The answer is to change the volume type to io2 Block Express. This is correct because SAP HANA is extremely sensitive to storage latency, and gp2 volumes cannot sustain the high IOPS required for HANA’s data writes under load, especially as burst credits deplete. io2 Block Express volumes provide consistent, sub-millisecond latency and up to 256,000 IOPS per volume, directly addressing the high write latency issue. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of EBS volume performance characteristics for SAP HANA—a common trap is choosing io1 or standard io2, but only io2 Block Express meets HANA’s strict latency and IOPS requirements for production workloads. A useful memory tip: think of “Block Express” as the express lane for HANA’s data writes, bypassing the traffic jam of gp2’s burst bucket.
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. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 experiencing performance issues with their SAP ERP system on AWS. The system is running on an r5.4xlarge EC2 instance with gp2 EBS volumes. The database is SAP HANA. CloudWatch metrics show high write latency on the data volume. Which change would most likely improve performance?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Change the volume type to io2 Block Express
io2 Block Express volumes provide higher IOPS and lower latency compared to gp2, suitable for SAP HANA.
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.
✗
Increase the size of the gp2 volume to get more baseline IOPS
Why it's wrong here
Increasing gp2 size improves IOPS but io2 Block Express is better for latency.
✗
Move the database to a t3.large instance
Why it's wrong here
t3 instances are burstable and not suitable for production SAP HANA.
✗
Enable EBS optimization on the instance
Why it's wrong here
EBS optimization is already enabled on r5 instances.
✓
Change the volume type to io2 Block Express
Why this is correct
io2 Block Express offers consistent low latency and high IOPS for SAP HANA.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" 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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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: Change the volume type to io2 Block Express — io2 Block Express volumes provide higher IOPS and lower latency compared to gp2, suitable for SAP HANA.
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: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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 →
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 plans to migrate its SAP ERP system from an on-premises environment to AWS. The system uses an Oracle database. Which AWS service provides the most cost-effective and high-performance storage for the Oracle data files?
easy
✓ A.Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes
B.EC2 Instance Store
C.Amazon EFS
D.Amazon S3
Why A: Option B is correct because Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes offer high durability, high IOPS, and low latency suitable for Oracle databases. Option A is wrong because S3 is object storage. Option C is wrong because EFS is file storage. Option D is wrong because Instance Store is ephemeral.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
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.