- A
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to replicate the Oracle database to a second EC2 instance in another AZ, and use an Amazon Route 53 health check to redirect traffic.
Why wrong: DMS is for migration, not for HA; it does not provide automatic failover.
- B
Migrate the Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle with Multi-AZ deployment and automatic failover.
Why wrong: This requires migrating the database, which involves significant changes; also, RDS Multi-AZ uses synchronous replication but may not be compatible with all Oracle features used by SAP.
- C
Configure Oracle Data Guard with synchronous replication and Fast-Start Failover (FSFO) to automatically fail over to a standby instance in another AZ.
Synchronous replication ensures zero data loss; FSFO provides automatic failover.
- D
Configure Oracle Data Guard with asynchronous replication to a standby instance in us-east-1b, and use a custom script to detect failure and promote the standby.
Why wrong: Asynchronous replication may result in data loss (RPO > 0).
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. 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 running SAP ERP on AWS with an Oracle database. The application servers are deployed in an Auto Scaling group across three Availability Zones. The database is hosted on a single EC2 instance in us-east-1a. The company wants to improve availability with minimal changes to the application. The database must be highly available with automatic failover and no data loss. The database size is 1 TB. The current RTO is 2 hours and RPO is 1 hour. The company is considering using Oracle Data Guard for replication. Which solution should the company implement to meet the HA requirements?
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
Configure Oracle Data Guard with synchronous replication and Fast-Start Failover (FSFO) to automatically fail over to a standby instance in another AZ.
Option C is correct because Oracle Data Guard with synchronous replication ensures zero data loss by committing transactions only after they are written to both primary and standby redo logs. Fast-Start Failover (FSFO) automates the failover process without manual intervention, meeting the RTO of 2 hours and RPO of 1 hour while requiring minimal application changes since the database remains Oracle-native.
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.
- ✗
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to replicate the Oracle database to a second EC2 instance in another AZ, and use an Amazon Route 53 health check to redirect traffic.
Why it's wrong here
DMS is for migration, not for HA; it does not provide automatic failover.
- ✗
Migrate the Oracle database to Amazon RDS for Oracle with Multi-AZ deployment and automatic failover.
Why it's wrong here
This requires migrating the database, which involves significant changes; also, RDS Multi-AZ uses synchronous replication but may not be compatible with all Oracle features used by SAP.
- ✓
Configure Oracle Data Guard with synchronous replication and Fast-Start Failover (FSFO) to automatically fail over to a standby instance in another AZ.
Why this is correct
Synchronous replication ensures zero data loss; FSFO provides automatic failover.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Configure Oracle Data Guard with asynchronous replication to a standby instance in us-east-1b, and use a custom script to detect failure and promote the standby.
Why it's wrong here
Asynchronous replication may result in data loss (RPO > 0).
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume AWS-managed services like RDS Multi-AZ are always the best choice for high availability, but the question explicitly requires minimal application changes and zero data loss, making Oracle-native Data Guard with synchronous replication the correct fit despite the operational overhead.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Oracle Data Guard synchronous replication uses the LGWR process with SYNC transport to ensure redo data is written to the standby's standby redo log before acknowledging the primary transaction, achieving zero data loss. Fast-Start Failover (FSFO) uses a third observer instance to monitor the primary database; if the primary becomes unreachable, the observer automatically promotes the standby to primary within seconds, typically meeting sub-minute RTOs. In this scenario, the 1 TB database size is manageable for synchronous replication across AZs in us-east-1, as long as network latency is low (typically <2 ms within an AWS region).
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
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PAS-C01 question test?
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: Configure Oracle Data Guard with synchronous replication and Fast-Start Failover (FSFO) to automatically fail over to a standby instance in another AZ. — Option C is correct because Oracle Data Guard with synchronous replication ensures zero data loss by committing transactions only after they are written to both primary and standby redo logs. Fast-Start Failover (FSFO) automates the failover process without manual intervention, meeting the RTO of 2 hours and RPO of 1 hour while requiring minimal application changes since the database remains Oracle-native.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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