- A
The volume is attached to an instance and the filesystem is not frozen before snapshot.
AWS Backup can snapshot attached volumes, but for consistent snapshots, the filesystem should be frozen or I/O paused. If not, the snapshot may be inconsistent, but the error 'volume in use' suggests the snapshot operation itself failed.
- B
The AWS Backup service does not have permission to create snapshots in the account.
Why wrong: Insufficient permissions would cause a different error, such as 'AccessDenied'.
- C
The EBS volume is not tagged with the required backup tags.
Why wrong: Tags are not required for AWS Backup to take snapshots; they are used for resource identification.
- D
The EC2 instance does not have the AWS Backup agent installed.
Why wrong: AWS Backup for EBS volumes does not require an agent; it uses snapshots.
PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of operations and maintenance. 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 HANA on AWS and uses AWS Backup to back up the HANA database volumes. The backup job fails with an error indicating that the volume is in use. What is the most likely cause of this failure?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
The volume is attached to an instance and the filesystem is not frozen before snapshot.
AWS Backup uses EBS snapshots, which require volumes to be in a consistent state. If the volume is attached and in use, the snapshot may fail if the filesystem is not frozen. The most common fix is to pause I/O before the snapshot.
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.
- ✓
The volume is attached to an instance and the filesystem is not frozen before snapshot.
Why this is correct
AWS Backup can snapshot attached volumes, but for consistent snapshots, the filesystem should be frozen or I/O paused. If not, the snapshot may be inconsistent, but the error 'volume in use' suggests the snapshot operation itself failed.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The AWS Backup service does not have permission to create snapshots in the account.
Why it's wrong here
Insufficient permissions would cause a different error, such as 'AccessDenied'.
- ✗
The EBS volume is not tagged with the required backup tags.
Why it's wrong here
Tags are not required for AWS Backup to take snapshots; they are used for resource identification.
- ✗
The EC2 instance does not have the AWS Backup agent installed.
Why it's wrong here
AWS Backup for EBS volumes does not require an agent; it uses snapshots.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which PAS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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Operations and Maintenance — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PAS-C01 question test?
Operations and Maintenance — This question tests Operations and Maintenance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The volume is attached to an instance and the filesystem is not frozen before snapshot. — AWS Backup uses EBS snapshots, which require volumes to be in a consistent state. If the volume is attached and in use, the snapshot may fail if the filesystem is not frozen. The most common fix is to pause I/O before the snapshot.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which PAS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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