What is oc patch and how is it different from oc replace?

• A. oc patch updates a portion of an object; oc replace replaces the entire object.
• B. oc patch does not exist; use oc apply instead for partial updates.
• C. oc patch deletes fields from a spec but cannot update status.
• D. oc patch is deprecated and should not be used.

Answer: (B)

Patch is meant for changes to a live resource by sending only the modifications you want to apply. It updates specific fields while leaving the rest of the object intact, which makes it ideal for small tweaks like adjusting a replica count or adding an annotation without rebuilding the whole object. Replace, on the other hand, takes a complete object representation and writes it over the existing resource. Any fields not present in your input will be removed, so the resource ends up exactly as you provided it. In short, patch updates parts of an object; replace replaces the entire object with a new version.