- A
The secondary HANA instance is using a different instance type with a single Elastic Network Interface (ENI), which limits throughput.
Why wrong: Instance type is likely similar; a single ENI does not cause higher latency.
- B
The placement group that includes the application servers and the database is now split across AZs, reducing performance.
Why wrong: Placement groups cannot span multiple AZs; this would not be the cause.
- C
The application servers in us-east-1a are now connecting to the HANA database in us-east-1b, which adds inter-AZ latency.
Previously, all connections were within the same AZ; after failover, half the servers must connect across AZs.
- D
The EBS volumes attached to the old primary instance are still being replicated to the secondary, causing network congestion.
Why wrong: HSR uses replication at the database level, not EBS; no congestion from EBS replication.
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. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 S/4HANA on AWS in a single region with a multi-AZ setup. The SAP HANA database uses HANA System Replication (HSR) for high availability. The primary HANA instance is in us-east-1a and the secondary is in us-east-1b. The application servers are split across both AZs. Recently, during a maintenance window, the primary HANA instance failed unexpectedly. The secondary automatically took over. However, after the failover, the application servers in us-east-1a are experiencing higher latency when connecting to the database, while application servers in us-east-1b have normal latency. The network team confirms that the inter-AZ latency is within normal limits. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause of the increased latency?
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.
Clue:
"primary"Why it matters: Asks for the main purpose or function, not a secondary benefit. Eliminate answers that describe side-effects or partial functions.
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 application servers in us-east-1a are now connecting to the HANA database in us-east-1b, which adds inter-AZ latency.
Option C is correct because after the failover, the secondary HANA instance in us-east-1b became the active database. Application servers in us-east-1a must now connect across AZs to reach the database in us-east-1b, incurring inter-AZ latency. Although the network team confirms normal inter-AZ latency, the additional network hop and physical distance between AZs still introduce higher latency compared to same-AZ connections, which explains the observed increase.
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 secondary HANA instance is using a different instance type with a single Elastic Network Interface (ENI), which limits throughput.
Why it's wrong here
Instance type is likely similar; a single ENI does not cause higher latency.
- ✗
The placement group that includes the application servers and the database is now split across AZs, reducing performance.
Why it's wrong here
Placement groups cannot span multiple AZs; this would not be the cause.
- ✓
The application servers in us-east-1a are now connecting to the HANA database in us-east-1b, which adds inter-AZ latency.
Why this is correct
Previously, all connections were within the same AZ; after failover, half the servers must connect across AZs.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "most likely", "primary" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
The EBS volumes attached to the old primary instance are still being replicated to the secondary, causing network congestion.
Why it's wrong here
HSR uses replication at the database level, not EBS; no congestion from EBS replication.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume inter-AZ latency is negligible or that the network team's confirmation of 'normal limits' means latency is not the issue, but in SAP HANA workloads, even 1-2 ms of additional latency can cause noticeable performance degradation for cross-AZ database connections.
Trap categories for this question
Similar concept trap
Instance type is likely similar; a single ENI does not cause higher latency.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
HANA System Replication (HSR) uses asynchronous or synchronous replication of redo log entries over TCP/IP. After a failover, the former secondary becomes the primary, and all application servers must update their connection strings or DNS entries to point to the new primary's IP address. Inter-AZ latency in AWS is typically 1-2 ms, but for SAP HANA, which is latency-sensitive, even this small increase can degrade performance for applications in the remote AZ. The correct mitigation is to use an Amazon Route 53 DNS alias or an internal load balancer with health checks to automatically route traffic to the active HANA instance, or to deploy application servers symmetrically across both AZs and use a connection pool that prefers local AZ connections.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PAS-C01 question test?
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: The application servers in us-east-1a are now connecting to the HANA database in us-east-1b, which adds inter-AZ latency. — Option C is correct because after the failover, the secondary HANA instance in us-east-1b became the active database. Application servers in us-east-1a must now connect across AZs to reach the database in us-east-1b, incurring inter-AZ latency. Although the network team confirms normal inter-AZ latency, the additional network hop and physical distance between AZs still introduce higher latency compared to same-AZ connections, which explains the observed increase.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely", "primary". 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.
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 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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