The correct answer is to use an io2 Block Express volume with sufficient IOPS, as this is the only EBS volume type that delivers up to 256,000 IOPS per volume with sub-millisecond latency, which is essential for SAP HANA write latency. The gp2 volume, while adequate for many workloads, relies on burst credits and cannot sustain the consistently low-latency, high-throughput writes that SAP HANA demands for its data volume. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of EBS volume type performance characteristics and their fit with SAP HANA’s strict storage requirements. A common trap is to assume that gp3, with its baseline performance, is sufficient, but only io2 Block Express meets the sub-millisecond write latency needed for production HANA workloads. Memory tip: think “io2 for IOPS, gp2 for general purpose” — when HANA demands low latency, go with io2 Block Express.
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. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 runs its SAP HANA database on an EC2 instance with Amazon EBS volumes. The system is experiencing high write latency. The current EBS volume type is gp2. Which change should a solutions architect recommend to improve write performance for the SAP HANA data volume?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use an io2 Block Express volume with sufficient IOPS.
SAP HANA requires consistently low-latency, high-IOPS storage for its data volume. The io2 Block Express volume is the only EBS volume type that can deliver up to 256,000 IOPS per volume with sub-millisecond latency, meeting SAP HANA's demanding performance requirements. In contrast, gp2 volumes have burst limitations and cannot sustain the high write throughput needed for SAP HANA workloads.
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 an io2 Block Express volume with sufficient IOPS.
Why this is correct
io2 Block Express provides high IOPS and low latency suitable for SAP HANA.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Migrate the data to an instance store volume.
Why it's wrong here
Instance store is ephemeral and data is lost on stop/termination.
✗
Change the volume type to gp3 with increased IOPS.
Why it's wrong here
gp3 is cost-effective but io2 Block Express is better for HANA's latency requirements.
✗
Use a Throughput Optimized HDD (st1) volume.
Why it's wrong here
st1 is for throughput-intensive workloads, not low-latency transactional writes.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose gp3 (Option C) thinking increased IOPS alone solves latency, but they overlook that SAP HANA requires the specific io2 Block Express volume type for guaranteed low latency and durability, as gp3's performance can degrade under sustained high write loads due to its shared architecture.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
io2 Block Express volumes use a Nitro-based architecture that offloads storage I/O to dedicated hardware, achieving consistent sub-millisecond latency even at high IOPS. SAP HANA's data volume must support synchronous writes with log flushing, and io2 Block Express provides the necessary 99.999% durability and 99.9% uptime SLA, which gp2 and gp3 cannot guarantee. In real-world scenarios, a gp2 volume with burst credits exhausted would see write latency spike above 10 ms, while io2 Block Express maintains <1 ms latency under sustained load.
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
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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: Use an io2 Block Express volume with sufficient IOPS. — SAP HANA requires consistently low-latency, high-IOPS storage for its data volume. The io2 Block Express volume is the only EBS volume type that can deliver up to 256,000 IOPS per volume with sub-millisecond latency, meeting SAP HANA's demanding performance requirements. In contrast, gp2 volumes have burst limitations and cannot sustain the high write throughput needed for SAP HANA workloads.
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.
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. Which TWO statements are true regarding Amazon EBS volume types for SAP HANA data volumes?
medium
A.io1 volumes are the recommended choice for SAP HANA
✓ B.io2 Block Express volumes provide up to 256,000 IOPS
✓ C.gp3 volumes can be provisioned with up to 16,000 IOPS
D.st1 volumes are suitable for SAP HANA log volumes
E.sc1 volumes are cost-effective for SAP HANA data volumes
Why B: Option A is correct because gp3 volumes provide baseline IOPS of 3000 and can be provisioned up to 16,000 IOPS. Option C is correct because io2 Block Express volumes offer up to 256,000 IOPS and 99.999% durability. Option B is wrong because io1 volumes are legacy and io2 Block Express is recommended. Option D is wrong because st1 volumes are throughput-optimized HDD, not suitable for SAP HANA. Option E is wrong because sc1 volumes are cold HDD, not for database workloads.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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.