AWS DevOps Engineer Professional Practice Test

What is the primary purpose of using a canary deployment strategy?

1. To deploy to all instances at once

2. To validate changes on a small subset of instances before full rollout

3. To automate rollbacks in case of failure

4. To monitor performance across all instances

The correct answer is: To validate changes on a small subset of instances before full rollout

The primary purpose of using a canary deployment strategy is to validate changes on a small subset of instances before a full rollout. This approach allows teams to test new features or updates in a controlled manner, minimizing risk. By initially deploying the changes to just a few instances, developers can monitor the behavior of the application and gather feedback on performance, usability, and any potential issues that may arise. This incremental rollout process helps to ensure that any unforeseen problems can be detected early, which averts potential negative impacts on the entire application and user base. If the canary instances perform as expected, the deployment can then be expanded to a larger pool of instances, ensuring that the changes are stable and function correctly under real-world conditions. While other strategies mention aspects like automating rollbacks or monitoring performance, these are typically part of larger deployment processes rather than the central purpose of canary deployments. The essence of a canary deployment lies in the gradual and cautious rollout, which provides a safety buffer against widespread failures.