- A
All at once
Why wrong: All at once deploys the new version to all instances simultaneously, causing downtime during the deployment. It does not allow validation before routing traffic.
- B
Rolling
Why wrong: Rolling updates replace instances in batches. While this can reduce downtime, it still modifies the existing instances and may cause degraded performance. It does not provide a full isolation for validation.
- C
Immutable
The immutable deployment policy launches a completely new set of instances with the new application version. Once healthy, the environment's CNAME is switched to the new instances, providing zero downtime and the ability to validate the new version before traffic is routed.
- D
Traffic splitting
Why wrong: Traffic splitting is a canary deployment method that incrementally shifts traffic to the new version. However, it still modifies the existing environment and can cause some traffic to be served by the new version before full validation.
SOA-C02 Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation Practice Question
This SOA-C02 practice question tests your understanding of deployment, provisioning, and automation. 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 SysOps administrator needs to deploy a new version of a web application to Amazon EC2 instances using AWS Elastic Beanstalk. The administrator wants to deploy the new version with zero downtime and validate the new version before routing production traffic to it. Which deployment policy should be used?
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
Immutable
Immutable deployment is correct because it launches a completely new set of EC2 instances in a separate Auto Scaling group, deploys the new application version to them, and passes health checks before swapping the environment's CNAME record to point to the new instances. This ensures zero downtime and allows validation of the new version before any production traffic is routed to it, as the old instances remain untouched until the swap is complete.
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.
- ✗
All at once
Why it's wrong here
All at once deploys the new version to all instances simultaneously, causing downtime during the deployment. It does not allow validation before routing traffic.
- ✗
Rolling
Why it's wrong here
Rolling updates replace instances in batches. While this can reduce downtime, it still modifies the existing instances and may cause degraded performance. It does not provide a full isolation for validation.
- ✓
Immutable
Why this is correct
The immutable deployment policy launches a completely new set of instances with the new application version. Once healthy, the environment's CNAME is switched to the new instances, providing zero downtime and the ability to validate the new version before traffic is routed.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Traffic splitting
Why it's wrong here
Traffic splitting is a canary deployment method that incrementally shifts traffic to the new version. However, it still modifies the existing environment and can cause some traffic to be served by the new version before full validation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse 'Traffic splitting' with 'canary testing' and assume it allows pre-validation, but in Elastic Beanstalk, traffic splitting immediately routes a percentage of live traffic to the new version, whereas immutable deployment keeps all traffic on the old version until the new version is fully validated and swapped.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Elastic Beanstalk immutable deployments create a separate Auto Scaling group with new instances, deploy the new version, and run environment health checks (e.g., ELB health checks on the configured path). Only after the new instances pass health checks for a configurable period does the environment's CNAME (e.g., myapp.elasticbeanstalk.com) get updated via Route 53 to point to the new Auto Scaling group's load balancer, while the old group is terminated. This process is similar to a blue/green deployment but automated within a single environment, ensuring no overlapping traffic and full isolation for validation.
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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SOA-C02 question test?
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: Immutable — Immutable deployment is correct because it launches a completely new set of EC2 instances in a separate Auto Scaling group, deploys the new application version to them, and passes health checks before swapping the environment's CNAME record to point to the new instances. This ensures zero downtime and allows validation of the new version before any production traffic is routed to it, as the old instances remain untouched until the swap is complete.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
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