- A
Rolling update
Why wrong: Rolling update is a Kubernetes strategy, not a built-in Cloud Deploy strategy.
- B
Blue/Green
Blue/Green switches between two environments.
- C
Shadow
Why wrong: Shadow is not a Cloud Deploy strategy.
- D
Standard
Standard deploys all at once.
- E
Canary
Canary deploys a percentage of traffic to the new version.
Question 805 of 1,000
PCDE Practice Question: Building and Implementing CI/CD Pipelines for a Service
This PCDE practice question tests your understanding of building and implementing ci/cd pipelines for a service. 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.
Which THREE are valid Cloud Deploy deployment strategies? (Choose three.)
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
✓
Blue/Green
Option B (Blue/Green) is a valid Cloud Deploy deployment strategy because it allows you to run two separate environments (blue and green) and switch traffic between them, enabling instant rollback and zero-downtime deployments. Cloud Deploy natively supports Blue/Green deployments via its Skaffold-based pipeline, where you can define target environments and use load balancer switching to shift traffic. This strategy is particularly useful for critical production services where risk mitigation is paramount.
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.
- ✗
Rolling update
Why it's wrong here
Rolling update is a Kubernetes strategy, not a built-in Cloud Deploy strategy.
- ✓
Blue/Green
Why this is correct
Blue/Green switches between two environments.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Shadow
Why it's wrong here
Shadow is not a Cloud Deploy strategy.
- ✓
Standard
Why this is correct
Standard deploys all at once.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✓
Canary
Why this is correct
Canary deploys a percentage of traffic to the new version.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the distinction between Cloud Deploy's native strategies and generic Kubernetes deployment methods, so the trap here is that candidates might confuse 'Rolling update' (a Kubernetes-native update method) with a Cloud Deploy strategy, or assume 'Shadow' is a valid strategy due to its use in service mesh testing.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Cloud Deploy uses Skaffold to define deployment pipelines, and its strategies (Blue/Green, Canary, Standard) are implemented through Kubernetes manifests and service mesh configurations. For Blue/Green, Cloud Deploy leverages Kubernetes Services and Ingress controllers to switch traffic between two sets of pods, while Canary uses progressive delivery with traffic splitting via tools like Istio or Anthos Service Mesh. The 'Standard' strategy simply deploys the new version and replaces the old one without any traffic management, making it the simplest but least safe for production.
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.
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.
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Building and Implementing CI/CD Pipelines for a Service — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PCDE question test?
Building and Implementing CI/CD Pipelines for a Service — This question tests Building and Implementing CI/CD Pipelines for a Service — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Blue/Green — Option B (Blue/Green) is a valid Cloud Deploy deployment strategy because it allows you to run two separate environments (blue and green) and switch traffic between them, enabling instant rollback and zero-downtime deployments. Cloud Deploy natively supports Blue/Green deployments via its Skaffold-based pipeline, where you can define target environments and use load balancer switching to shift traffic. This strategy is particularly useful for critical production services where risk mitigation is paramount.
What should I do if I get this PCDE 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 →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
This PCDE practice question is part of Courseiva's free Google Cloud 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 PCDE exam.
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