CKAD Application Deployment Practice Question
Which TWO are valid fields in a Deployment's rollingUpdate configuration? (Select 2)
⚠ Common exam trap
Kubernetes often tests the distinction between fields that belong to the Deployment's spec versus those that belong specifically to the rollingUpdate subfield, causing candidates to confuse minReadySeconds, progressDeadlineSeconds, or revisionHistoryLimit as part of the rolling update configuration.
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
✓
maxSurge
In a Deployment's rolling update configuration, the `maxSurge` field defines the maximum number of Pods that can be created above the desired replica count during the update, while `maxUnavailable` defines the maximum number of Pods that can be unavailable during the update. Both are valid fields within the `spec.strategy.rollingUpdate` object in a Kubernetes Deployment.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
minReadySeconds
Why it's wrong here
minReadySeconds belongs to the Deployment's `spec` itself, not to the `rollingUpdate` configuration. It specifies the minimum amount of time a newly created pod must remain ready without its containers crashing before it is considered available. While this influences update progression, it is not part of the rolling update strategy's parameters, so it is not a field of `rollingUpdate`.
- ✓
maxSurge
Why this is correct
maxSurge is a valid field within the `rollingUpdate` configuration. It specifies the maximum number of pods (or a percentage of desired pods) that can be created above the desired replica count during an update. This controls how quickly the Deployment can add new pods while maintaining available capacity, and it works together with maxUnavailable to define the update's pace.
- ✓
maxUnavailable
Why this is correct
maxUnavailable is another valid field inside the `rollingUpdate` block. It defines the maximum number of pods (or percentage) that can be unavailable during a rolling update, ensuring a minimum number of pods remain running. This field helps balance availability against update speed, and it is distinct from maxSurge because it limits the shortfall rather than the excess.
- ✗
progressDeadlineSeconds
Why it's wrong here
progressDeadlineSeconds is defined at the Deployment's `spec` level, not inside `rollingUpdate`. It sets a time limit for the deployment to make observable progress; if the deadline is exceeded, the Deployment is marked as failed. This field helps determine when to automatically roll back, but it does not control the rolling update's surge or unavailability quotas, so it is not a valid field of the `rollingUpdate` object.
- ✗
revisionHistoryLimit
Why it's wrong here
revisionHistoryLimit is a top-level field in the Deployment `spec`, used to control how many old ReplicaSets are retained for rollback purposes. It does not affect the rolling update algorithm directly; instead, it determines the number of historical deployment revisions kept in memory. Since it is not nested under `strategy.rollingUpdate`, it is an invalid field for the `rollingUpdate` object.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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