Centralized vs Decentralized API Gateway Deployment Models Quiz Quiz

Explore key differences between centralized and decentralized API gateway deployment models, including advantages, use cases, and characteristics. This quiz helps clarify core concepts for anyone considering the best approach for managing API traffic and security.

1. Core Responsibility

   Which responsibility is most commonly handled by a centralized API gateway deployment model in a system with multiple applications?

   1. Directly embedding gateway logic inside application code
   2. Allowing each microservice to set its own protocol
   3. Enforcing consistent security policies across all APIs
   4. Avoiding any form of request authentication

   Explanation: A centralized API gateway is typically used to enforce uniform security policies, making it easier to manage access control and monitoring across various APIs. Letting each microservice define its own protocol is more associated with decentralized models. Embedding gateway logic in application code is not a typical gateway approach. Avoiding authentication is not a responsibility of any effective API gateway model.

2. Scalability Characteristic

   What is a potential scalability challenge when using a centralized API gateway deployment in a rapidly growing environment?

   1. It restricts the use of modern encryption methods.
   2. It can become a performance bottleneck as all traffic passes through a single point.
   3. It allows services to bypass security rules easily.
   4. It requires manual routing of all API requests in every service.

   Explanation: A centralized gateway channels all API traffic through one location, risking bottlenecks as volume grows. In contrast, decentralized models help distribute load. Security bypassing and manual routing are not inherent issues of centralized gateways. Encryption method restrictions are unrelated to deployment topology.

3. Control in Decentralized Models

   In the decentralized API gateway deployment model, who generally manages the API policies and configurations?

   1. Each individual development team responsible for their service
   2. A central operations team for the whole organization
   3. No one manages these policies
   4. Only external contractors

   Explanation: Decentralized API gateways empower each team to manage their own API configurations, giving greater flexibility and autonomy. A central team would indicate a centralized approach. External contractors are not typically the default managers. Policies are always managed by someone; neglecting this would create security risks.

4. Best Use Case for Centralized Model

   Which scenario would benefit most from a centralized API gateway deployment?

   1. A company needing to uniformly apply monitoring and analytics for all APIs
   2. A system with services deployed in isolated private networks only
   3. A small group where no APIs require logging or access control
   4. A startup where each service uses entirely custom authentication methods

   Explanation: Centralized deployments simplify unified policy enforcement and data collection like monitoring. Using differing authentication methods per service aligns more with decentralized designs. Isolated private networks may not even need a gateway, and APIs with no logging or access control would rarely benefit from any gateway at all.

5. Decentralized Model Strength

   What is a primary advantage of the decentralized API gateway deployment model?

   1. Requests are never logged
   2. The gateway handles only outbound emails
   3. All routes are handled in one place
   4. Increased flexibility to use different technologies for each team

   Explanation: Decentralized models let teams select technologies that suit their specific needs, fostering innovation and flexibility. Routing handled in one location is the centralized model's trait. Logging is still possible in decentralized models. Handling only emails is unrelated to API gateway deployment.

6. Security Enforcement Location

   Where are most security policies enforced in a decentralized API gateway setup?

   1. At a single, global perimeter before any API calls
   2. Only on client devices
   3. Exclusively within a private network’s firewall
   4. At each service’s or microservice’s entry point

   Explanation: Decentralized deployments enforce security directly at each service’s entry, allowing tailored rules. Centralized enforcement happens at the global perimeter. Client devices should never be solely responsible for security, and private firewalls are not gateways.

7. Latency Considerations

   How might a decentralized API gateway deployment model impact network latency?

   1. It always increases response time significantly
   2. It requires all requests to travel longer network paths
   3. It only allows offline access to APIs
   4. It can reduce latency by routing requests closer to their destination

   Explanation: Decentralized models can lower latency, especially in systems deployed across multiple regions, by distributing gateways. Routing always through longer paths is a central model issue. Decentralized approaches do not inherently increase response times and do not restrict APIs to offline access.

8. Operational Overhead

   Which model is more likely to result in higher operational complexity and maintenance overhead?

   1. Single desktop computer deployment
   2. Decentralized API gateway deployment
   3. Centralized API gateway deployment
   4. Centralized database architecture

   Explanation: Decentralized gateways require managing and maintaining multiple gateway instances, increasing complexity. Centralized models simplify management by using only one gateway. The other distractors, like desktop computers or database architectures, do not directly relate to API gateway deployment complexities.

9. Main Drawback of Centralized Model

   What is a main drawback of using a centralized API gateway in a microservices environment?

   1. Single point of failure if the gateway goes down
   2. It guarantees total elimination of network errors
   3. API versions cannot be tracked at all
   4. All teams can choose independent security protocols

   Explanation: Centralized gateways present a single point of failure, which can disrupt all API communication. Allowing teams to use independent protocols fits decentralized models. API versioning is still possible with centralized gateways; it’s not eliminated. No deployment guarantees total elimination of network errors.

10. Hybrid Deployment Model

    Which statement best describes a hybrid API gateway deployment model?

    1. It requires only manual API request routing
    2. It only supports legacy APIs with no future updates
    3. It eliminates all gateways from the architecture
    4. It combines features of both centralized and decentralized models for specific needs

    Explanation: A hybrid model leverages benefits of both deployment styles, blending centralized controls with local flexibility. Eliminating gateways is not a deployment model. Focusing solely on legacy APIs or only allowing manual routing doesn’t capture the hybrid approach's intent or strengths.