a graceful shutdown in a Node.js server help accomplish during a deployment or restart?

   1. Completing in-progress requests before closing connections
   2. Encrypting all network traffic automatically
   3. Forcing all connected clients to log out
   4. Doubling the server's processing speed

   Explanation: A graceful shutdown lets the current requests finish to avoid interruptions or data loss. It does not enhance speed, handle encryption by itself, or affect client authentication or logins.

9. Environment Separation

   Why should production and development environments be separated in a Node.js deployment?

   1. To ensure debugging tools and sample data are not available in production
   2. So that source code is different between environments
   3. To allow root access to all users
   4. Because production requires less memory

   Explanation: Removing debugging and test features in production improves security and performance. Memory requirements are managed differently, and code should remain consistent aside from relevant settings. Providing root access to users is unsafe and unrelated to environment separation.

10. Package Management

    What is a safe practice for dependency management when deploying a Node.js application to production?

    1. Install only production dependencies, not development tools
    2. Update dependencies directly in production without testing
    3. Install every available package, regardless of necessity
    4. Avoid specifying dependency versions in your configuration

    Explanation: Limiting dependencies to those needed for runtime reduces security risks and minimizes potential issues. Installing all packages is unnecessary and risky, skipping version pinning can lead to unexpected updates, and updating directly on production skips important testing steps.