PAS-C01 Technology Practice Question
An SAP system running on AWS experiences a significant performance degradation after a patching activity. The SAP application (PAS) and database (HANA) run on separate EC2 instances. The network throughput between the two instances has dropped. What is the MOST likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse EBS-optimization with network throughput, or assume security group changes are the primary cause of performance degradation after patching, when in fact the placement group change is a subtle but critical networking change that directly impacts inter-instance bandwidth.
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 instances were moved out of a cluster placement group, reducing network throughput.
A cluster placement group provides low-latency, high-bandwidth network connectivity between instances by placing them in the same high-speed, non-blocking rack. Moving instances out of a cluster placement group removes this benefit, reducing network throughput between the SAP PAS and HANA instances, which directly causes performance degradation.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The EBS-optimization feature was disabled on the database instance.
Why it's wrong here
EBS optimization affects storage performance, not network throughput between instances.
- ✓
The instances were moved out of a cluster placement group, reducing network throughput.
Why this is correct
Cluster placement groups provide low-latency, high-throughput networking; leaving the placement group can significantly reduce network performance.
- ✗
The security group rules were modified during patching, restricting traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Modified security groups would block or allow traffic, not cause throughput degradation.
- ✗
The route tables were updated, causing traffic to traverse a NAT gateway.
Why it's wrong here
Route changes would likely break connectivity entirely or add latency, not just reduce throughput.
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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.