- A
Use SAP HANA Studio to export the production database to a file, import it into a new instance, and upgrade. Then redirect users to the new instance.
Why wrong: Export/import is slow and not suitable for large databases.
- B
Perform the upgrade directly on the production HANA instance during a maintenance window.
Why wrong: Direct upgrade requires downtime and carries risk.
- C
Take a full backup of the production HANA database, restore it to a new instance, and perform the upgrade on the new instance. Then switch DNS to the new instance.
Why wrong: Backup and restore takes time and causes extended downtime.
- D
Set up SAP HANA System Replication from the production instance to a new instance. Perform the upgrade on the replica. Once upgraded, perform a takeover to make the new instance the primary.
Replication allows the production system to stay online; takeover is quick.
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. 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.
An organization runs SAP ERP on AWS with an SAP HANA database. The database is deployed on an EC2 instance with EBS storage. The company is planning to upgrade the HANA database from version 2.0 to 2.0 SPS 05. The upgrade process requires a system copy to a new instance. The company wants to minimize the downtime during the upgrade and ensure that the existing system remains available until the new system is ready. The current HANA instance has 1 TB of data. The company has a test environment that can be used for the upgrade. Which approach should the company take to minimize downtime?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
Set up SAP HANA System Replication from the production instance to a new instance. Perform the upgrade on the replica. Once upgraded, perform a takeover to make the new instance the primary.
Option D is correct because SAP HANA System Replication allows you to replicate data from the production instance to a new instance in near real-time. You can then perform the upgrade on the replica while the production system remains fully available. Once the upgrade is complete and validated, a takeover operation promotes the replica to primary, minimizing downtime to just the seconds required for the takeover and DNS switch.
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.
- ✗
Use SAP HANA Studio to export the production database to a file, import it into a new instance, and upgrade. Then redirect users to the new instance.
Why it's wrong here
Export/import is slow and not suitable for large databases.
- ✗
Perform the upgrade directly on the production HANA instance during a maintenance window.
Why it's wrong here
Direct upgrade requires downtime and carries risk.
- ✗
Take a full backup of the production HANA database, restore it to a new instance, and perform the upgrade on the new instance. Then switch DNS to the new instance.
Why it's wrong here
Backup and restore takes time and causes extended downtime.
- ✓
Set up SAP HANA System Replication from the production instance to a new instance. Perform the upgrade on the replica. Once upgraded, perform a takeover to make the new instance the primary.
Why this is correct
Replication allows the production system to stay online; takeover is quick.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
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 often choose Option C (backup and restore) because it seems straightforward, but they overlook that it does not keep the new instance synchronized with ongoing production changes, resulting in longer downtime than the replication-based approach.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SAP HANA System Replication uses log-based replication to continuously ship redo log entries from the primary to the secondary system, ensuring near-zero data loss. During the upgrade on the secondary, replication can be paused or the secondary can be taken out of the replication group, upgraded, and then re-synchronized. The takeover operation uses the `hdbnsutil -sr_takeover` command to promote the secondary to primary, which typically completes in seconds, making this approach ideal for minimizing downtime in large-scale SAP HANA environments.
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 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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PAS-C01 question test?
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: Set up SAP HANA System Replication from the production instance to a new instance. Perform the upgrade on the replica. Once upgraded, perform a takeover to make the new instance the primary. — Option D is correct because SAP HANA System Replication allows you to replicate data from the production instance to a new instance in near real-time. You can then perform the upgrade on the replica while the production system remains fully available. Once the upgrade is complete and validated, a takeover operation promotes the replica to primary, minimizing downtime to just the seconds required for the takeover and DNS switch.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "minimum / minimize". Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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