Question 202 of 997
Configure Rolling Update with maxSurge and maxUnavailable
This KCNA practice question tests your understanding of kubernetes fundamentals. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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 have a Deployment with 3 replicas. You need to perform a rolling update with 2 extra pods during the update and ensure that only 1 pod is unavailable at any time. Which update strategy configuration achieves this?
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: 2, maxUnavailable: 1
Option D is correct because it sets maxSurge to 2 (allowing up to 2 extra pods above the desired 3, for a total of 5 pods during the update) and maxUnavailable to 1 (ensuring at most 1 pod is unavailable at any time). This satisfies the requirement of having 2 extra pods during the update while keeping only 1 pod unavailable.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse maxSurge and maxUnavailable as percentages or misinterpret the requirement for '2 extra pods' as a surge of 2, but forget that maxUnavailable must also be set to 1 to limit downtime, leading them to pick option A or B.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The rolling update strategy uses maxSurge and maxUnavailable as absolute numbers or percentages to control the pace of updates. Under the hood, the Deployment controller calculates the desired number of available pods (replicas - maxUnavailable) and the maximum total pods (replicas + maxSurge), then creates or deletes pods in batches to stay within these bounds. In real-world scenarios, setting maxSurge too high can overwhelm cluster resources, while setting maxUnavailable too low can stall the update if pods fail to become ready.
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
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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: maxSurge: 2, maxUnavailable: 1 — Option D is correct because it sets maxSurge to 2 (allowing up to 2 extra pods above the desired 3, for a total of 5 pods during the update) and maxUnavailable to 1 (ensuring at most 1 pod is unavailable at any time). This satisfies the requirement of having 2 extra pods during the update while keeping only 1 pod unavailable.
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
2 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. You have a Deployment that manages 3 replicas. You want to perform a rolling update with a maximum of 2 Pods unavailable during the update. Which field should you set in the Deployment spec?
hard- ✓ A.spec.strategy.rollingUpdate.maxUnavailable
- B.spec.minReadySeconds
- C.spec.strategy.rollingUpdate.maxSurge
- D.spec.replicas
Why A: Option A is correct because the `maxUnavailable` field in `spec.strategy.rollingUpdate.maxUnavailable` specifies the maximum number of Pods that can be unavailable during a rolling update. Setting it to 2 allows up to 2 Pods to be taken down at a time, ensuring that at least 1 Pod remains available (since the Deployment has 3 replicas). This field directly controls the availability tolerance during the update process.
Variation 2. A Deployment is rolling out a new version. The rollout has stalled, and 'kubectl rollout status deployment/myapp' shows 'Waiting for deployment rollout to finish: 2 out of 5 new replicas have been updated...'. The Deployment's spec.strategy.rollingUpdate.maxUnavailable is set to 25% and maxSurge is 25%. What is the maximum number of Pods that could be unavailable during this rollout?
hard- A.1
- B.3
- ✓ C.2
- D.0
Why C: Option C is correct because with maxUnavailable=25% and maxSurge=25%, the maximum number of unavailable Pods during a rolling update is calculated as the ceiling of 25% of the desired replicas (5), which is 2. This means up to 2 Pods can be unavailable at any time, ensuring the rollout can proceed while maintaining availability.
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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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