PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
A company runs SAP on AWS. During a maintenance window, the SAP application team needs to apply a kernel update that requires a reboot of the SAP application servers. The environment uses an Auto Scaling group for the application tier. What is the BEST approach to minimize downtime?
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
✓
Terminate instances one at a time, allowing the Auto Scaling group to launch new instances with the updated configuration.
The best approach to minimize downtime is to terminate instances one at a time, allowing the Auto Scaling group to launch new instances with the updated configuration. This method ensures that the desired capacity is maintained at all times, as the Auto Scaling group automatically replaces each terminated instance. Option A is wrong because stopping instances does not trigger the Auto Scaling group to launch new ones; it only suspends billing. Option B is wrong because detaching instances removes them from the group, requiring manual reattachment and risking capacity gaps. Option C might minimize downtime but incurs additional costs by running extra instances and is not as efficient as the rolling replacement in option D.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Stop all instances in the Auto Scaling group, apply the update, and start them again.
Why it's wrong here
Stopping instances suspends billing but does not trigger automatic replacement; you would need to manually start them.
- ✗
Detach all instances from the Auto Scaling group, apply the update, and reattach them.
Why it's wrong here
Detaching instances requires manual reattachment and could cause downtime.
- ✗
Double the desired capacity of the Auto Scaling group, wait for new instances, then terminate old instances.
Why it's wrong here
Doubling desired capacity temporarily increases costs and may not be necessary; also requires manual update of the launch configuration.
- ✓
Terminate instances one at a time, allowing the Auto Scaling group to launch new instances with the updated configuration.
Why this is correct
Terminating instances one at a time allows the Auto Scaling group to launch new instances with updated configuration, maintaining capacity and minimizing downtime.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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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.