PAS-C01 Technology Practice Question
An SAP system administrator is troubleshooting an issue where the SAP HANA database is using more memory than expected on an Amazon EC2 instance. The instance type is an x1e.32xlarge with 3,904 GB of RAM. The HANA global.ini file includes the parameter 'memorymanager = global'. The administrator suspects that the HANA memory limit is not set correctly. What should the administrator check to confirm the memory limit?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates assume checking the `global.ini` file directly (Option D) is sufficient, but the exam tests whether you know that the active in-memory configuration must be queried via system views like `M_INIFILE` to confirm the actual enforced limit, especially when `memorymanager = global` is used.
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
✓
Run the SQL statement 'SELECT * FROM M_SERVICE_MEMORY' and compare with 'SELECT VALUE FROM M_INIFILE WHERE KEY='global_allocation_limit'.'
When `memorymanager = global` is set in HANA, the effective memory limit is determined by the `global_allocation_limit` parameter in the `global.ini` file, not by the OS-level memory. Running `SELECT * FROM M_SERVICE_MEMORY` shows actual per-service memory usage, while `SELECT VALUE FROM M_INIFILE WHERE KEY='global_allocation_limit'` retrieves the configured limit. Comparing these two values directly confirms whether the memory limit is set correctly and if HANA is respecting it.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Review Amazon CloudWatch metrics for HANA memory usage.
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch shows actual usage, not the configured limit.
- ✓
Run the SQL statement 'SELECT * FROM M_SERVICE_MEMORY' and compare with 'SELECT VALUE FROM M_INIFILE WHERE KEY='global_allocation_limit'.'
Why this is correct
This shows effective allocation limit and actual usage.
- ✗
Check the output of 'free -g' command on the EC2 instance.
Why it's wrong here
This shows OS-level memory, not HANA limit.
- ✗
Check the 'global_allocation_limit' parameter in the global.ini file.
Why it's wrong here
This shows the configured limit but not the effective limit after OS memory reservation.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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