PAS-C01 Technology Practice Question
An SAP HANA database on AWS requires a backup strategy that includes incremental backups to minimize storage costs. The database is large (2 TB) and the backup window is short. Which AWS service or feature is most suitable for performing incremental backups of SAP HANA?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often choose AWS Backup (Option B) because it is a managed backup service, but it does not natively provide the block-level incremental efficiency of EBS Snapshots for large databases like SAP HANA, and the question specifically asks for the most suitable service for incremental backups with minimal storage costs.
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
✓
Amazon EBS Snapshots
D is correct because Amazon EBS Snapshots provide native incremental backup capability at the block level, which is ideal for large SAP HANA databases (2 TB) with short backup windows. Snapshots capture only changed blocks since the last snapshot, minimizing storage costs and backup time, and can be automated via AWS Backup or custom scripts.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Amazon S3 Lifecycle policies
Why it's wrong here
Lifecycle policies manage object transitions, not backups.
- ✗
AWS Backup
Why it's wrong here
AWS Backup uses EBS snapshots but may not be as efficient for large HANA databases.
- ✗
SAP HANA backup to Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
Backup to S3 is typically a full backup, not incremental.
- ✓
Amazon EBS Snapshots
Why this is correct
EBS Snapshots are incremental and capture only changed blocks, ideal for large databases.
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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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.