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Question 1,119 of 1,733

Operations and Maintenance →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Fixing Intermittent ALB Health Check Failures on SAP EC2

This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of operations and maintenance. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.

An SAP system running on AWS uses a Multi-AZ deployment with an Application Load Balancer (ALB) distributing traffic across two application servers in different Availability Zones. The ALB health checks are configured to check the /sap/public/health endpoint on each instance. Recently, the operations team noticed that one of the instances is being marked as unhealthy intermittently, causing a slight increase in response times. The instance's CPU utilization is under 40%, memory is sufficient, and the health endpoint returns a 200 OK status when tested manually. What is the most likely cause?

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.

A
The health check endpoint is configured with the wrong path.
Why wrong: This is incorrect because the health check endpoint path /sap/public/health is correct and returns 200 OK when tested manually.
B
The security group for the instances does not allow inbound traffic from the ALB.
Why wrong: This is incorrect because if the security group blocked inbound traffic from the ALB, all health checks would fail consistently, not intermittently.
C
The health check requests are blocked by a network ACL.
Why wrong: This is incorrect because network ACLs affect traffic at the subnet level and would block all traffic, not just health checks intermittently. Manual tests working show ACLs are not blocking.
D
The health check interval is too frequent or the timeout is too short.
This is correct because intermittent failures with low CPU and memory suggest the health check timing parameters (interval or timeout) are too aggressive, causing the ALB to mark the instance unhealthy when the endpoint response time slightly increases.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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 health check interval is too frequent or the timeout is too short.

Option D is correct because a health check interval that is too frequent or a timeout that is too short can cause the ALB to mark an instance as unhealthy intermittently, even when the endpoint returns 200 OK manually. The instance may occasionally respond slower than the timeout, especially under brief transient conditions. Option A is incorrect because the health check endpoint path is correct (as it returns 200 OK). Option B is incorrect because security group rules allowing inbound traffic from the ALB are typically configured correctly; otherwise, the health check would fail consistently. Option C is incorrect because network ACLs are stateless and would affect all traffic equally, not intermittently.

Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.

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 health check endpoint is configured with the wrong path.
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because the health check endpoint path /sap/public/health is correct and returns 200 OK when tested manually.
✗
The security group for the instances does not allow inbound traffic from the ALB.
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because if the security group blocked inbound traffic from the ALB, all health checks would fail consistently, not intermittently.
✗
The health check requests are blocked by a network ACL.
Why it's wrong here
This is incorrect because network ACLs affect traffic at the subnet level and would block all traffic, not just health checks intermittently. Manual tests working show ACLs are not blocking.
✓
The health check interval is too frequent or the timeout is too short.
Why this is correct
This is correct because intermittent failures with low CPU and memory suggest the health check timing parameters (interval or timeout) are too aggressive, causing the ALB to mark the instance unhealthy when the endpoint response time slightly increases.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match

ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.

Trap categories for this question

Command / output trap
This is incorrect because network ACLs affect traffic at the subnet level and would block all traffic, not just health checks intermittently. Manual tests working show ACLs are not blocking.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.

TExam Day Tips

Check inbound versus outbound direction.
Read the ACL from top to bottom.
Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.

Key takeaway

ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.

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.

Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related PAS-C01 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.

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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 — Standard ACLs match source addresses..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The health check interval is too frequent or the timeout is too short. — Option D is correct because a health check interval that is too frequent or a timeout that is too short can cause the ALB to mark an instance as unhealthy intermittently, even when the endpoint returns 200 OK manually. The instance may occasionally respond slower than the timeout, especially under brief transient conditions. Option A is incorrect because the health check endpoint path is correct (as it returns 200 OK). Option B is incorrect because security group rules allowing inbound traffic from the ALB are typically configured correctly; otherwise, the health check would fail consistently. Option C is incorrect because network ACLs are stateless and would affect all traffic equally, not intermittently.

What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?

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?

Standard ACLs match source addresses.

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