The answer is to migrate to io2 Block Express volumes with provisioned IOPS. This is the most effective way to reduce read latency for SAP Oracle on AWS because io2 Block Express delivers consistent, sub-millisecond latency and up to 256,000 provisioned IOPS per volume, unlike gp2 which relies on burst credits and suffers from variable performance under sustained load. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that latency-sensitive SAP workloads with Oracle Database require predictable, high-IOPS storage, and the common trap is choosing gp3 or larger gp2 volumes, which still lack the ultra-low latency and IOPS ceiling of io2 Block Express. Remember the memory tip: for SAP Oracle, think “IO2 = I/O to the second power” for consistent, blazing-fast reads, while gp2 is just “good enough” for bursty, non-critical workloads.
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 SAP Business Suite on AWS with Oracle Database. The system is experiencing high read latency on the database server. The current storage configuration uses EBS gp2 volumes. Which change would most effectively reduce read latency?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Migrate to io2 Block Express volumes with provisioned IOPS.
Option A is correct because io2 Block Express volumes provide consistent, high-performance IOPS with sub-millisecond latency, which directly addresses the high read latency issue. Unlike gp2, which relies on burst credits and has variable performance, io2 Block Express delivers provisioned IOPS up to 256,000 per volume, making it ideal for latency-sensitive SAP workloads with Oracle Database.
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.
✓
Migrate to io2 Block Express volumes with provisioned IOPS.
Why this is correct
io2 Block Express provides consistent low latency and high IOPS.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Increase the size of the EBS gp2 volumes to increase baseline IOPS.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing size improves IOPS but latency may remain high.
✗
Configure a RAID 0 stripe across multiple EBS volumes.
Why it's wrong here
RAID 0 increases throughput, not reduces latency.
✗
Use EBS st1 volumes for better throughput.
Why it's wrong here
st1 is throughput-optimized, not suitable for low-latency database workloads.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often assume increasing gp2 volume size (Option B) or striping volumes (Option C) will solve latency issues, but the PAS-C01 exam tests the understanding that for consistent low-latency random I/O, provisioned IOPS volumes like io2 Block Express are required, not just higher throughput or IOPS aggregation.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
io2 Block Express volumes use a Nitro-based architecture that offloads storage I/O to the AWS Nitro System, reducing latency by bypassing the hypervisor. They support up to 64 TiB per volume and 1,000 IOPS per GiB, with a maximum of 256,000 IOPS, making them suitable for Oracle Database redo log and data file I/O patterns. In contrast, gp2 volumes rely on a burst bucket model where performance drops to baseline after credits are depleted, which is a common cause of read latency spikes in production SAP environments.
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: Migrate to io2 Block Express volumes with provisioned IOPS. — Option A is correct because io2 Block Express volumes provide consistent, high-performance IOPS with sub-millisecond latency, which directly addresses the high read latency issue. Unlike gp2, which relies on burst credits and has variable performance, io2 Block Express delivers provisioned IOPS up to 256,000 per volume, making it ideal for latency-sensitive SAP workloads with Oracle Database.
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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Question Discussion
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