Sample questions
Deployment Release StrategiesDifficulty 1
In a software delivery context, what best describes a 'deployment'?
- aThe process of making a specific version of an application running and available in a target environment✓
- bThe process of writing and committing source code changes to a repository
- cThe process of designing the database schema before development begins
- dThe process of writing and maintaining automated tests to thoroughly cover a new feature before it ever ships
Explanation:A deployment is the act of getting a built artifact running in an environment (staging, production, etc.). Committing code (b) is a source control activity, not a deployment. Writing tests (d) is part of the development process but is not itself a deployment step.
Deployment Release StrategiesDifficulty 1
What happens during a basic rolling update deployment strategy?
- aAll instances are replaced with the new version simultaneously
- bInstances running the new version replace old ones gradually, a few at a time✓
- cThe new version is deployed to a separate environment and traffic is switched all at once
- dA small percentage of real user traffic is routed to the new version to test it
Explanation:A rolling update incrementally replaces instances, so old and new versions serve traffic side by side for a while. (a) describes a recreate/big-bang deployment; (c) describes blue-green; (d) describes canary.
Deployment Release StrategiesDifficulty 1
In a blue-green deployment, what is the core idea?
- aThe new version gradually receives more traffic while the old version still serves the rest
- bOld instances are shut down first, then new instances are started
- cTwo identical production environments exist; traffic is switched from the old (blue) to the new (green) once it's ready✓
- dFeature toggles control which users see new code paths, independent of any environment switch
Explanation:Blue-green keeps two full environments and performs a single cutover switch. (a) describes canary; (b) describes recreate; (d) describes feature flagging, which is unrelated to environment switching.
Deployment Release StrategiesDifficulty 2
A team adopts blue-green deployment for their web service to reduce release risk. What is a realistic trade-off they should expect?
- aIt makes automated testing of the new version impossible before go-live
- bIt always increases the total deployment time compared to a rolling update
- cIt removes the need for a rollback plan entirely
- dIt typically requires running double the infrastructure capacity during the cutover window✓
Explanation:Blue-green needs two full environments running concurrently, at least temporarily, which doubles resource cost. (a) is false since the idle environment can be tested before cutover. (b) is not necessarily true; the switch itself can be fast. (d) rollback (switching back) is still needed and useful.
Deployment Release StrategiesDifficulty 1
What defines a canary deployment?
- aA small subset of users or traffic is directed to the new version first, before a full rollout✓
- bThe new and old versions run in fully separate environments with a single traffic switch
- cAll servers are updated to the new version at once
- dOld servers are terminated before new ones are provisioned
Explanation:Canary exposes the new version to a limited slice of traffic first so problems can be caught early. (b) describes blue-green; (c) and (d) describe variants of recreate/big-bang deployment.
Deployment Release StrategiesDifficulty 2
A team wants to use canary deployment to catch regressions early for a high-traffic service. What operational capability do they most need in place for canary to be effective?
- aA second, fully isolated production environment that mirrors the first exactly in every configuration detail
- bThe ability to monitor key metrics per version and compare canary vs baseline behavior✓
- cA feature flag system that only backend developers can access
- dA fixed schedule that always promotes the canary after exactly one hour
Explanation:Without per-version monitoring and comparison, the team can't tell if the canary is actually behaving safely. (a) describes a blue-green need, not a canary requirement. (c) is an unrelated restriction. (d) ignoring actual signals in favor of a fixed timer is a common junior mistake.