KCNA Kubernetes Fundamentals Practice Question
A Deployment named 'web-app' is configured with replicas: 3. You update the container image. Which Kubernetes object directly manages the pods during the rolling update?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to think the Deployment directly manages pods, but Kubernetes uses ReplicaSets as the intermediary to handle pod scaling and updates, making ReplicaSet the correct answer.
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
✓
ReplicaSet
When a Deployment is updated (e.g., container image change), it creates a new ReplicaSet to manage the new pods and scales down the old ReplicaSet. The ReplicaSet is the Kubernetes object that directly owns and manages the pods during the rolling update, ensuring the desired number of replicas are running at each step.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
StatefulSet
Why it's wrong here
StatefulSet is for stateful applications, not for rolling updates of stateless apps.
- ✗
DaemonSet
Why it's wrong here
DaemonSet runs a pod on each node, not suitable for rolling updates with replicas.
- ✗
Job
Why it's wrong here
Job is for batch tasks, not for long-running services.
- ✓
ReplicaSet
Why this is correct
Deployment manages ReplicaSets, which in turn manage pods.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This KCNA 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 KCNA exam.