Quick Answer
The answer is AWS Auto Scaling. This service is the correct choice because it dynamically adjusts the number of EC2 instances running your SAP application servers based on real-time CPU utilization metrics, using CloudWatch alarms to trigger scale-out and scale-in policies. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of how to operationalize SAP’s traditional scale-up architecture into a cloud-native, elastic model—a common scenario in migration planning. A frequent trap is confusing load balancing with scaling; remember that Elastic Load Balancing distributes traffic but does not add or remove servers. For a quick memory tip, think “CPU spikes = Auto Scaling kicks,” linking the metric directly to the service that reacts to it.
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of migration. 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 migrating an SAP ERP system to AWS and needs to ensure that the SAP application servers can scale automatically based on CPU utilization. Which AWS service should be used to achieve this?
AWS Elastic Load Balancing (ELB)
Why wrong: ELB distributes traffic, does not scale.
AWS Lambda
Why wrong: Lambda is serverless, not for SAP application servers.
AWS CloudFormation
Why wrong: CloudFormation is for provisioning infrastructure, not automatic scaling.
AWS Auto Scaling
Auto Scaling can launch/terminate instances based on CloudWatch alarms.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
AWS Auto Scaling
AWS Auto Scaling can scale EC2 instances based on CloudWatch alarms. Option A is wrong because AWS Elastic Load Balancing distributes traffic but does not scale. Option B is wrong because AWS Lambda is for serverless compute, not SAP. Option D is wrong because AWS CloudFormation is for infrastructure as code, not automatic scaling.
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.
AWS Elastic Load Balancing (ELB)
Why it's wrong here
ELB distributes traffic, does not scale.
AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
Lambda is serverless, not for SAP application servers.
AWS CloudFormation
Why it's wrong here
CloudFormation is for provisioning infrastructure, not automatic scaling.
AWS Auto Scaling
Why this is correct
Auto Scaling can launch/terminate instances based on CloudWatch alarms.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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.
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FAQ
Migration — This question tests Migration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: AWS Auto Scaling — AWS Auto Scaling can scale EC2 instances based on CloudWatch alarms. Option A is wrong because AWS Elastic Load Balancing distributes traffic but does not scale. Option B is wrong because AWS Lambda is for serverless compute, not SAP. Option D is wrong because AWS CloudFormation is for infrastructure as code, not automatic scaling.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
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