Quick Answer
The answer is CodeDeployDefault.Canary10Percent5Minutes. This deployment configuration is the correct choice because it shifts exactly 10% of traffic to the new application version, then provides a built-in five-minute monitoring window before automatically deploying to the remaining 90% of instances. While the scenario mentions manual approval, CodeDeploy’s native deployment configurations do not include a manual gate; however, this configuration is the only one that delivers the required 10% traffic shift with a timed monitoring period, making it the best match among the available options. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of CodeDeploy’s canary deployment strategies and how they differ from linear or all-at-once configurations. A common trap is confusing the canary percentage with the wait time—remember that the configuration name explicitly states both the traffic shift (10%) and the monitoring duration (5 minutes). For memory, think “10% first, 5 minutes to watch, then the rest.”
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of deployment, provisioning, and automation. 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 uses AWS CodeDeploy to deploy a new version of a web application to a fleet of Amazon EC2 instances. The SysOps administrator wants to shift 10% of traffic to the new version first, monitor for errors, and then after manual approval, deploy to the remaining 90%. Which CodeDeploy deployment configuration should be used?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
CodeDeployDefault.AllAtOnce
Why wrong: Deploys to all instances at once, no canary shift.
CodeDeployDefault.HalfAtATime
Why wrong: Deploys to half of the instances at a time, not 10%.
CodeDeployDefault.Canary10Percent5Minutes
Shifts 10% of traffic and waits 5 minutes before proceeding.
Custom configuration with 10% and manual approval
Why wrong: While possible, a predefined configuration exists, making this less efficient.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
CodeDeployDefault.Canary10Percent5Minutes
Option C is correct because the Canary10Percent5Minutes deployment configuration shifts 10% of traffic to the new version, waits 5 minutes for monitoring, and then automatically deploys to the remaining 90%. This matches the requirement for a 10% traffic shift with a monitoring window, though the question specifies manual approval—CodeDeploy does not natively support manual approval within a deployment configuration; instead, you would combine this configuration with a manual approval step in a CodePipeline or use a lifecycle hook. However, among the given options, this is the only one that provides the 10% traffic shift and a built-in wait period.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
CodeDeployDefault.AllAtOnce
Why it's wrong here
Deploys to all instances at once, no canary shift.
CodeDeployDefault.HalfAtATime
Why it's wrong here
Deploys to half of the instances at a time, not 10%.
CodeDeployDefault.Canary10Percent5Minutes
Why this is correct
Shifts 10% of traffic and waits 5 minutes before proceeding.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Custom configuration with 10% and manual approval
Why it's wrong here
While possible, a predefined configuration exists, making this less efficient.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may assume a custom deployment configuration can include manual approval, but CodeDeploy deployment configurations only control traffic shifting percentages and timing, not approval gates, which must be handled externally.
Detailed technical explanation
CodeDeploy's canary deployment configurations (e.g., Canary10Percent5Minutes) use a linear traffic shifting strategy where the first batch receives a percentage of traffic for a specified duration before the remainder is deployed. Under the hood, CodeDeploy leverages the ALB or NLB target group weights to shift traffic, and the wait period is enforced by the deployment group's traffic routing settings. In practice, if manual approval is required, you would use a CodePipeline with a manual approval action between two CodeDeploy stages—one for the canary and one for the full rollout—rather than relying solely on the deployment configuration.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation — This question tests Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: CodeDeployDefault.Canary10Percent5Minutes — Option C is correct because the Canary10Percent5Minutes deployment configuration shifts 10% of traffic to the new version, waits 5 minutes for monitoring, and then automatically deploys to the remaining 90%. This matches the requirement for a 10% traffic shift with a monitoring window, though the question specifies manual approval—CodeDeploy does not natively support manual approval within a deployment configuration; instead, you would combine this configuration with a manual approval step in a CodePipeline or use a lifecycle hook. However, among the given options, this is the only one that provides the 10% traffic shift and a built-in wait period.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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