The answer is the AWS Network Load Balancer and Amazon EFS for shared /sapmnt. The NLB is required because it distributes traffic to the ASCS and ERS instances across two Availability Zones, using Layer 4 health checks to detect failures and reroute traffic to the healthy instance, which keeps SAP central services available even if one AZ fails. Amazon EFS provides the shared file system that both instances must mount to access the /sapmnt directory, a critical prerequisite for SAP’s high availability architecture. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of the specific AWS services that replace traditional on-premises cluster components—many candidates mistakenly choose a managed database service or a third-party clustering tool, but the exam emphasizes native AWS services like NLB and EFS. A common trap is assuming an Application Load Balancer works here, but it lacks the necessary protocol support for SAP’s Message Server and Enqueue Replication. Memory tip: think “NLB for traffic, EFS for files” to anchor the two required components.
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 an SAP S/4HANA deployment on AWS. They want to ensure high availability for the central services (ASCS and ERS) across two Availability Zones. Which TWO of the following are required components for a typical SAP high availability setup on AWS? (Choose TWO.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
AWS Network Load Balancer to route traffic to the ASCS and ERS instances.
The AWS Network Load Balancer (NLB) is required to distribute traffic to the ASCS and ERS instances across two Availability Zones. It uses health checks to detect failures and reroute traffic to the healthy instance, ensuring that the SAP central services remain available even if one AZ fails. The NLB operates at Layer 4, preserving the source IP and supporting the necessary SAP protocols like the Message Server and Enqueue 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.
✗
Amazon RDS Multi-AZ deployment for the SAP HANA database.
Why it's wrong here
SAP HANA is not supported on Amazon RDS; it runs on EC2.
✓
AWS Network Load Balancer to route traffic to the ASCS and ERS instances.
Why this is correct
NLB is used for SAP HA to manage virtual IPs and health checks.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Amazon EFS file system mounted on both instances for shared /sapmnt.
Why this is correct
EFS provides a shared file system required for SAP HA.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
AWS Transit Gateway to connect the two Availability Zones.
Why it's wrong here
Transit Gateway is for network connectivity, not a mandatory HA component.
✗
AWS Global Accelerator to provide static anycast IP addresses.
Why it's wrong here
Global Accelerator is optional for performance, not required for HA.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the need for a shared file system (like EFS) with a database replication mechanism, but the question specifically asks for components required for central services (ASCS/ERS) HA, not the database layer.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The shared /sapmnt file system (Option C) is typically implemented using Amazon EFS or a managed file share, and it must be mounted on both ASCS and ERS instances to provide consistent access to SAP profiles and executables during failover. Under the hood, the NLB uses cross-zone load balancing and health checks against the SAP-specific ports (e.g., 36xx for Message Server, 5xx01 for Enqueue Replication) to detect instance health. In a real-world scenario, if the primary ASCS fails, the NLB automatically routes traffic to the secondary ERS instance, which takes over the enqueue service, while the shared /sapmnt ensures the new instance has the correct configuration.
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.
TExam Day Tips
→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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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: AWS Network Load Balancer to route traffic to the ASCS and ERS instances. — The AWS Network Load Balancer (NLB) is required to distribute traffic to the ASCS and ERS instances across two Availability Zones. It uses health checks to detect failures and reroute traffic to the healthy instance, ensuring that the SAP central services remain available even if one AZ fails. The NLB operates at Layer 4, preserving the source IP and supporting the necessary SAP protocols like the Message Server and Enqueue Replication.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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