This AZ-400 practice question tests your understanding of design and implement build and release pipelines. 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 deployment patterns for Kubernetes? (Choose three.)
Canary deployment
Gradually routing traffic to a new version.
Rolling update
Gradually replacing pods with new ones.
A/B testing deployment
Why wrong: A/B testing is a testing methodology, not a deployment pattern.
Helm deployment
Why wrong: Helm is a package manager, not a deployment pattern.
Blue-green deployment
A pattern where two environments (blue and green) are maintained.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Canary deployment
A canary deployment is a valid Kubernetes deployment pattern where a small subset of users (the 'canary') receives the new version of an application before a full rollout. This allows monitoring for issues with minimal impact, and Kubernetes supports this via techniques like multiple Deployments with shared labels and service mesh traffic splitting (e.g., Istio). It is a core strategy for progressive delivery in Kubernetes.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Canary deployment
Why this is correct
Gradually routing traffic to a new version.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Rolling update
Why this is correct
Gradually replacing pods with new ones.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
A/B testing deployment
Why it's wrong here
A/B testing is a testing methodology, not a deployment pattern.
Helm deployment
Why it's wrong here
Helm is a package manager, not a deployment pattern.
Blue-green deployment
Why this is correct
A pattern where two environments (blue and green) are maintained.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse deployment patterns (like canary, rolling, blue-green) with deployment tools (like Helm) or traffic management techniques (like A/B testing), leading them to select options that are not actual Kubernetes rollout strategies.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, Kubernetes rolling updates use a ReplicaSet controller to gradually replace pods, with parameters like maxSurge and maxUnavailable controlling the pace. Blue-green deployments require two separate environments (e.g., two Deployments) and a service selector switch, often managed via kubectl patch or a service mesh. A real-world scenario: a canary deployment with Istio uses a VirtualService to route 5% of traffic to the new version, while a blue-green deployment might use a single service pointing to either the blue or green Deployment, requiring a manual or automated label change.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
Design and implement build and release pipelines — This question tests Design and implement build and release pipelines — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Canary deployment — A canary deployment is a valid Kubernetes deployment pattern where a small subset of users (the 'canary') receives the new version of an application before a full rollout. This allows monitoring for issues with minimal impact, and Kubernetes supports this via techniques like multiple Deployments with shared labels and service mesh traffic splitting (e.g., Istio). It is a core strategy for progressive delivery in Kubernetes.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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