SAP HANA Disaster Recovery with HSR Synchronous Mode — RPO 15 min, RTO 4 hr
A company is designing a disaster recovery (DR) strategy for SAP S/4HANA on AWS. The primary site is in us-east-1 and the DR site is in us-west-2. The SAP HANA database is 2 TB and requires Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 15 minutes and Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 4 hours. Which solution meets these requirements?
Quick Answer
This question hinges on matching the replication mode to the stated recovery objectives rather than assuming one mode is always the right choice. Synchronous HSR log replication continuously ships transaction log records to the secondary system in us-west-2 and only confirms a write on the primary once the secondary has acknowledged receipt, which is what keeps the DR copy essentially caught up with the primary at all times. That tight coupling is exactly what allows the solution to meet a 15-minute RPO with room to spare - the actual data loss window in a failure is far smaller than 15 minutes because logs are being shipped continuously rather than in periodic batches. The 4-hour RTO is satisfied because the secondary database is already in a replicated, consistent state and simply needs to be brought online and take over processing, rather than requiring a lengthy restore-and-replay sequence from a backup. This is the core distinction to keep in mind between HANA System Replication and backup-based recovery approaches: HSR keeps a live, continuously updated secondary database ready to take over, while backup and restore methods require reconstructing the database from stored files and logs, which takes much longer. Whenever a scenario gives you a database size, a tight RPO measured in minutes, and asks for the DR mechanism, look for the answer built around continuous, database-level replication rather than periodic backup jobs.
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse asynchronous backup-based solutions (like S3 CRR or EBS snapshots) with continuous replication, failing to recognize that only SAP HANA System Replication provides the sub-15-minute RPO and fast failover required for enterprise SAP DR scenarios.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure SAP HANA System Replication (HSR) to an EC2 instance in us-west-2 with log replication in sync mode.
SAP HANA System Replication (HSR) with synchronous log replication meets the RPO of 15 minutes and RTO of 4 hours because it continuously replicates transaction logs to the DR site in us-west-2, ensuring near-zero data loss. In sync mode, the primary waits for the secondary to acknowledge log writes, which keeps the DR database consistent and ready for takeover within minutes, well under the 4-hour RTO. This is the only option that provides continuous, database-level replication with the required recovery objectives.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Use AWS S3 Cross-Region Replication to copy database backups every 15 minutes.
Why it's wrong here
Backups take time and RPO may not be met.
- ✓
Configure SAP HANA System Replication (HSR) to an EC2 instance in us-west-2 with log replication in sync mode.
Why this is correct
HSR provides near real-time replication, meeting RPO.
- ✗
Take EBS snapshots of the HANA data volume every hour and copy them to us-west-2.
Why it's wrong here
RPO of 1 hour is too long.
- ✗
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to continuously replicate changes to a HANA instance in us-west-2.
Why it's wrong here
DMS is not optimized for HANA DR.
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Same concept, more angles
4 more ways this is tested on PAS-C01
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is designing a disaster recovery solution for SAP S/4HANA. They need to meet an RPO of 15 minutes and an RTO of 2 hours. Which THREE components should be included in the DR plan? (Choose 3.)
hard- A.EBS snapshots taken every 15 minutes
- ✓ B.SAP HANA System Replication in async mode
- C.AWS CloudEndure Disaster Recovery
- ✓ D.Amazon Route 53 DNS failover
- ✓ E.Pre-built AMIs for SAP application servers
Why B: SAP HANA System Replication in async mode is correct because it can achieve an RPO of 15 minutes by asynchronously replicating log buffers from the primary to the DR HANA instance, and combined with a pre-configured DR system, it supports an RTO of 2 hours. This native SAP replication mechanism is optimized for HANA databases and avoids the overhead of storage-level snapshots or third-party tools.
Variation 2. A company is designing a disaster recovery (DR) strategy for SAP S/4HANA on AWS. The primary region is us-east-1 and the DR region is us-west-2. The RPO is 15 minutes and RTO is 1 hour. Which approach should be used to replicate SAP HANA data?
medium- ✓ A.Configure HANA System Replication across regions
- B.Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) with ongoing replication
- C.Use Amazon S3 Cross-Region Replication for backup files
- D.Use AWS Backup cross-region copy of EBS snapshots
Why A: HANA System Replication (HSR) is the only option that meets the 15-minute RPO and 1-hour RTO for SAP HANA data replication across regions. HSR uses log-based asynchronous replication to continuously ship redo logs to the DR region, enabling near-real-time data synchronization with minimal data loss. This is the native SAP-recommended method for cross-region DR of SAP HANA databases.
Variation 3. A company is designing a disaster recovery (DR) strategy for SAP S/4HANA on AWS. The primary site is in us-east-1. They want a secondary site in us-west-2 with a Recovery Point Objective (RPO) of 15 minutes and Recovery Time Objective (RTO) of 2 hours. Which solution meets these requirements with the LEAST operational overhead?
medium- A.Take hourly backups to S3 and restore in us-west-2 when needed.
- B.Use HANA System Replication to us-west-2 with manual failover.
- ✓ C.Use HANA System Replication in async mode to us-west-2.
- D.Use HANA System Replication in sync mode with automatic failover to us-west-2.
Why C: HANA System Replication in asynchronous mode can meet the 15-minute RPO and 2-hour RTO requirements when combined with automatic failover. Asynchronous replication is recommended for cross-region DR on AWS to avoid performance impact from latency, and automatic failover minimizes operational overhead. Option D is not recommended because synchronous replication over long distances introduces latency that can degrade primary site performance and may not be feasible for cross-region scenarios.
Variation 4. A company is designing a disaster recovery strategy for SAP S/4HANA. The primary site is in us-east-1 and the DR site is in us-west-2. The RPO must be less than 30 minutes and RTO less than 2 hours. Which approach meets these requirements?
hard- ✓ A.Configure HANA System Replication in asynchronous mode with automatic takeover
- B.Configure HANA System Replication in synchronous mode across regions
- C.Take nightly backups to S3 and restore in DR
- D.Use AWS Backup to copy daily snapshots to DR region
Why A: HANA System Replication in asynchronous mode with automatic takeover meets the RPO of less than 30 minutes and RTO of less than 2 hours. Asynchronous replication provides near-real-time data transfer across AWS regions with minimal impact on primary performance, and automatic takeover enables fast failover to the DR instance, satisfying the RTO requirement.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.