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. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 administrator is troubleshooting an SAP system where the application server cannot connect to the database server. Both servers are in the same VPC but different subnets. Security groups allow traffic on the database port. What is the next step to diagnose the issue?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Check the Network ACLs for both subnets to ensure inbound/outbound rules allow the database port
Network ACLs (NACLs) are stateless, meaning they require explicit inbound and outbound rules for traffic to flow in both directions. Even if security groups allow the database port, a missing or misconfigured NACL rule on either subnet can silently drop traffic. Since the servers are in different subnets, checking NACLs is the next logical step after confirming security groups are correct.
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.
✗
Check the DB Subnet Group configuration
Why it's wrong here
DB Subnet Group is for RDS, not relevant for EC2 connections.
✗
Verify route tables for the subnets
Why it's wrong here
Route tables control routing, not security rules.
✗
Review VPC Flow Logs for rejected traffic
Why it's wrong here
Flow Logs are for analysis, not immediate resolution.
✓
Check the Network ACLs for both subnets to ensure inbound/outbound rules allow the database port
Why this is correct
NACLs are stateless and must allow both inbound and outbound traffic.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume security groups are the only firewall layer, forgetting that NACLs are stateless and must be explicitly configured for both inbound and outbound traffic on each subnet.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NACLs operate at the subnet level and are evaluated before security groups. For traffic to flow between subnets, both the source subnet's outbound NACL and the destination subnet's inbound NACL must allow the traffic. By default, custom NACLs deny all inbound and outbound traffic, so even if security groups are permissive, a missing NACL rule will block the connection. In contrast, security groups are stateful and automatically allow return traffic, which can mask NACL misconfigurations.
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
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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: Check the Network ACLs for both subnets to ensure inbound/outbound rules allow the database port — Network ACLs (NACLs) are stateless, meaning they require explicit inbound and outbound rules for traffic to flow in both directions. Even if security groups allow the database port, a missing or misconfigured NACL rule on either subnet can silently drop traffic. Since the servers are in different subnets, checking NACLs is the next logical step after confirming security groups are correct.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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