The answer is gp3 with 10,000 IOPS and 500 MB/s throughput. This is the correct choice because gp3 allows you to provision IOPS and throughput independently, meaning you can meet the SAP BW requirement of 10,000 IOPS without paying for unused capacity, unlike io1 which charges for every provisioned IOPS. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to optimize cost while meeting specific SAP BW high IOPS and throughput demands, often appearing as a scenario where a candidate might mistakenly choose io1 due to its traditional association with high-performance databases. The common trap is forgetting that gp3’s baseline of 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s is included in the price, so you only pay extra for the additional 7,000 IOPS and 375 MB/s needed to reach 10,000 IOPS and 500 MB/s. Memory tip: think “gp3 = general purpose plus pay-per-upgrade,” while io1 is “all-in premium.”
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. Compare every option against the stated constraints before choosing — the best answer satisfies all requirements, not just the most obvious one. 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 architect is designing a storage solution for an SAP Business Warehouse (BW) system on AWS. The system requires high throughput for data extraction and transformation. The existing on-premises system uses SAN storage with 10,000 IOPS. Which Amazon EBS volume type should the architect choose to meet or exceed this performance at the lowest cost?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
gp3 with 10,000 IOPS and 500 MB/s throughput
Amazon EBS gp3 volumes can provision up to 16,000 IOPS and 1,000 MB/s throughput independently, making them suitable for SAP BW workloads requiring 10,000 IOPS. gp3 offers a lower cost than io1 because it includes a baseline performance (3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s) and only charges for additional provisioned IOPS and throughput, whereas io1 charges for every provisioned IOPS. This makes gp3 the most cost-effective choice to meet or exceed the required 10,000 IOPS and 500 MB/s throughput.
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.
✗
sc1 with 10,000 IOPS
Why it's wrong here
sc1 is cold HDD with max IOPS of 250, not suitable for this workload.
✗
io1 with 10,000 Provisioned IOPS
Why it's wrong here
io1 is more expensive per IOPS than gp3 and requires paying for provisioned IOPS.
✓
gp3 with 10,000 IOPS and 500 MB/s throughput
Why this is correct
gp3 can achieve 10,000 IOPS at lower cost than io1, and throughput is adequate.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
st1 with 10,000 IOPS
Why it's wrong here
st1 is a throughput-optimized HDD and cannot sustain 10,000 IOPS; its max IOPS is 500.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume io1 is the only option for guaranteed IOPS due to its 'Provisioned IOPS' branding, overlooking gp3's ability to provision IOPS independently at a lower cost, or they may incorrectly think HDD-based volumes (sc1, st1) can achieve high IOPS values.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
gp3 volumes use a non-volatile memory express (NVMe) interface on Nitro-based instances, enabling independent scaling of IOPS and throughput without the need for dedicated IOPS provisioning like io1. For SAP BW, which involves mixed read/write patterns during ETL processes, gp3's ability to burst beyond baseline using earned I/O credits (if configured with a baseline below peak) can handle transient spikes, though for sustained 10,000 IOPS, you must provision that level explicitly. Under the hood, gp3 uses a credit-based bucket model where baseline performance is always available, and any provisioned IOPS above baseline are guaranteed without bursting, ensuring consistent performance for SAP workloads.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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: gp3 with 10,000 IOPS and 500 MB/s throughput — Amazon EBS gp3 volumes can provision up to 16,000 IOPS and 1,000 MB/s throughput independently, making them suitable for SAP BW workloads requiring 10,000 IOPS. gp3 offers a lower cost than io1 because it includes a baseline performance (3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s) and only charges for additional provisioned IOPS and throughput, whereas io1 charges for every provisioned IOPS. This makes gp3 the most cost-effective choice to meet or exceed the required 10,000 IOPS and 500 MB/s throughput.
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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