Quick Answer
The answer is the Application Load Balancer (ALB). This is correct because ALB operates at Layer 7 of the OSI model, allowing it to register EC2 instances as targets and perform intelligent HTTP/HTTPS-based routing, which is essential for distributing application layer traffic across multiple SAP application servers. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of how to scale SAP S/4HANA tiers using native AWS services; a common trap is confusing ALB with Network Load Balancer (NLB), which handles TCP/UDP traffic at Layer 4 and lacks the application-level awareness needed for SAP’s load balancing. Remember that SAP application server load balancing ALB is the go-to choice for HTTP-based workloads, while NLB is reserved for high-performance TCP/UDP scenarios. Memory tip: ALB = Application = App server traffic, NLB = Network = raw TCP/UDP.
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 three-tier architecture. The operations team receives alerts that the application server's CPU utilization is consistently above 90%. The team wants to add an additional application server to distribute the load. Which AWS service should be used to register the new instance with the SAP system's load balancer?
Amazon CloudFront
Why wrong: For content delivery.
Network Load Balancer (NLB)
Why wrong: For TCP/UDP traffic.
Amazon Route 53
Why wrong: For DNS.
Application Load Balancer (ALB)
Registers EC2 instances as targets.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Application Load Balancer (ALB)
Option A is correct because ALB can register EC2 instances as targets. Option B is wrong because NLB is for TCP/UDP. Option C is wrong because CloudFront is for CDN. Option D is wrong because Route 53 is for DNS.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Amazon CloudFront
Why it's wrong here
For content delivery.
Network Load Balancer (NLB)
Amazon Route 53
Why it's wrong here
For DNS.
Application Load Balancer (ALB)
Why this is correct
Registers EC2 instances as targets.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
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 — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Operations and Maintenance — This question tests Operations and Maintenance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Application Load Balancer (ALB) — Option A is correct because ALB can register EC2 instances as targets. Option B is wrong because NLB is for TCP/UDP. Option C is wrong because CloudFront is for CDN. Option D is wrong because Route 53 is for DNS.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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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