AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02)Cloud Technology and ServicesHard

A company wants to deploy a new application version by gradually replacing instances running the old version with instances running the new version, a few at a time, until all instances are updated. If a problem is detected midway, only a portion of traffic is affected. Which deployment method does this describe?

  1. ARolling deployment
  2. BBlue/Green deployment
  3. CAll-at-once deployment
  4. DCanary deployment
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A. Rolling deployment

A rolling deployment incrementally replaces instances of the old version with the new version in batches, rather than switching all traffic at once or maintaining two fully separate environments; this limits the blast radius if issues arise but does not provide an instant full rollback like blue/green.

Why the other options are wrong

  • B. Blue/Green deployment maintains two complete separate environments and shifts all traffic at once (or via routing rules), not a gradual instance-by-instance replacement.
  • C. All-at-once deployment updates every instance simultaneously, causing downtime and full exposure to any new-version issues.
  • D. Canary deployment releases the new version to a small, fixed percentage of users first before a broader release, rather than incrementally replacing all instances in batches.

Rolling Deployment

A deployment strategy that gradually replaces instances running the old application version with instances running the new version, in batches, until fully updated.

  • Reduces risk by limiting exposure to a subset of instances at a time
  • No need for duplicate full-scale environment like blue/green
  • Rollback can be slower than blue/green since old instances are already replaced

Memory trick: Rolling deployment: swap instances one batch at a time, like changing tires while driving slowly.

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