The answer is SAP HANA System Replication to an EC2 instance in us-west-2, as this is the only AWS-native approach that meets the 15-minute RPO and 2-hour RTO for SAP HANA disaster recovery across regions. SAP HANA System Replication continuously synchronizes data at the database level, using log shipping over AWS Direct Connect or VPN to keep the DR instance in us-west-2 nearly current, achieving an RPO of seconds and an RTO of minutes. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding that HANA’s own replication engine, not AWS infrastructure services, is required for low-latency cross-region DR. A common trap is choosing Amazon EBS Snapshots, which are point-in-time and cannot guarantee a 15-minute RPO, or S3 Cross-Region Replication, which only applies to objects, not live database files. Remember the key tip: for SAP HANA DR, think “HANA first” — the database’s native replication is the only way to meet strict RPO/RTO timelines across AWS regions.
PAS-C01 Design of SAP Workloads on AWS Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of design of sap workloads on aws. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A company is designing a disaster recovery (DR) strategy for its SAP HANA database on AWS. The primary site is in us-east-1. The DR site must be in us-west-2. The company requires a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 15 minutes and a Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 2 hours. Which AWS service should be used for replicating HANA data?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "primary"
Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
SAP HANA System Replication to an EC2 instance in us-west-2.
Option B is correct because SAP HANA System Replication with HANA replication over AWS Direct Connect or VPN to a different region can achieve an RPO of seconds and RTO of minutes, meeting the requirements. Option A is incorrect because Amazon EBS Snapshots are not real-time and cannot achieve 15-minute RPO. Option C is incorrect because S3 Cross-Region Replication is for S3 objects, not for HANA database files. Option D is incorrect because AWS Database Migration Service is for one-time migrations, not continuous replication.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
AWS Database Migration Service with ongoing replication.
Why it's wrong here
DMS is for migrations, not DR.
✗
Amazon EBS Snapshots copied to us-west-2 every hour.
Why it's wrong here
Hourly snapshots cannot achieve 15-minute RPO.
✗
Amazon S3 Cross-Region Replication for HANA data files.
Why it's wrong here
S3 replication is not suitable for HANA data.
✓
SAP HANA System Replication to an EC2 instance in us-west-2.
Why this is correct
HANA System Replication provides near real-time replication.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PAS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Design of SAP Workloads on AWS — This question tests Design of SAP Workloads on AWS — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: SAP HANA System Replication to an EC2 instance in us-west-2. — Option B is correct because SAP HANA System Replication with HANA replication over AWS Direct Connect or VPN to a different region can achieve an RPO of seconds and RTO of minutes, meeting the requirements. Option A is incorrect because Amazon EBS Snapshots are not real-time and cannot achieve 15-minute RPO. Option C is incorrect because S3 Cross-Region Replication is for S3 objects, not for HANA database files. Option D is incorrect because AWS Database Migration Service is for one-time migrations, not continuous replication.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which PAS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "primary". Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
This PAS-C01 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PAS-C01 exam.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.