EX294 Coordinate rolling updates Practice Question
This EX294 practice question tests your understanding of coordinate rolling updates. 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.
In OpenShift, a DeploymentConfig uses the RollingUpdate strategy. Which parameter controls the maximum number of pods that can be unavailable during an update?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
maxUnavailable
In OpenShift, the RollingUpdate strategy for a DeploymentConfig uses the `maxUnavailable` parameter to specify the maximum number or percentage of pods that can be unavailable during the update process. This ensures that the desired number of pods remain available to serve traffic while the update rolls out, controlling the trade-off between update speed and availability.
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.
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minReadySeconds
Why it's wrong here
minReadySeconds delays pod readiness by a specified time.
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maxSurge
Why it's wrong here
maxSurge controls the number of extra pods created above the desired count.
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revisionHistoryLimit
Why it's wrong here
revisionHistoryLimit keeps old ReplicationControllers for rollback.
✓
maxUnavailable
Why this is correct
maxUnavailable sets the maximum number of pods that can be unavailable during the update.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
progressDeadlineSeconds
Why it's wrong here
progressDeadlineSeconds sets the time to wait for progress before rollback.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse `maxUnavailable` with `maxSurge`, mistakenly thinking that controlling how many extra pods are created is the same as controlling how many can be unavailable, but `maxSurge` limits overshoot while `maxUnavailable` limits undershoot.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, `maxUnavailable` can be specified as an absolute number (e.g., 1) or a percentage (e.g., 25%) of the desired pod count. During a rolling update, the OpenShift controller ensures that the number of unavailable pods never exceeds this value, which is critical for stateful applications or services with strict availability SLAs. A common real-world scenario is setting `maxUnavailable` to 0 for zero-downtime updates, which forces the update to wait for new pods to become ready before terminating old ones.
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 practitioner preparing for the EX294 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
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.
Coordinate rolling updates — This question tests Coordinate rolling updates — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: maxUnavailable — In OpenShift, the RollingUpdate strategy for a DeploymentConfig uses the `maxUnavailable` parameter to specify the maximum number or percentage of pods that can be unavailable during the update process. This ensures that the desired number of pods remain available to serve traffic while the update rolls out, controlling the trade-off between update speed and availability.
What should I do if I get this EX294 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.
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Question Discussion
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