Question 1,045 of 1,616
DeploymentmediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

SAM Canary Deployment

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 company deploys a serverless application using AWS SAM. The application includes an API Gateway REST API and multiple Lambda functions. The developer wants to deploy a new version of the API with a canary release strategy, sending 10% of traffic to the new version initially. Which SAM template configuration should the developer use?

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

Set Type: Canary in the DeploymentPreference of the Lambda function and add CanarySetting: { Percent: 10 } under DeploymentPreference.

Option A is correct because AWS SAM's `DeploymentPreference` with `Type: Canary` on the Lambda function enables canary traffic shifting for the API Gateway integration. The `CanarySetting` property with `Percent: 10` specifies that 10% of traffic is initially routed to the new Lambda version, while the remaining 90% goes to the previous version. This configuration leverages SAM's built-in CodeDeploy integration to manage the canary release automatically.

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.

  • Set Type: Canary in the DeploymentPreference of the Lambda function and add CanarySetting: { Percent: 10 } under DeploymentPreference.

    Why this is correct

    This is the correct syntax for a canary deployment in SAM.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • Set CanarySetting: { Percent: 10 } in the API Gateway resource's properties.

    Why it's wrong here

    CanarySetting is not a property of the API Gateway resource; it is part of the Lambda function's DeploymentPreference.

  • Set Type: Canary and TrafficShiftType: Canary in the DeploymentPreference of the Lambda function.

    Why it's wrong here

    TrafficShiftType is not a valid property in SAM; Type: Canary already indicates a canary deployment.

  • Set Type: Canary in the DeploymentPreference of the Lambda function and add a Percentage: 10 property.

    Why it's wrong here

    Percentage is not a direct property of DeploymentPreference; it is part of CanarySetting.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates mistakenly apply canary settings directly to the API Gateway resource or use incorrect property names like `Percentage` or `TrafficShiftType`, instead of recognizing that SAM delegates canary traffic management to the Lambda function's `DeploymentPreference` with the correct `CanarySetting` structure.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Under the hood, SAM generates an AWS CodeDeploy application and deployment group for each Lambda function with `DeploymentPreference` set. The `CanarySetting` property defines the initial traffic percentage and the interval (via `CanaryInterval`) before shifting all traffic to the new version. This is implemented using Lambda aliases and traffic routing, where CodeDeploy gradually updates the alias's routing configuration to shift traffic between the old and new versions.

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.

Visual reference

Client DHCP Server 1 Discover (broadcast) 2 Offer (IP: 192.168.1.10) 3 Request (I accept) 4 Acknowledge (lease confirmed) DORA — the four-step DHCP lease process

Quick reference

Cloud Service Model Comparison

ModelYou ManageProvider ManagesExamples
IaaSOS, runtime, apps, dataHardware, hypervisor, networkingEC2, Azure VMs, GCP Compute Engine
PaaSApps and dataOS, runtime, middleware, hardwareElastic Beanstalk, Azure App Service
SaaSData and settings onlyEverything elseMicrosoft 365, Salesforce, Workday
FaaS / ServerlessFunction code onlyInfra, scaling, runtimeLambda, Azure Functions, Cloud Run
CaaSContainers and appsKubernetes, OS, hardwareEKS, AKS, GKE

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

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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: Set Type: Canary in the DeploymentPreference of the Lambda function and add CanarySetting: { Percent: 10 } under DeploymentPreference. — Option A is correct because AWS SAM's `DeploymentPreference` with `Type: Canary` on the Lambda function enables canary traffic shifting for the API Gateway integration. The `CanarySetting` property with `Percent: 10` specifies that 10% of traffic is initially routed to the new Lambda version, while the remaining 90% goes to the previous version. This configuration leverages SAM's built-in CodeDeploy integration to manage the canary release automatically.

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.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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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 consists of an API Gateway REST API and multiple AWS Lambda functions. The developer wants to deploy the application to a production environment with minimal downtime. Which deployment strategy should the developer use?

easy
  • A.Create a blue/green deployment using AWS Elastic Beanstalk.
  • B.Delete the existing stack and deploy a new one.
  • C.Perform a rolling update by updating functions one by one.
  • D.Use SAM's built-in canary deployment with traffic shifting.

Why D: Option D is correct because AWS SAM supports canary deployments with traffic shifting, allowing gradual rollout of new versions and minimizing downtime. Option A is wrong because AWS Elastic Beanstalk is not part of SAM; SAM uses AWS CodeDeploy for canary deployments, not Elastic Beanstalk. Option B is wrong because deleting and redeploying the entire stack causes downtime. Option C is wrong because rolling updates by updating functions one by one is not a built-in SAM feature; SAM leverages traffic shifting via AWS CodeDeploy.

Variation 2. A developer is deploying a serverless application using AWS SAM. The application consists of an API Gateway endpoint that triggers an AWS Lambda function. The developer wants to enable canary deployments to gradually shift traffic to a new Lambda version. Which SAM resource attribute should the developer configure?

medium
  • A.ReservedConcurrentExecutions
  • B.Timeout
  • C.AutoPublishAlias and DeploymentPreference
  • D.ProvisionedConcurrency

Why C: Option C is correct because `AutoPublishAlias` automatically creates and updates a Lambda alias (e.g., `live`) that points to the latest version of your function, while `DeploymentPreference` enables canary, linear, or all-at-once traffic shifting between the old and new alias versions. Together, they allow gradual traffic migration to a new Lambda version without manual alias management.

Variation 3. A developer is deploying a serverless application using AWS SAM. The application consists of multiple Lambda functions and an Amazon API Gateway. The developer wants to enable canary deployments for the API Gateway stage to gradually shift traffic. Which SAM resource attribute should the developer use?

hard
  • A.DeploymentPreference
  • B.CanarySetting
  • C.StageName
  • D.MethodSettings

Why A: Option A is correct because the `DeploymentPreference` attribute in AWS SAM's `AWS::Serverless::Api` resource enables canary deployments for API Gateway stages. This attribute allows you to configure traffic shifting patterns, such as linear or canary, by specifying settings like `Type` (e.g., `Canary10Percent5Minutes`) and `Alarms` to automatically roll back on failures. It directly integrates with AWS CodeDeploy to manage the gradual traffic shift without manual intervention.

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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026

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This DVA-C02 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the DVA-C02 exam.