This DVA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of deployment. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 microservices application on Amazon ECS with the Fargate launch type. The application uses an Application Load Balancer (ALB) to route traffic. The developer wants to perform a blue/green deployment with automated traffic shifting using AWS CodeDeploy. What is the minimum number of target groups required for this deployment?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "minimum / minimize"
Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
Why wrong: A single target group can only point to one set of tasks, so it cannot support the two environments (blue and green) required for a blue/green deployment.
B
Two
Two target groups are needed: one for the blue (original) tasks and one for the green (replacement) tasks. CodeDeploy shifts traffic between them.
C
Three
Why wrong: Three target groups are not required for a basic blue/green deployment; two are sufficient.
D
Four
Why wrong: Four target groups exceed the minimum requirement and would add unnecessary complexity.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Two
In a blue/green deployment with AWS CodeDeploy and an Application Load Balancer (ALB) on Amazon ECS (Fargate), two target groups are required: one for the 'blue' (current) environment and one for the 'green' (new) environment. CodeDeploy shifts traffic from the blue target group to the green target group by updating the ALB listener rules, allowing zero-downtime deployments and automated rollback if needed.
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.
✗
One
Why it's wrong here
A single target group can only point to one set of tasks, so it cannot support the two environments (blue and green) required for a blue/green deployment.
✓
Two
Why this is correct
Two target groups are needed: one for the blue (original) tasks and one for the green (replacement) tasks. CodeDeploy shifts traffic between them.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Three
Why it's wrong here
Three target groups are not required for a basic blue/green deployment; two are sufficient.
✗
Four
Why it's wrong here
Four target groups exceed the minimum requirement and would add unnecessary complexity.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse blue/green deployments with canary deployments or assume that a single target group with multiple ports can serve both environments, but AWS CodeDeploy for ECS explicitly requires two distinct target groups to manage traffic shifting and rollback.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, CodeDeploy creates an ECS service with two task sets (blue and green), each registered with its own target group. The ALB listener's default rule points to the blue target group initially; during deployment, CodeDeploy updates the listener rule to shift traffic percentage to the green target group (e.g., 10%, 50%, 100%) based on the deployment configuration. This mechanism relies on the ALB's ability to route traffic to multiple target groups via weighted listener rules, which is why exactly two target groups are required.
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.
TExam Day Tips
→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.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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: Two — In a blue/green deployment with AWS CodeDeploy and an Application Load Balancer (ALB) on Amazon ECS (Fargate), two target groups are required: one for the 'blue' (current) environment and one for the 'green' (new) environment. CodeDeploy shifts traffic from the blue target group to the green target group by updating the ALB listener rules, allowing zero-downtime deployments and automated rollback if needed.
What should I do if I get this DVA-C02 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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