The correct action is to modify the volume type to gp3 and adjust the throughput setting. This resolves the EBS throughput issue without downtime because gp3 volumes allow you to independently provision baseline throughput and IOPS, unlike gp2 where performance is tied to volume size. When a gp2 volume’s throughput is consistently exceeded, simply changing to gp3—without stopping the instance—lets you increase throughput dynamically while keeping the same storage capacity. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of gp3’s flexibility versus gp2’s burst model, and the common trap is assuming you must stop the instance or resize the volume. Remember: gp3 gives you three independent knobs—size, IOPS, and throughput—so you can fix a throughput bottleneck without touching the OS or rebooting. Memory tip: “gp3, no stop—just tweak the top.”
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.
A company runs a critical SAP HANA database on an Amazon EC2 instance. The operations team receives an alert that the instance's EBS-optimized throughput is consistently exceeding the baseline performance of the gp2 volume. Which action should the team take to resolve the performance issue without downtime?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Modify the volume type to gp3 and adjust the throughput setting.
Option B is correct because modifying the volume type to gp3 allows dynamic adjustment of IOPS and throughput without downtime, improving performance. Option A is wrong because stopping the instance causes downtime. Option C is wrong because increasing the volume size increases baseline IOPS but may not be sufficient and also requires downtime if the OS partition is resized. Option D is wrong because enabling EBS optimization on a running instance requires a reboot.
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 EBS optimization on the EC2 instance.
Why it's wrong here
EBS optimization is already enabled for the instance type; changing it requires a reboot.
✗
Increase the volume size to improve baseline IOPS.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing size may not solve throughput issue and may require downtime for partition resizing.
✓
Modify the volume type to gp3 and adjust the throughput setting.
Why this is correct
gp3 volumes support independent throughput adjustments without downtime.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Stop the EC2 instance and increase the volume size.
Why it's wrong here
Stopping the instance causes downtime, which is not acceptable.
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.
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: Modify the volume type to gp3 and adjust the throughput setting. — Option B is correct because modifying the volume type to gp3 allows dynamic adjustment of IOPS and throughput without downtime, improving performance. Option A is wrong because stopping the instance causes downtime. Option C is wrong because increasing the volume size increases baseline IOPS but may not be sufficient and also requires downtime if the OS partition is resized. Option D is wrong because enabling EBS optimization on a running instance requires a reboot.
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 →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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.
Question Discussion
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.