PAS-C01 Technology Practice Question
A company is running an SAP HANA database on an EC2 instance with Amazon EBS volumes. The database is experiencing high write latency. The storage is configured as two gp2 volumes in a RAID 0 stripe. Which change is most likely to improve write performance?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume increasing gp2 volume size (Option C) will linearly improve IOPS, but they overlook that gp2's baseline IOPS scales slowly (3 IOPS per GiB) and that the burst model is insufficient for sustained high-write workloads, making io1 the only option that guarantees consistent, provisioned performance.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Replace gp2 volumes with io1 volumes provisioned with sufficient IOPS for the workload.
SAP HANA is an I/O-intensive application that requires predictable, low-latency storage performance. gp2 volumes use a burst-bucket model that can lead to performance degradation under sustained high write loads, whereas io1 volumes allow you to provision a specific number of IOPS independently of volume size, ensuring consistent throughput. By provisioning sufficient IOPS for the workload, you eliminate the write latency caused by gp2's burst credit exhaustion.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Migrate to a RAID 0+1 configuration with four volumes.
Why it's wrong here
RAID 0+1 adds mirroring, which improves redundancy but does not reduce write latency compared to RAID 0.
- ✓
Replace gp2 volumes with io1 volumes provisioned with sufficient IOPS for the workload.
Why this is correct
io1 volumes provide provisioned IOPS, ensuring consistent low latency for write-intensive workloads.
- ✗
Increase the volume size of each gp2 volume to 1 TB to increase baseline IOPS.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing gp2 volume size increases baseline IOPS but may not address burst exhaustion; io1 is better for consistent performance.
- ✗
Move the data to instance store volumes attached to the EC2 instance.
Why it's wrong here
Instance store volumes are ephemeral and data is lost on instance stop/termination, not suitable for persistent database storage.
Quick reference
RAID Level Comparison
| RAID Level | Min Disks | Fault Tolerance | Read | Write | Usable Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | 2 | None | Excellent | Excellent | 100% |
| RAID 1 | 2 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 50% |
| RAID 5 | 3 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 67–94% |
| RAID 6 | 4 | 2 disks | Good | Lower | 50–88% |
| RAID 10 | 4 | 1 disk per mirror | Excellent | Good | 50% |
RAID is not a backup strategy — it protects against disk failure but not against accidental deletion, ransomware, or site-level events.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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