The answer is a blue/green deployment with the Canary10Percent configuration. This is correct because it automatically shifts 10% of traffic to the new application version, then waits for a default 10-minute canary interval before requiring a manual approval action to complete the remaining 90% traffic shift. This directly matches the requirement to first shift a small percentage, monitor for errors, and then manually approve the full cutover. On the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate SOA-C02 exam, this question tests your understanding of CodeDeploy’s built-in traffic shifting configurations, specifically the difference between canary, linear, and all-at-once deployments. A common trap is confusing the Canary10Percent with a linear configuration, which shifts traffic incrementally without requiring manual approval. Remember the key distinction: canary configurations pause for a set time and then wait for manual approval, while linear configurations shift automatically in steps. A useful memory tip is “Canary = Cautious + Approval,” meaning the deployment holds for a manual gate after the initial small traffic shift.
SOA-C02 Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation Practice Question
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 applications to Amazon EC2 instances. The SysOps administrator wants to deploy a new version of the application by first shifting 10% of traffic to the new version, monitoring for errors, and then after manual approval, shifting the remaining 90%. Which 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.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Blue/green deployment with Canary10Percent configuration
Option B is correct because a Blue/green deployment with Canary10Percent configuration shifts 10% of traffic to the new version, waits for a specified period (default 10 minutes), and then requires manual approval to shift the remaining 90%. This matches the requirement of shifting 10% first, monitoring, and then manually approving the full traffic shift.
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.
✗
In-place deployment
Why it's wrong here
In-place updates instances without traffic shifting; it does not allow a gradual traffic shift percentage.
✓
Blue/green deployment with Canary10Percent configuration
Why this is correct
This configuration shifts 10% of traffic to the new instances, then the remaining 90% after a manual approval (or after a set time if automated).
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Blue/green deployment with Linear10PercentEvery10Minutes configuration
Why it's wrong here
Linear shifts traffic in equal increments over time, not a single two-step shift with manual approval.
✗
Blue/green deployment with AllAtOnce configuration
Why it's wrong here
This shifts all traffic to the new environment immediately, which does not match the gradual approach required.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may confuse 'Canary10Percent' with 'Linear10PercentEvery10Minutes' because both shift 10% increments, but only Canary10Percent supports manual approval between shifts, while Linear10PercentEvery10Minutes is fully automated.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CodeDeploy's canary deployment uses a traffic shifting configuration defined in the AppSpec file or deployment group settings. The Canary10Percent configuration shifts 10% of traffic to the new environment, then after a default 10-minute interval (configurable via the 'trafficRouting' 'timeBetweenCanaryAndLinear' parameter), it pauses for manual approval if the deployment group has a manual approval hook configured. This is implemented via AWS CodeDeploy's built-in traffic routing and lifecycle hooks, specifically the 'AllowTraffic' and 'BeforeAllowTraffic' events.
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, Provisioning, and Automation — This question tests Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Blue/green deployment with Canary10Percent configuration — Option B is correct because a Blue/green deployment with Canary10Percent configuration shifts 10% of traffic to the new version, waits for a specified period (default 10 minutes), and then requires manual approval to shift the remaining 90%. This matches the requirement of shifting 10% first, monitoring, and then manually approving the full traffic shift.
What should I do if I get this SOA-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: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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 →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This SOA-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 SOA-C02 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.