The answer is to change the application server instance type to a compute-optimized instance like the c5.4xlarge. This is correct because when diagnosing high CPU on an SAP application server, the immediate bottleneck is CPU contention, not memory, network, or storage; a compute-optimized instance directly provides more vCPUs and higher clock speeds to handle the processing load. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your ability to differentiate between resource-specific bottlenecks—a common trap is to assume the database or network is at fault when CloudWatch shows normal database CPU but high application server CPU. Remember the mnemonic “App CPU, go C5” to recall that application server CPU issues point to compute-optimized families, while database or I/O issues point to memory or storage-optimized types.
PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of operations and maintenance. 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 on AWS experiences intermittent performance degradation during peak hours. CloudWatch metrics show high CPU utilization on the application server but normal on the database server. The application server is an m5.2xlarge instance. Which action should the operations team take FIRST to diagnose the issue?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Change the application server instance type to a compute-optimized instance like c5.4xlarge.
Option B is correct because the issue is likely related to CPU contention on the application server, and upgrading to a compute-optimized instance provides more CPU resources. Option A is wrong because the problem is not network-related. Option C is wrong because the database is not the bottleneck. Option D is wrong because increasing disk IOPS does not address CPU issues.
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.
✓
Change the application server instance type to a compute-optimized instance like c5.4xlarge.
Why this is correct
Compute-optimized instances provide higher CPU performance.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Increase the provisioned IOPS on the database server's EBS volumes.
Why it's wrong here
Database server shows normal CPU utilization; IOPS is not the issue.
✗
Increase the network bandwidth of the application server.
Why it's wrong here
Network bandwidth is not indicated as the bottleneck.
✗
Scale out the application tier by adding more application servers behind a load balancer.
Why it's wrong here
Scaling out may help but the first step should be to check instance type suitability.
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.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Database server shows normal CPU utilization; IOPS is not the issue.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
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.
Operations and Maintenance — This question tests Operations and Maintenance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Change the application server instance type to a compute-optimized instance like c5.4xlarge. — Option B is correct because the issue is likely related to CPU contention on the application server, and upgrading to a compute-optimized instance provides more CPU resources. Option A is wrong because the problem is not network-related. Option C is wrong because the database is not the bottleneck. Option D is wrong because increasing disk IOPS does not address CPU issues.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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