Question #816
A solutions architect is performing a blue/green deployment for an application hosted on AWS Elastic Beanstalk. After creating a new environment identical to the existing production environment and deploying the updated application version to the new environment, the architect needs to finalize the deployment. What step should the solutions architect take next to ensure minimal downtime and redirect traffic to the new environment?
Manually update the DNS CNAME record to reference the new environment's endpoint.
Configure Amazon CloudFront distributions to route traffic to the new environment.
Use the Swap Environment URLs option in the Elastic Beanstalk console.
Modify the Elastic Load Balancer listener rules to forward requests to the new environment.
Explanation
Answer B is correct because AWS Elastic Beanstalk's 'Swap Environment URLs' feature is specifically designed for blue/green deployments. It swaps the DNS records of the old (blue) and new (green) environments, redirecting traffic immediately without DNS propagation delays. This guarantees minimal downtime.
Incorrect options:
- A: Configuring CloudFront would require manual updates and DNS changes, introducing potential delays.
- C: Modifying ELB listener rules is not feasible since each environment has its own load balancer, and Elastic Beanstalk manages this internally.
- D: Manually updating DNS records can lead to propagation delays, causing downtime.
Key Points:
- Blue/green deployment in Elastic Beanstalk uses environment URL swapping for seamless transitions.
- The 'Swap Environment URLs' action is instantaneous and avoids DNS-related delays.
- AWS-managed features ensure reliability and minimal downtime during deployments.
Answer
The correct answer is: B