- A
DaemonSet
Why wrong: DaemonSet ensures one pod per node, not a fixed number of replicas.
- B
Deployment
Deployments manage ReplicaSets and provide rolling updates, rollbacks, and declarative updates for stateless applications.
- C
ReplicaSet
Why wrong: A ReplicaSet ensures a specified number of pod replicas are running, but it does not support rolling updates directly; Deployments should be used instead.
- D
StatefulSet
Why wrong: StatefulSet is designed for stateful applications that require stable network identities and persistent storage, not ideal for stateless apps.
Question 835 of 997
Kubernetes Deployment for Stateless Applications
This KCNA practice question tests your understanding of kubernetes fundamentals. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
You want to deploy a stateless web application that should maintain 5 running instances at all times. You need to support rolling updates and rollbacks. Which Kubernetes resource is most appropriate?
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
✓
Deployment
A Deployment is the correct choice because it is designed to manage stateless applications with a desired replica count (5 instances), supports rolling updates to update pods gradually without downtime, and enables rollbacks to a previous revision if an update fails. Deployments internally create ReplicaSets to manage pod scaling and versioning, making them ideal for stateless workloads requiring high availability and update flexibility.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
DaemonSet
Why it's wrong here
DaemonSet ensures one pod per node, not a fixed number of replicas.
- ✓
Deployment
Why this is correct
Deployments manage ReplicaSets and provide rolling updates, rollbacks, and declarative updates for stateless applications.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
ReplicaSet
Why it's wrong here
A ReplicaSet ensures a specified number of pod replicas are running, but it does not support rolling updates directly; Deployments should be used instead.
- ✗
StatefulSet
Why it's wrong here
StatefulSet is designed for stateful applications that require stable network identities and persistent storage, not ideal for stateless apps.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often pick ReplicaSet because it maintains replica counts, but they overlook that Deployments are the required resource for rolling updates and rollbacks, as ReplicaSets alone do not provide these higher-level lifecycle management features.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, a Deployment uses a ReplicaSet to manage pod replicas, but it adds a revision history mechanism that stores the configuration of each update. When a rolling update is triggered, the Deployment creates a new ReplicaSet with the updated pod template and gradually scales it up while scaling down the old ReplicaSet, ensuring zero downtime. The rollout history is stored as annotations on the ReplicaSets, allowing rollbacks by reverting to a previous ReplicaSet's template, which is a key differentiator from using a bare ReplicaSet.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the KCNA exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
- →
Kubernetes Fundamentals — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
- →
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Targeted practice on this topic area only
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- →
Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate KCNA study guide
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this KCNA question test?
Kubernetes Fundamentals — This question tests Kubernetes Fundamentals — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Deployment — A Deployment is the correct choice because it is designed to manage stateless applications with a desired replica count (5 instances), supports rolling updates to update pods gradually without downtime, and enables rollbacks to a previous revision if an update fails. Deployments internally create ReplicaSets to manage pod scaling and versioning, making them ideal for stateless workloads requiring high availability and update flexibility.
What should I do if I get this KCNA question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 →
Same concept, more angles
4 more ways this is tested on KCNA
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A developer wants to deploy a stateless web application that should maintain three running instances at all times. Which Kubernetes resource should they use?
medium- A.Job
- ✓ B.Deployment
- C.StatefulSet
- D.DaemonSet
Why B: A Deployment is the correct resource because it manages a ReplicaSet to ensure a specified number of Pod replicas (in this case, three) are running at all times. It supports rolling updates and rollbacks, making it ideal for stateless web applications that require high availability and declarative scaling.
Variation 2. A developer needs to deploy a stateless application with three replicas and ensure that updates are rolled out with zero downtime. Which Kubernetes resource is most appropriate?
medium- ✓ A.Deployment
- B.StatefulSet
- C.Job
- D.DaemonSet
Why A: A Deployment is the correct resource because it manages a ReplicaSet to ensure the desired number of pod replicas (three) are running, and it supports rolling updates with configurable strategies (e.g., maxSurge and maxUnavailable) to achieve zero-downtime updates. Stateless applications are ideal for Deployments since pods are interchangeable and can be replaced without data loss.
Variation 3. A developer wants to run a stateless web application with 5 replicas and ensure that when a new version is released, Pods are updated one by one with no downtime. Which Kubernetes resource is best suited?
medium- A.Job
- B.DaemonSet
- C.StatefulSet
- ✓ D.Deployment
Why D: A Deployment is the correct resource because it is designed for managing stateless, replicated applications with declarative updates. It supports rolling updates (configurable via `strategy.type: RollingUpdate`), which update Pods one by one, ensuring zero downtime by gradually replacing old Pods with new ones while maintaining the desired replica count.
Variation 4. You need to run a stateless web application with three replicas, and you want to ensure that if a pod fails, it is automatically replaced. Which Kubernetes resource should you use?
medium- A.DaemonSet
- B.Job
- C.StatefulSet
- ✓ D.Deployment
Why D: A Deployment is the correct resource because it manages a ReplicaSet to ensure the desired number of pod replicas (three) are running at all times. If a pod fails, the Deployment's controller automatically creates a replacement pod, maintaining the stateless application's availability.
Keep practising
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- Match each Kubernetes resource to its primary purpose.
- Match each Kubernetes security concept to its definition.
- Which three of the following are valid methods to create or update resources in Kubernetes? (Choose three.)
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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