200-901 Application Deployment and Security Practice Question
A Kubernetes Deployment is configured with rolling update strategy. A new version of the image is pushed, and the deployment is updated. During the rollout, the new pods are failing health checks. Which command can be used to pause the rollout and prevent further updates?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse 'pause' with 'undo' or 'status'—candidates might think that pausing a rollout is equivalent to rolling back, but pause only halts the process, while undo reverts to a previous revision.
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
✓
kubectl rollout pause deployment/myapp
The `kubectl rollout pause deployment/myapp` command suspends an in-progress rolling update, preventing Kubernetes from creating additional new ReplicaSets or scaling them further. This is the correct action when new pods are failing health checks, as it halts the rollout without reverting or deleting the deployment, allowing operators to investigate and fix the issue. Once paused, the deployment remains in its current state until resumed with `kubectl rollout resume`.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
kubectl rollout undo deployment/myapp
Why it's wrong here
rollout undo reverts to the previous revision, rolling back rather than halting the current rollout; the controller continues reconciling. Undo is chosen when the new version is confirmed faulty and must be discarded, whereas pausing preserves the in-progress state for inspection before deciding.
- ✓
kubectl rollout pause deployment/myapp
Why this is correct
The pause subcommand halts the Deployment controller's reconciliation, freezing the current ReplicaSets so no further pods are rolled out while failing health checks are investigated. This directly satisfies the requirement to stop further updates during the failing rollout.
- ✗
kubectl delete deployment/myapp
Why it's wrong here
Deleting the Deployment removes the workload and its ReplicaSets entirely, so no rollout remains to pause and service is lost. Deletion is used to tear down resources permanently, whereas pausing requires kubectl rollout pause to halt progression while leaving existing pods running.
- ✗
kubectl rollout status deployment/myapp
Why it's wrong here
rollout status only reports progress of the rollout; it changes nothing and cannot halt further updates. It is used to monitor whether a rollout has completed or stalled, whereas the pause subcommand is required to stop the controller from continuing to replace pods.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
This 200-901 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco 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 200-901 exam.