KCNA Container Orchestration Practice Question
Which of the following is a characteristic of immutable infrastructure?
⚠ Common exam trap
The KCNA exam often tests the misconception that version-controlling infrastructure (Option A) or using containers (Option D) automatically makes infrastructure immutable, but immutability specifically requires that deployed components are never modified—only replaced.
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
✓
Infrastructure components are never changed after deployment; they are replaced
Immutable infrastructure means that once a component (e.g., a server, container, or VM) is deployed, it is never modified. If an update is needed, the entire component is replaced with a new version. This eliminates configuration drift and ensures consistency across environments, which is a core principle in container orchestration with Kubernetes.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Infrastructure is version-controlled using Git
Why it's wrong here
Git version control tracks declared configuration changes over time, yet immutable infrastructure requires that deployed instances are never modified in place — they are replaced wholesale on every change. Git storage is the right answer when the question concerns auditability or rollback of declarative definitions, not replacement semantics.
- ✓
Infrastructure components are never changed after deployment; they are replaced
Why this is correct
Immutable infrastructure treats servers as disposable artefacts: once deployed, components are never patched or reconfigured in place. Changes trigger provisioning of replacement instances from a new image, and the old ones are destroyed, eliminating configuration drift.
- ✗
Servers are updated in-place with configuration management tools
Why it's wrong here
In-place updates mutate a running server, so instances drift from their declared image and cannot be reproduced; immutable infrastructure replaces instances rather than modifying them. It is tempting because configuration management tools are the established way to enforce desired state on long-lived servers, which suits mutable, pet-style workloads.
- ✗
Containers are used to ensure portability
Why it's wrong here
Containers deliver packaging portability, not immutability; the stem asks about replacing rather than mutating deployed instances. Containerisation is genuinely useful when you need consistent runtime environments across hosts, but portability neither versions infrastructure nor prevents in-place configuration drift, which is the defining mechanism immutable infrastructure requires.
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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. Which TWO of the following are characteristics of immutable infrastructure? (Select two.)
medium- ✓ A.Servers are never modified after they are deployed
- B.Containers are used exclusively
- C.Infrastructure is version-controlled and tested
- ✓ D.New versions are deployed by replacing the entire server with a new image
- E.Configuration updates are applied directly to running servers
Why A: Option A is correct because immutable infrastructure means that once a server (or container instance) is deployed, it is never patched, reconfigured, or otherwise modified in place; any change requires a new artifact. Option D is correct because the defining deployment pattern is to replace the entire server/instance with a freshly built image rather than updating the existing one, which is often implemented via blue/green or rolling replacements. Option B is incorrect because immutability is a principle that can be applied to virtual machines, physical hosts, and other resources, not just containers. Option C is incorrect because version-controlling and testing infrastructure is a characteristic of Infrastructure as Code practices, not a defining characteristic of immutable infrastructure itself. Option E is incorrect because applying configuration updates directly to running servers is the opposite of immutable infrastructure, which forbids in-place mutation.
Variation 2. Which THREE of the following are core principles of immutable infrastructure? (Choose 3)
medium- ✓ A.Rollbacks are performed by redeploying a previous image
- B.Infrastructure is patched by applying updates to running servers
- ✓ C.Infrastructure components are never modified after deployment
- ✓ D.Deployments are reproducible and consistent
- E.All changes are made by updating configuration files on running instances
Why A: Option A is correct because in immutable infrastructure you never repair a running instance; to roll back you simply redeploy the previously built and validated image (e.g., a prior AMI, container image tag, or VM template), which restores the known-good state deterministically. Option C is correct because the defining rule of immutability is that once an instance or component is deployed it is never modified in place — no SSH patching, no config edits — so any change requires replacing it with a new artifact. Option D is correct because immutable patterns rely on versioned, codified artifacts (e.g., Packer-built images, IaC templates, container registries) so that the same build produces identical, reproducible deployments across environments. Option B is not correct because patching running servers is the mutable, in-place model that immutable infrastructure explicitly rejects. Option E is not correct because editing configuration files on running instances is also an in-place mutation, whereas immutable practice bakes configuration into a new image and redeploys it.
JA
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.