The answer is to configure a STONITH (Shoot The Other Node In The Head) mechanism using AWS Lambda. STONITH is the definitive method for SAP cluster split-brain prevention because it forcibly isolates or powers down a non-responsive node before the surviving node mounts shared resources like the Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP file system, ensuring data integrity and avoiding corruption. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this concept tests your understanding of fencing in multi-AZ HA clusters, where a common trap is assuming that adding more nodes or enabling replication alone resolves split-brain—neither addresses the root cause of quorum loss. Remember the mnemonic: “STONITH stops the split” by shooting the unresponsive node first, so the surviving node can safely take over without conflicting writes.
PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of operations and maintenance. 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 with a High Availability (HA) cluster spanning two Availability Zones (us-east-1a and us-east-1b). The cluster uses an Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP file system for the global transport directory. Recently, the cluster experienced a split-brain situation, leading to data corruption. The administrator wants to prevent this from recurring. The current setup uses a single FSx file system mounted on both cluster nodes. What should the administrator do to prevent split-brain?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Configure a STONITH (Shoot The Other Node In The Head) mechanism using AWS Lambda
Option B is correct because using the Stonith mechanism ensures a failed node is forcefully isolated before the other node takes over, preventing split-brain. Option A is wrong as more nodes increase complexity. Option C is wrong because replication doesn't prevent split-brain. Option D is wrong as memory upgrade doesn't affect cluster communication.
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.
✗
Add a third cluster node in a third Availability Zone
Why it's wrong here
More nodes can complicate quorum but don't directly prevent split-brain.
✗
Increase the memory on both EC2 instances
Why it's wrong here
Memory is unrelated to cluster split-brain.
✓
Configure a STONITH (Shoot The Other Node In The Head) mechanism using AWS Lambda
Why this is correct
STONITH ensures a failed node is terminated, preventing split-brain.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Set up cross-region replication for the FSx file system
Why it's wrong here
Replication doesn't address cluster fencing.
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
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
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.
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: Configure a STONITH (Shoot The Other Node In The Head) mechanism using AWS Lambda — Option B is correct because using the Stonith mechanism ensures a failed node is forcefully isolated before the other node takes over, preventing split-brain. Option A is wrong as more nodes increase complexity. Option C is wrong because replication doesn't prevent split-brain. Option D is wrong as memory upgrade doesn't affect cluster communication.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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.
Question Discussion
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