Performing a Phased Rollout with Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)

A.

To perform a phased rollout to half of the web server pods using Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), the appropriate solution is to use a partitioned rolling update.

Partitioned Rolling Update: A partitioned rolling update is a method of updating a Kubernetes deployment that enables you to gradually update pods in a deployment, one partition at a time. Each partition is a set of pods that is updated independently of other partitions. This type of update is useful for performing phased rollouts of new features, which can minimize the impact of potential issues and help ensure that the update is stable before it is applied to all pods.

Node Taints with NoExecute: Node taints with NoExecute is not relevant to phased rollouts. It is a method of configuring Kubernetes nodes to reject pods that do not tolerate the taint. It is used to prevent pods from being scheduled on nodes that are not suitable for their requirements.

Replica Set in the Deployment Specification: Using a replica set in the deployment specification is not the appropriate solution for a phased rollout. A replica set is used to ensure that a specified number of replicas of a pod are running at all times. It does not enable phased rollouts of new features.

Stateful Set with Parallel Pod Management Policy: Using a stateful set with a parallel pod management policy is not the appropriate solution for a phased rollout. A stateful set is used to manage stateful applications that require stable network identifiers and storage. It is not used for phased rollouts of new features.

In summary, the correct answer is A. Use a partitioned rolling update.