Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon EBS io2 Block Express, the only AWS block storage purpose-built for SAP HANA’s demanding performance requirements. This volume type delivers up to 4,000 MB/s per volume and sub-millisecond latency, achieved through its provisioned IOPS model and a 99.999% durability SLA, which are critical for HANA’s in-memory database operations that rely on persistent, low-latency writes. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between storage services under the “SAP HANA on AWS” domain—common traps include confusing io2 with gp3 (which lacks the same peak IOPS) or selecting Amazon EFS or S3, which are file and object stores respectively and cannot serve as a HANA data volume. A reliable memory tip is to associate “io2” with “I/O intensive” and “Block Express” with “Express performance for HANA,” and remember that SAP HANA requires block storage, not file or object, so eliminate EFS and S3 immediately.
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 system and wants to use a storage solution that provides persistent, high-performance block storage for the SAP HANA database. Which AWS storage option should they choose?
Amazon EC2 Instance Store
Why wrong: Instance store is ephemeral, data is lost on stop/termination.
Amazon Elastic File System (EFS)
Why wrong: EFS is file storage, not block.
Amazon EBS io2 Block Express
io2 Block Express provides high-performance block storage for HANA.
Amazon S3
Why wrong: S3 is object storage, not suitable for database block storage.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon EBS io2 Block Express
Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes provide high performance and durability for HANA. EFS is file storage. S3 is object storage. Instance store is ephemeral.
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.
Amazon EC2 Instance Store
Why it's wrong here
Instance store is ephemeral, data is lost on stop/termination.
Amazon Elastic File System (EFS)
Why it's wrong here
EFS is file storage, not block.
Amazon EBS io2 Block Express
Why this is correct
io2 Block Express provides high-performance block storage for HANA.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
S3 is object storage, not suitable for database block storage.
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
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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.
Migration — study guide chapter
Learn the concepts, then practise the questions
Migration practice questions
Targeted practice on this topic area only
All PAS-C01 questions
1,733 questions across all exam domains
AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 study guide
Full concept coverage aligned to exam objectives
PAS-C01 practice test guide
How to use practice tests most effectively before exam day
Related practice questions
Use these pages to review the topic behind this question. This is how one missed question becomes focused revision.
Practise PAS-C01 questions linked to Design of SAP Workloads on AWS.
Practise PAS-C01 questions linked to Technology.
Practise PAS-C01 questions linked to Migration.
Practise PAS-C01 questions linked to Operations and Maintenance.
Practise PAS-C01 questions linked to PAS-C01 fundamentals.
Practise PAS-C01 questions linked to PAS-C01 scenario.
Practise PAS-C01 questions linked to PAS-C01 troubleshooting.
Practice this exam
Short sessions build daily habit. Longer sessions build exam-day stamina. Try a timed session to simulate real conditions.
FAQ
Migration — This question tests Migration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Amazon EBS io2 Block Express — Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes provide high performance and durability for HANA. EFS is file storage. S3 is object storage. Instance store is ephemeral.
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.
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 →
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.
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.