PAS-C01 Technology Practice Question
An SAP system is experiencing high CPU utilization on the application server. CloudWatch metrics show that the CPU credit balance for the T3 instance is frequently depleted. What is the most cost-effective solution to resolve this issue while maintaining performance?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume the only way to fix CPU credit exhaustion is to move to a larger or non-burstable instance, overlooking the cost-effective T3 unlimited feature that allows continued bursting with minimal additional cost.
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
✓
Enable T3 unlimited on the instance.
Enabling T3 unlimited allows the instance to burst beyond its baseline CPU utilization by spending credits, and when credits are exhausted, it can still burst by incurring a small additional charge per vCPU-hour. This is the most cost-effective solution as it avoids the need to migrate to a larger or different instance type, while maintaining performance for the SAP system's variable workloads.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Add more vCPUs by changing to a C5 instance.
Why it's wrong here
C5 instances are also non-burstable and may increase cost without addressing the credit issue.
- ✓
Enable T3 unlimited on the instance.
Why this is correct
T3 unlimited allows the instance to burst beyond the baseline, paying extra only when credits are exhausted, which is cost-effective for intermittent spikes.
- ✗
Change the instance type to M5.large.
Why it's wrong here
M5 instances are more expensive and may not be necessary if the workload is intermittent.
- ✗
Increase the size of the EBS volumes.
Why it's wrong here
EBS size does not affect CPU credits.
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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.