KCNA Container Orchestration Practice Question
Which THREE are valid ways to perform a rolling update of a Deployment in Kubernetes? (Select THREE.)
⚠ Common exam trap
KCNA often tests the misconception that only image changes trigger rolling updates, but any modification to the pod template (including environment variables and labels) does so, while scaling replicas or deleting pods does not.
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
✓
Update the container image to a new version
Changing the container image in a Deployment's pod template triggers a rolling update. Kubernetes compares the current pod template hash with the desired one; when they differ, it creates new ReplicaSets with the updated image and gradually scales down the old ReplicaSet while scaling up the new one, ensuring zero-downtime updates.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Manually delete all pods and let the Deployment recreate them
Why it's wrong here
Deleting pods triggers a recreation, but not a rolling update; it causes downtime if done all at once.
- ✗
Change the number of replicas
Why it's wrong here
Scaling replicas is not an update; it does not change the pod template.
- ✓
Update the container image to a new version
Why this is correct
Changing the image in the Deployment spec triggers a rolling update.
- ✓
Modify the environment variables in the pod spec
Why this is correct
Changes to the pod template, including env vars, trigger a rolling update.
- ✓
Edit the deployment's labels
Why this is correct
Changing labels in the pod template (metadata) triggers a rolling update because the template hash changes.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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