CMA Solution Architecture Process 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which architecture pattern best supports a scenario where multiple downstream consumers need to react to the same business event independently?
- Request-Response
- Event-Driven Architecture (Correct answer)
- Layered Architecture
- Client-Server Architecture
Correct answer: Event-Driven Architecture
Event-Driven Architecture decouples producers from consumers, allowing multiple independent downstream systems to react to the same event without tight integration.
Question 2: What is the key differentiator between a logical architecture view and a physical architecture view?
- Logical views include cost estimates; physical views do not
- Logical views describe what the system does; physical views describe how it is deployed (Correct answer)
- Logical views are for business stakeholders only; physical views are for developers only
- Logical views are finalized first and never revised after physical design begins
Correct answer: Logical views describe what the system does; physical views describe how it is deployed
Logical architecture describes system functions and component relationships abstractly, while physical architecture specifies actual deployment infrastructure, hardware, and software products.
Question 3: A CMA is reviewing a proposed microservices architecture. Which anti-pattern should they flag as a risk to long-term maintainability?
- Services communicating via well-defined APIs
- A distributed monolith with tightly coupled services (Correct answer)
- Independent deployment pipelines per service
- Each service owning its own data store
Correct answer: A distributed monolith with tightly coupled services
A distributed monolith retains the deployment complexity of microservices while keeping tight coupling, eliminating the independence benefits and increasing failure cascade risk.
Question 4: When establishing architecture principles for a solution, which quality makes a principle most actionable?
- It is aspirational and broadly worded to allow flexibility
- It includes a rationale and implications that guide decision-making (Correct answer)
- It references specific technology vendors for consistency
- It is authored solely by the enterprise architecture team
Correct answer: It includes a rationale and implications that guide decision-making
Actionable principles include a clear rationale explaining why the principle exists and implications describing how it affects decisions, making them usable rather than decorative.
Question 5: Which TOGAF ADM phase is responsible for identifying and addressing gaps between baseline and target architectures?
- Phase A – Architecture Vision
- Phase B/C/D – Domain Architecture phases
- Phase E – Opportunities and Solutions (Correct answer)
- Phase F – Migration Planning
Correct answer: Phase E – Opportunities and Solutions
Phase E (Opportunities and Solutions) consolidates gap analysis results from Phases B, C, and D and identifies the solution building blocks to close those gaps.
Question 6: A solution architect is integrating a legacy system with a modern cloud platform. Which integration pattern minimizes changes to the legacy system?
- Strangler Fig Pattern
- Anti-Corruption Layer (Correct answer)
- Sidecar Pattern
- Saga Pattern
Correct answer: Anti-Corruption Layer
An Anti-Corruption Layer acts as a translation boundary that allows the modern system to interact with a legacy system using its own domain model, shielding both sides from each other's complexity.
Question 7: In solution architecture, what does 'fitness for purpose' mean when evaluating a proposed design?
- The solution uses the most current technology available
- The solution meets the specific needs and constraints of its intended context (Correct answer)
- The solution adheres to all enterprise architecture standards without exception
- The solution can be reused across all future projects in the organization
Correct answer: The solution meets the specific needs and constraints of its intended context
Fitness for purpose means the solution adequately satisfies the functional and non-functional requirements of its specific context, not that it is universally optimal.
CMA Solution Architecture Process 3
Which architecture pattern best supports a scenario where multiple downstream consumers need to react to the same business event independently?