Question 289 of 953
CKAD Application Observability and Maintenance Practice Question
A deployment 'api-deploy' has resource limits set but is frequently being OOMKilled. The team suspects the memory limit is too low. Which approach should be taken to confirm this without causing downtime?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse 'kubectl set resources' with a dynamic in-place update, not realizing it modifies the deployment spec and requires a rollout to take effect, similar to editing the YAML directly.
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
✓
Increase the memory limit in the deployment spec and apply the change; the rollout will automatically restart pods.
Updating the deployment spec triggers a rolling update, which replaces pods with new ones having the increased memory limit without downtime. This approach leverages Kubernetes' deployment controller to manage the rollout automatically, ensuring service continuity while adjusting resource limits.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Create a new pod with a higher memory limit and delete the old pods manually.
Why it's wrong here
This does not update the deployment, and manual deletion causes disruption.
- ✗
Set the memory limit to unlimited by removing the limit section and restart the pod.
Why it's wrong here
Removing limits may cause resource exhaustion on the node; restarting the pod causes a brief outage.
- ✗
Use 'kubectl set resources' to increase the limit on the running pod dynamically.
Why it's wrong here
'kubectl set resources' updates the deployment, not the running pod directly.
- ✓
Increase the memory limit in the deployment spec and apply the change; the rollout will automatically restart pods.
Why this is correct
Rolling update applies changes without downtime.
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 →
Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This CKAD practice question is part of Courseiva's free CNCF 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 CKAD 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.