Quick Answer
The correct step is to monitor the EBS volume metrics in CloudWatch. This is because CloudWatch provides the key metrics—VolumeReadOps, VolumeWriteOps, VolumeQueueLength, and VolumeThroughput—that directly reveal whether an EBS volume is saturated and unable to deliver the required IOPS for an SAP database workload. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between diagnostic tools for storage bottlenecks versus network or configuration issues. A common trap is to confuse VPC Flow Logs (which track network traffic) or AWS Config (which tracks resource changes) with performance monitoring. Remember: if the SAP team suspects an EBS IOPS bottleneck, always go to CloudWatch first to check the volume’s queue length and IOPS utilization. A useful memory tip is “IOPS = CloudWatch, not Flow Logs”—the “I” in IOPS stands for input/output, which is a storage metric, not a network one.
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of technology. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 SAP system on AWS is experiencing slow performance. The SAP team suspects that the Amazon EBS volumes used for the database are not providing sufficient IOPS. Which step should be taken to identify the bottleneck?
Monitor the EBS volume metrics in CloudWatch
CloudWatch metrics like VolumeQueueLength indicate IOPS saturation.
Use AWS Trusted Advisor to check performance
Why wrong: Trusted Advisor gives recommendations, not real-time metrics.
Enable VPC Flow Logs to analyze network traffic
Why wrong: Flow Logs analyze network, not disk I/O.
Review the AWS Config rules for EBS
Why wrong: Config tracks configuration, not performance.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Monitor the EBS volume metrics in CloudWatch
Option A is correct because Amazon CloudWatch metrics for EBS volumes can show IOPS, throughput, and queue length, helping to identify if the volume is saturated. Option B is incorrect because VPC Flow Logs show network traffic, not disk performance. Option C is incorrect because AWS Trusted Advisor provides best-practice checks but not real-time performance metrics. Option D is incorrect because AWS Config records resource configurations, not performance.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Monitor the EBS volume metrics in CloudWatch
Why this is correct
CloudWatch metrics like VolumeQueueLength indicate IOPS saturation.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Use AWS Trusted Advisor to check performance
Why it's wrong here
Trusted Advisor gives recommendations, not real-time metrics.
Enable VPC Flow Logs to analyze network traffic
Why it's wrong here
Flow Logs analyze network, not disk I/O.
Review the AWS Config rules for EBS
Why it's wrong here
Config tracks configuration, not performance.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
Identify which PAS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Technology — This question tests Technology — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Monitor the EBS volume metrics in CloudWatch — Option A is correct because Amazon CloudWatch metrics for EBS volumes can show IOPS, throughput, and queue length, helping to identify if the volume is saturated. Option B is incorrect because VPC Flow Logs show network traffic, not disk performance. Option C is incorrect because AWS Trusted Advisor provides best-practice checks but not real-time performance metrics. Option D is incorrect because AWS Config records resource configurations, not performance.
Identify which PAS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 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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