PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
A company runs SAP ERP on AWS with a two-tier architecture: application and database on the same EC2 instance. The instance is part of an Auto Scaling group with a minimum of 1 and maximum of 1, so it's effectively a single instance. The operations team wants to implement a patching strategy for the operating system that minimizes downtime. They need to apply security patches quarterly. Which approach should they take?
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
✓
Use AWS Systems Manager Automation to create a new AMI, launch a new instance, and update the DNS record.
The best approach for minimizing downtime when patching a single-instance SAP ERP system on AWS. Using AWS Systems Manager Automation to create a new AMI, launch a new instance, and update the DNS record allows a controlled replacement with minimal downtime, as the new instance is fully prepared before switching traffic. Option A (Patch Manager) applies patches in-place, which still requires a reboot and thus downtime. Option C (creating a second instance in the Auto Scaling group) is not feasible because the architecture is two-tier (application and database on same instance), and simply adding a second instance without proper data synchronization would cause data inconsistency. Option D (in-place yum update and reboot) also requires downtime and does not provide a rollback mechanism.
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 Systems Manager Patch Manager to apply patches during a maintenance window.
Why it's wrong here
Still requires reboot, causing downtime.
- ✓
Use AWS Systems Manager Automation to create a new AMI, launch a new instance, and update the DNS record.
Why this is correct
This blue/green deployment minimizes downtime.
- ✗
Create a second instance in the Auto Scaling group and detach the original.
Why it's wrong here
Auto Scaling group with min=1 max=1 prevents this.
- ✗
Apply patches in-place using yum update and reboot the instance.
Why it's wrong here
This causes downtime during reboot.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.