PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
An SAP HANA database on AWS experiences a failover from the primary to the secondary node. After the failover, the secondary node (now primary) is running on a different AZ. The SAP application cannot connect to the new primary. What is the MOST likely cause?
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 application connection string points to the old primary's IP address.
After a failover, the new primary node has a different private IP address than the old primary. The SAP application's connection string likely points to the old primary's IP, so it cannot connect to the new primary. Option A is incorrect because HANA system replication can be configured correctly and still cause connectivity issues if the application does not update its connection information. Option B is incorrect because security groups are attached to instances and can be updated, but the issue is typically the IP address change. Option C is incorrect because EBS volumes are automatically attached during a managed failover; connectivity issues stem from network configuration, not storage.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
HANA system replication is not configured correctly.
Why it's wrong here
Replication may be working; the issue is application connectivity, not replication.
- ✗
The security group for the new primary does not allow inbound traffic from the app.
Why it's wrong here
Security groups are not tied to AZ; the same SG applies to both nodes.
- ✗
The EBS volumes are not attached to the new primary.
Why it's wrong here
Storage is typically shared or replicated; the new primary should have its own volumes.
- ✓
The application connection string points to the old primary's IP address.
Why this is correct
After failover, the new primary has a different private IP; the app must use a virtual IP or DNS that updates.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
Go deeper
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.