- A
Use 'AWS::Lambda::Version' and 'AWS::Lambda::Alias' resources to manually shift traffic and set up CloudWatch alarms to revert the alias if needed.
Why wrong: Manually using 'AWS::Lambda::Version' and 'AWS::Lambda::Alias' resources does not provide automatic rollback based on CloudWatch alarms; it only allows manual traffic shifting.
- B
Add a 'DeploymentPreference' property with 'Type' set to 'Linear' and specify a 'Alarms' list for rollback.
Why wrong: Adding a 'DeploymentPreference' property with 'Type' set to 'Linear' does enable gradual deployment, but the correct SAM approach is to use 'AutoPublishAlias' together with 'DeploymentPreference'. Also, the 'Alarms' list for rollback is part of 'DeploymentPreference', but option B does not mention 'AutoPublishAlias', which is necessary for automatic version publishing.
- C
Add 'AutoPublishAlias' and 'DeploymentPreference' properties to the Lambda function resource, specifying a canary deployment with a CloudWatch alarm for rollback.
Correct. The 'AutoPublishAlias' and 'DeploymentPreference' properties on the Lambda function resource allow you to specify a canary (or linear) deployment with CloudWatch alarms for automatic rollback, which meets the requirement exactly.
- D
Add a 'CodeDeployLambdaAlias' resource to the template and configure the deployment group with a canary deployment configuration.
Why wrong: 'CodeDeployLambdaAlias' is not a valid SAM resource. SAM provides built-in deployment preferences through the 'DeploymentPreference' property on the Lambda function resource, not through a separate resource.
AWS SAM Canary Deployment for Lambda with Automatic Rollback
This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of deployment. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A developer is deploying a serverless application using the AWS Serverless Application Model (SAM). The application consists of several Lambda functions and an API Gateway. The developer wants to enable gradual deployment of Lambda function versions with automatic rollback based on CloudWatch alarms. What should the developer add to the SAM template?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Add 'AutoPublishAlias' and 'DeploymentPreference' properties to the Lambda function resource, specifying a canary deployment with a CloudWatch alarm for rollback.
Option C is correct because the SAM template supports gradual deployments through the 'AutoPublishAlias' property combined with 'DeploymentPreference'. This allows you to specify a canary deployment (or linear) and define CloudWatch alarms for automatic rollback. Option A is incorrect because manually managing 'AWS::Lambda::Version' and 'AWS::Lambda::Alias' does not provide automated rollback. Option B is incorrect because while 'DeploymentPreference' with 'Type: Linear' does enable gradual deployment, the question specifically asks for the SAM-native approach using 'AutoPublishAlias' and 'DeploymentPreference' together; also the 'Alarms' list is specified within 'DeploymentPreference'. Option D is incorrect because 'CodeDeployLambdaAlias' is not a valid SAM resource; SAM abstracts CodeDeploy configuration through the 'DeploymentPreference' property on the Lambda function resource.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use 'AWS::Lambda::Version' and 'AWS::Lambda::Alias' resources to manually shift traffic and set up CloudWatch alarms to revert the alias if needed.
Why it's wrong here
Manually using 'AWS::Lambda::Version' and 'AWS::Lambda::Alias' resources does not provide automatic rollback based on CloudWatch alarms; it only allows manual traffic shifting.
- ✗
Add a 'DeploymentPreference' property with 'Type' set to 'Linear' and specify a 'Alarms' list for rollback.
Why it's wrong here
Adding a 'DeploymentPreference' property with 'Type' set to 'Linear' does enable gradual deployment, but the correct SAM approach is to use 'AutoPublishAlias' together with 'DeploymentPreference'. Also, the 'Alarms' list for rollback is part of 'DeploymentPreference', but option B does not mention 'AutoPublishAlias', which is necessary for automatic version publishing.
- ✓
Add 'AutoPublishAlias' and 'DeploymentPreference' properties to the Lambda function resource, specifying a canary deployment with a CloudWatch alarm for rollback.
Why this is correct
Correct. The 'AutoPublishAlias' and 'DeploymentPreference' properties on the Lambda function resource allow you to specify a canary (or linear) deployment with CloudWatch alarms for automatic rollback, which meets the requirement exactly.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Add a 'CodeDeployLambdaAlias' resource to the template and configure the deployment group with a canary deployment configuration.
Why it's wrong here
'CodeDeployLambdaAlias' is not a valid SAM resource. SAM provides built-in deployment preferences through the 'DeploymentPreference' property on the Lambda function resource, not through a separate resource.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Quick reference
Cloud Service Model Comparison
| Model | You Manage | Provider Manages | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| IaaS | OS, runtime, apps, data | Hardware, hypervisor, networking | EC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine |
| PaaS | Apps and data | OS, runtime, middleware, hardware | Elastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service |
| SaaS | Data and settings only | Everything else | Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Workday |
| FaaS / Serverless | Function code only | Infra, scaling, runtime | Lambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run |
| CaaS | Containers and apps | Kubernetes, OS, hardware | EKS, AKS, GKE |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which DVA-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this DVA-C02 question test?
Deployment — This question tests Deployment — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Add 'AutoPublishAlias' and 'DeploymentPreference' properties to the Lambda function resource, specifying a canary deployment with a CloudWatch alarm for rollback. — Option C is correct because the SAM template supports gradual deployments through the 'AutoPublishAlias' property combined with 'DeploymentPreference'. This allows you to specify a canary deployment (or linear) and define CloudWatch alarms for automatic rollback. Option A is incorrect because manually managing 'AWS::Lambda::Version' and 'AWS::Lambda::Alias' does not provide automated rollback. Option B is incorrect because while 'DeploymentPreference' with 'Type: Linear' does enable gradual deployment, the question specifically asks for the SAM-native approach using 'AutoPublishAlias' and 'DeploymentPreference' together; also the 'Alarms' list is specified within 'DeploymentPreference'. Option D is incorrect because 'CodeDeployLambdaAlias' is not a valid SAM resource; SAM abstracts CodeDeploy configuration through the 'DeploymentPreference' property on the Lambda function resource.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which DVA-C02 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Same concept, more angles
3 more ways this is tested on DVA-C02
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A developer is deploying a serverless application using AWS SAM. The application includes an API Gateway endpoint backed by a Lambda function. The developer wants to enable canary deployments to shift 10% of traffic to the new version for 5 minutes before routing all traffic. Which configuration should the developer add to the SAM template?
medium- ✓ A.DeploymentPreference with Type: Canary10Percent5Minutes
- B.Add a CodeDeploy application and deployment group manually
- C.DeploymentPreference with Type: Linear10PercentEvery1Minute
- D.DeploymentPreference with Type: AllAtOnce
Why A: Option A is correct because the `DeploymentPreference` property with `Type: Canary10Percent5Minutes` instructs AWS SAM to use AWS CodeDeploy to shift 10% of traffic to the new Lambda version for 5 minutes, then automatically route the remaining 90% after the canary period ends. This matches the requirement exactly, leveraging SAM's built-in integration with CodeDeploy for canary deployments.
Variation 2. A developer is deploying a serverless application using the AWS Serverless Application Model (SAM). The application includes an API Gateway endpoint backed by a Lambda function. The developer wants to enable canary deployments to shift traffic gradually. Which SAM resource attribute should they configure?
hard- ✓ A.DeploymentPreference
- B.StageName
- C.Events
- D.AutoPublishAlias
Why A: Option A is correct because the DeploymentPreference attribute in the AWS::Serverless::Function resource allows configuring canary deployments with CodeDeploy. Option B is incorrect because StageName is used to set the API Gateway stage name, not for canary deployments. Option C is incorrect because Events define event sources that trigger the Lambda function, not traffic shifting. Option D is incorrect because AutoPublishAlias enables automatic alias creation for versioning but does not handle canary traffic shifting.
Variation 3. A developer is deploying a serverless application using the AWS Serverless Application Model (SAM). The application consists of an API Gateway, a Lambda function, and a DynamoDB table. The developer wants to enable canary deployments for the Lambda function. What should the developer do?
easy- A.Configure a CodeDeploy deployment group in the SAM template.
- B.Create a Lambda alias and configure traffic shifting manually.
- ✓ C.Add the AutoPublishAlias and DeploymentPreference properties to the Lambda function in the SAM template.
- D.Use AWS CodePipeline to orchestrate the canary deployment.
Why C: Option C is correct because the AWS SAM template supports canary deployments for Lambda functions by adding the `AutoPublishAlias` property (which automatically creates and publishes a new version to a Lambda alias) and the `DeploymentPreference` property (which defines the traffic-shifting strategy, such as `Canary10Percent5Minutes`). This enables CodeDeploy to gradually shift traffic from the current version to the new version without manual intervention.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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