AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty Practice Exam

What method can be implemented to test a new application version against production traffic with minimal user impact?

1. Deploy the new version across all servers immediately

2. Implement Traffic Mirroring to replay production requests to test instances

3. Request user feedback on the new application manually

4. Perform load testing on a staging environment

The correct answer is: Implement Traffic Mirroring to replay production requests to test instances

Using Traffic Mirroring to replay production requests to test instances allows for realistic and thorough testing of a new application version with minimal impact on actual users. This method creates a duplicate of the production traffic without affecting the live environment, enabling developers and engineers to observe how the new version performs under real-world conditions. When Traffic Mirroring is implemented, incoming traffic can be replicated and sent to a separate testing environment where logs and metrics can be analyzed. This provides insights into the application's behavior, performance, and any potential issues that may arise with the new version. Since the mirrored traffic does not affect real users, it ensures that there is no disruption to the user experience during testing. In contrast, deploying the new version across all servers immediately can lead to significant user impact if there are any issues with the application. Manually requesting user feedback may not yield comprehensive or timely information for operational concerns. Additionally, performing load testing in a staging environment may not accurately simulate production conditions, leading to unexpected failures once the application is live. Therefore, Traffic Mirroring stands out as the most effective approach for validating application changes while minimizing disruption to users.