Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon Elastic File System (EFS). This is the correct choice because SAP transport directories require a fully managed, POSIX-compliant shared file system using NFS, and Amazon EFS natively supports NFSv4.1 and NFSv4.0 protocols with automatic scaling and high availability—eliminating the need to manage any underlying storage infrastructure. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between managed and unmanaged storage services; a common trap is selecting Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP or Amazon EBS, but EFS is the only fully managed NFS solution that meets SAP’s strict transport directory requirements without manual provisioning. Remember the key differentiator: SAP transport directories need a shared, elastic, POSIX-compliant NFS file system, and EFS delivers that out of the box. A useful memory tip is “EFS for SAP Transports—Fully Managed, No Exports.”
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of migration. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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 organization is migrating an SAP system from on-premises to AWS. The SAP system uses a shared file system (NFS) for transport directories. The company wants a fully managed NFS solution on AWS. Which service should they use?
Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS)
Why wrong: Block storage, cannot be shared across multiple instances.
Amazon FSx for Windows File Server
Why wrong: Uses SMB protocol, not NFS.
Amazon Elastic File System (EFS)
Managed NFS file system.
Amazon S3
Why wrong: Object storage, not a file system.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Amazon Elastic File System (EFS)
Amazon EFS is a fully managed NFS file system that supports the NFSv4.1 and NFSv4.0 protocols, making it the ideal choice for SAP transport directories that require a shared POSIX-compliant file system. It provides high availability, automatic scaling, and eliminates the need to manage underlying storage infrastructure, directly matching the requirement for a fully managed NFS solution on AWS.
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 Elastic Block Store (EBS)
Why it's wrong here
Block storage, cannot be shared across multiple instances.
Amazon FSx for Windows File Server
Why it's wrong here
Uses SMB protocol, not NFS.
Amazon Elastic File System (EFS)
Why this is correct
Managed NFS file system.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
Object storage, not a file system.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse Amazon EBS with a shared file system because it can be formatted with a file system, but they overlook that EBS volumes cannot be attached to multiple EC2 instances simultaneously without additional clustering software, making it unsuitable for NFS-based SAP transport directories.
Detailed technical explanation
SAP transport directories rely on NFS for shared access across multiple application servers, and EFS automatically scales storage capacity and throughput as files are added or accessed, without requiring provisioning. Under the hood, EFS uses a distributed data storage architecture that replicates data across multiple Availability Zones for durability, and it supports both General Purpose and Max I/O performance modes to handle varying workload patterns. In real-world SAP migrations, using EFS for the /usr/sap/trans directory ensures consistent transport management across the landscape while avoiding the operational overhead of self-managed NFS servers.
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
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FAQ
Migration — This question tests Migration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Amazon Elastic File System (EFS) — Amazon EFS is a fully managed NFS file system that supports the NFSv4.1 and NFSv4.0 protocols, making it the ideal choice for SAP transport directories that require a shared POSIX-compliant file system. It provides high availability, automatic scaling, and eliminates the need to manage underlying storage infrastructure, directly matching the requirement for a fully managed NFS solution on AWS.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Same concept, more angles
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An SAP system on AWS is experiencing performance issues. The system uses a shared file system (SAP transport directory) mounted from an NFS server. During migration, the team wants to improve performance and reduce complexity. Which AWS service should replace the NFS server?
mediumWhy D: Option B is correct because Amazon EFS provides a scalable NFS file system that can be shared across multiple EC2 instances. Option A is wrong because Amazon S3 is not a file system. Option C is wrong because AWS Storage Gateway provides file shares but adds complexity. Option D is wrong because Amazon FSx for Windows File Server is for Windows workloads, not SAP typically.
Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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