KCNA Container Orchestration Practice Question
A company wants to adopt immutable infrastructure for its containerized applications. Which practice BEST exemplifies immutability?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse immutability with automation, thinking that any automated update (like a config management tool) is acceptable, when in fact immutability in Kubernetes requires that no changes are made to running containers — only new images are deployed via rolling updates or similar mechanisms.
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
✓
When a container fails, the orchestrator terminates it and launches a new container from the same image
Immutable infrastructure means that once a container is deployed from a specific image, it is never modified in place. When a container fails, the orchestrator (e.g., Kubernetes) terminates it and launches a new container from the same image, ensuring consistency and reproducibility. This approach eliminates configuration drift and aligns with the principle that all changes should be made by rebuilding the image, not by altering running instances.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Developers use kubectl exec to change environment variables in a running pod
Why it's wrong here
Modifying a running pod changes its state and is contrary to immutability.
- ✓
When a container fails, the orchestrator terminates it and launches a new container from the same image
Why this is correct
Immutable infrastructure treats containers as disposable; failures are handled by replacement, not repair.
- ✗
A configuration management tool runs periodically to ensure containers are up-to-date
Why it's wrong here
This involves modifying containers in place, which is mutable.
- ✗
An operator logs into a running container and applies a security patch with apt-get update
Why it's wrong here
Patching a running container modifies its state, violating immutability; the image should be rebuilt.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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