PAS-C01 Design of SAP Workloads on AWS Practice Question
A company is designing a high-availability architecture for SAP NetWeaver on AWS. The architecture includes two application server instances in different Availability Zones, a shared file system using Amazon EFS, and a database using SAP HANA with HANA System Replication (HSR). During a failover test, the application servers cannot connect to the database after the HANA secondary becomes the primary. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates assume HSR automatic failover (Option A) is the root cause, but the real issue is the lack of a virtual hostname or DNS update mechanism, which is a common misconfiguration in SAP on AWS architectures.
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
✓
The SAP application servers are configured with the hostname of the primary HANA instance, which did not update after failover.
In SAP NetWeaver, application servers connect to the database using a fixed hostname or virtual IP address. After HANA System Replication (HSR) failover, the secondary becomes the primary but retains its own hostname unless a virtual hostname (e.g., using Amazon Route 53 or Elastic IP) is configured to automatically update. If the application servers are hardcoded with the original primary's hostname, they cannot resolve or reach the new primary, causing connection failure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
HANA System Replication is not configured correctly for automatic failover.
Why it's wrong here
The scenario states HSR is configured; the issue is more likely with application connectivity.
- ✓
The SAP application servers are configured with the hostname of the primary HANA instance, which did not update after failover.
Why this is correct
Application servers need to have a virtual hostname or use a DNS name that updates to the new primary.
- ✗
The Amazon EFS file system is not available in the secondary Availability Zone.
Why it's wrong here
EFS is a regional service accessible from all AZs in the region.
- ✗
The security group of the application servers does not allow outbound traffic to the secondary HANA instance.
Why it's wrong here
Security groups can be updated automatically, but this is less likely if proper design is in place.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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