Google Professional Cloud Developer Question 318
Single answerGoogle Cloud PlatformYou are developing a web application deployed on Google Cloud that serves a global user base. The application team wants to release a new feature but needs the ability to roll it out gradually to specific user groups to monitor its performance and mitigate risks. Which approach should you use to achieve this goal?
- A
Use feature flags to control the feature's visibility for different user groups.
- B
Implement a blue-green deployment strategy to gradually roll out the feature.
- C
Use Google Cloud's Load Balancer to route traffic to different feature versions.
- D
Deploy the feature as a separate microservice and use Pub/Sub for user targeting.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Feature flags are a best practice for managing gradual feature rollouts because they allow developers to control feature access dynamically without redeploying the application. This approach is especially useful when targeting specific user groups for testing or feedback, making it the most suitable solution in this scenario.
- A. Correct.
Feature flags are specifically designed to enable or disable application features dynamically for specific user groups, making them the best approach for gradual rollouts.
- B. Incorrect.
Blue-green deployment is a deployment strategy for swapping between two application environments but does not provide fine-grained control for releasing features to specific user groups.
- C. Incorrect.
Google Cloud's Load Balancer is used primarily for managing traffic distribution but cannot directly control feature visibility for specific users.
- D. Incorrect.
Deploying the feature as a microservice and using Pub/Sub for targeting is overly complex and not tailored for gradual feature rollouts or user-group-specific control.