The answer is to enable HANA memory overcommit and use Kernel Same-page Merging (KSM) to reduce memory pressure. This is correct because KSM allows the Linux kernel to identify and merge identical memory pages across processes, effectively reducing the total physical memory footprint of SAP HANA, while memory overcommit lets the system allocate more virtual memory than physically available, preventing unnecessary swapping. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of memory optimization for large memory-optimized instances like u-6tb1.metal, where swap usage degrades performance. A common trap is to assume adding swap on EBS volumes solves the issue, but that introduces latency; instead, the exam expects you to recognize that HANA’s memory efficiency relies on kernel-level page sharing. Remember the mnemonic “KSM Keeps Swapping Minimal” to recall that KSM reduces duplicate pages, not swap space.
PAS-C01 Technology Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of technology. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 running on AWS uses a large memory-optimized instance (e.g., u-6tb1.metal). The system administrator notices that SAP workloads are occasionally hitting memory swap, causing performance degradation. The SAP application is configured to use SAP HANA. What is the most effective solution to address this issue?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Enable HANA memory overcommit and use Kernel Same-page Merging (KSM) to reduce memory pressure
Option A is correct because enabling HANA memory overcommit with KSM allows the kernel to share memory pages, reducing overall memory usage. Option B is incorrect because enabling swap on EBS volume adds latency. Option C is incorrect because HANA Large Pages are for CPU efficiency, not memory capacity. Option D is incorrect because CloudWatch alarm does not solve the issue.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Enable HANA memory overcommit and use Kernel Same-page Merging (KSM) to reduce memory pressure
Why this is correct
Reduces memory usage by sharing identical pages.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Configure HANA Large Pages to reduce memory fragmentation
Why it's wrong here
Large pages help CPU efficiency, not memory capacity.
✗
Set up a CloudWatch alarm to notify when memory usage exceeds 90%
Why it's wrong here
Monitoring alone does not solve the issue.
✗
Increase swap space on an attached EBS volume
Why it's wrong here
Swap on EBS is slower and increases latency.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
How to think about this question
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.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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.
Technology — This question tests Technology — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Enable HANA memory overcommit and use Kernel Same-page Merging (KSM) to reduce memory pressure — Option A is correct because enabling HANA memory overcommit with KSM allows the kernel to share memory pages, reducing overall memory usage. Option B is incorrect because enabling swap on EBS volume adds latency. Option C is incorrect because HANA Large Pages are for CPU efficiency, not memory capacity. Option D is incorrect because CloudWatch alarm does not solve the issue.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. An SAP administrator notices that the SAP HANA database on an r5.8xlarge instance is experiencing high swap usage. The instance has 256 GB of RAM. The SAP HANA memory usage is 200 GB. What is the most likely cause?
medium
A.The instance memory is exhausted
B.HANA is using huge pages instead of swap
✓ C.The swap space is too small for the HANA workload
D.Swap is disabled on the instance
Why C: Option C is correct because SAP HANA requires a swap space equal to at least the amount of RAM for HANA to function correctly during memory overcommit scenarios. Option A is incorrect because 200 GB is within the 256 GB RAM limit, so memory is not exhausted. Option B is incorrect because swap is not disabled by default. Option D is incorrect because HANA typically uses huge pages, not swap, for memory allocation.
Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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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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