The answer is a RollingUpdate strategy with `maxUnavailable: 1` and `maxSurge: 1`. This configuration directly satisfies the zero-downtime requirement because `maxUnavailable: 1` ensures that only one pod can be terminated at a time, keeping at least four of the five replicas available throughout the update, while `maxSurge: 1` caps the total number of pods at six by allowing only one extra pod to be created above the desired count. On the Google Associate Cloud Engineer exam, this question tests your understanding of how `maxUnavailable` and `maxSurge` control the pace and safety of a rolling update, often appearing as a scenario where you must balance availability and resource limits. A common trap is confusing these values with absolute numbers versus percentages—here, the absolute values of 1 and 1 are correct because they directly map to the constraints of at least four available and no more than six total. Memory tip: think of it as “one down, one up” to keep the math simple and your deployment stable.
Google ACE Deploying and implementing a cloud solution Practice Question
This ACE practice question tests your understanding of deploying and implementing a cloud solution. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 Kubernetes Deployment running 5 replicas. You need to update the container image with zero downtime, ensuring that at least 4 replicas are always available during the update, and no more than 6 replicas exist at any time. Which Deployment strategy and settings achieve this?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "least"
Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Clue: "always"
Why it matters: Absolute qualifier. An answer using 'always' is only correct if there are genuinely no exceptions — absolute statements are often wrong in networking.
Why wrong: Recreate terminates all old pods before creating new ones — this causes complete downtime, not zero downtime.
B
RollingUpdate with `maxUnavailable: 1` and `maxSurge: 1`.
maxUnavailable: 1 means at least 4 pods remain available. maxSurge: 1 means at most 6 pods exist simultaneously. This matches both constraints exactly.
C
RollingUpdate with `maxUnavailable: 0` and `maxSurge: 2`.
Why wrong: maxSurge: 2 allows up to 7 pods (5 + 2), exceeding the maximum of 6 requirement.
D
RollingUpdate with `maxUnavailable: 2` and `maxSurge: 1`.
Why wrong: maxUnavailable: 2 means only 3 pods remain available during the update, violating the minimum-4 requirement.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
RollingUpdate with `maxUnavailable: 1` and `maxSurge: 1`.
Option B is correct because a RollingUpdate strategy with `maxUnavailable: 1` and `maxSurge: 1` ensures that during the update, at most one replica is taken down (so at least 4 remain available) and at most one extra replica is created above the desired 5 (so no more than 6 exist at any time). This satisfies both constraints while achieving zero downtime.
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.
✗
Recreate strategy with `minReadySeconds: 30`.
Why it's wrong here
Recreate terminates all old pods before creating new ones — this causes complete downtime, not zero downtime.
✓
RollingUpdate with `maxUnavailable: 1` and `maxSurge: 1`.
Why this is correct
maxUnavailable: 1 means at least 4 pods remain available. maxSurge: 1 means at most 6 pods exist simultaneously. This matches both constraints exactly.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "least", "always" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
RollingUpdate with `maxUnavailable: 0` and `maxSurge: 2`.
Why it's wrong here
maxSurge: 2 allows up to 7 pods (5 + 2), exceeding the maximum of 6 requirement.
✗
RollingUpdate with `maxUnavailable: 2` and `maxSurge: 1`.
Why it's wrong here
maxUnavailable: 2 means only 3 pods remain available during the update, violating the minimum-4 requirement.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Google Cloud often tests the interaction between `maxSurge` and `maxUnavailable` by presenting values that seem reasonable but violate the given constraints, and the trap here is assuming that a higher surge or higher unavailable count is safe without calculating the resulting minimum available and maximum total replicas.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the RollingUpdate strategy uses a controller that scales up new ReplicaSets and scales down old ones in a controlled manner, respecting `maxSurge` and `maxUnavailable` as absolute numbers or percentages. A subtle behavior is that `maxUnavailable` counts pods that are not in the Ready state, including those being terminated or pending, so setting it to 1 ensures that even during the update, the number of unavailable pods never exceeds 1, keeping at least 4 ready. In real-world scenarios, this is critical for production services with strict SLOs, where even a brief dip below the minimum replica count could cause request failures or latency spikes.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this ACE question in full detail.
Deploying and implementing a cloud solution — This question tests Deploying and implementing a cloud solution — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: RollingUpdate with `maxUnavailable: 1` and `maxSurge: 1`. — Option B is correct because a RollingUpdate strategy with `maxUnavailable: 1` and `maxSurge: 1` ensures that during the update, at most one replica is taken down (so at least 4 remain available) and at most one extra replica is created above the desired 5 (so no more than 6 exist at any time). This satisfies both constraints while achieving zero downtime.
What should I do if I get this ACE question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "least", "always". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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