Quick Answer
The answer is Elastic Fabric Adapter (EFA). EFA is correct because it provides OS-bypass capabilities using the Libfabric API, enabling direct memory access (DMA) between SAP HANA nodes, which eliminates kernel overhead and delivers the high bandwidth (up to 100 Gbps) and microsecond-level latency required for SAP HANA scale-out networking on AWS using EFA. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of inter-node communication requirements for multi-node scale-out workloads, where table partitioning and data replication demand ultra-low latency. A common trap is confusing EFA with Elastic Network Adapter (ENA) or AWS Direct Connect; remember that ENA lacks OS-bypass and is designed for standard networking, not HPC-style SAP HANA clusters. Memory tip: “EFA = Eliminates Kernel, Fabric Accelerates” — think of the “F” in EFA standing for “Fast” inter-node memory access.
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of design of sap workloads on aws. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 an SAP HANA multi-node scale-out deployment on AWS. The system requires high bandwidth and low latency between nodes. Which AWS networking feature should be used to meet these requirements?
Elastic Fabric Adapter (EFA)
EFA provides low-latency, high-bandwidth inter-instance communication required for HANA scale-out.
AWS Direct Connect
Why wrong: Direct Connect connects on-premises to AWS, not instance-to-instance.
Transit Gateway
Why wrong: Transit Gateway is for connecting multiple VPCs and on-premises networks.
VPC Peering
Why wrong: VPC Peering connects VPCs, not instances within the same VPC.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Elastic Fabric Adapter (EFA)
Elastic Fabric Adapter (EFA) is correct because it provides OS-bypass capabilities using the Libfabric API, enabling direct memory access (DMA) between SAP HANA nodes. This eliminates kernel overhead, delivering the high bandwidth (up to 100 Gbps per adapter) and ultra-low latency (microsecond-level) required for SAP HANA multi-node scale-out workloads, where inter-node communication is critical for table partitioning and data replication.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Elastic Fabric Adapter (EFA)
Why this is correct
EFA provides low-latency, high-bandwidth inter-instance communication required for HANA scale-out.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
AWS Direct Connect
Why it's wrong here
Direct Connect connects on-premises to AWS, not instance-to-instance.
Transit Gateway
Why it's wrong here
Transit Gateway is for connecting multiple VPCs and on-premises networks.
VPC Peering
Why it's wrong here
VPC Peering connects VPCs, not instances within the same VPC.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse EFA with standard Elastic Network Adapters (ENA) or assume that any high-bandwidth network feature (like Direct Connect or Transit Gateway) can solve inter-node latency, when only EFA provides the OS-bypass and RDMA semantics required for SAP HANA scale-out performance.
Detailed technical explanation
EFA leverages SR-IOV (Single Root I/O Virtualization) to provide a dedicated virtual function to each instance, combined with the Libfabric user-space library to bypass the operating system's network stack entirely. In SAP HANA scale-out, the internal network uses a separate subnet (e.g., 10.0.0.0/24) for inter-node communication, and EFA ensures that the TCP/IP overhead is minimized, achieving sub-100 microsecond latency even under heavy parallel query loads. A real-world scenario is a 16-node SAP HANA scale-out cluster where EFA reduces query response times by up to 40% compared to standard Elastic Network Adapters (ENA).
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
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FAQ
Design of SAP Workloads on AWS — This question tests Design of SAP Workloads on AWS — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Elastic Fabric Adapter (EFA) — Elastic Fabric Adapter (EFA) is correct because it provides OS-bypass capabilities using the Libfabric API, enabling direct memory access (DMA) between SAP HANA nodes. This eliminates kernel overhead, delivering the high bandwidth (up to 100 Gbps per adapter) and ultra-low latency (microsecond-level) required for SAP HANA multi-node scale-out workloads, where inter-node communication is critical for table partitioning and data replication.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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