The correct answer is to expand the EBS volume size and extend the file system. This directly resolves the EBS volume capacity and performance degradation because gp3 volumes have a baseline throughput that scales with storage size—specifically, gp3 provides 125 MB/s of throughput for every 250 GiB of volume capacity, so increasing the size not only frees up space but also boosts the volume’s performance ceiling without requiring a separate IOPS modification. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of gp3’s performance model and the ability to perform live modifications without downtime, a critical requirement for SAP workloads. A common trap is assuming you must change volume types or only adjust IOPS, but the key insight is that capacity expansion inherently improves baseline throughput for gp3. Memory tip: “More space, more pace” – for gp3, growing the volume automatically accelerates throughput.
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 SAP BusinessObjects on AWS. The system includes a web application server and a CMS database on separate EC2 instances. The operations team receives alerts that the CMS database server's EBS volume is approaching its maximum capacity. The volume is a gp3 EBS volume with 3000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput. Upon investigation, the team finds that the volume is 90% full and write performance has degraded. The application is experiencing slow response times. What should the team do to resolve the 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
✓
Expand the EBS volume size and extend the file system.
Option B is correct because expanding the volume size increases available capacity and also increases baseline performance for gp3 (more capacity = more throughput). This can be done without downtime. Option A is wrong because modifying IOPS alone does not increase capacity. Option C is wrong because converting to io2 might not be necessary and could increase cost. Option D is wrong because moving to instance store is not recommended for persistent data and requires downtime.
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.
✗
Move the database to an instance store volume for better performance.
Why it's wrong here
Instance store is ephemeral; data would be lost on stop/terminate.
✗
Migrate the database to an io2 Block Express volume with higher performance.
Why it's wrong here
This does not address capacity issue and may require downtime.
✗
Increase the IOPS and throughput of the existing volume.
Why it's wrong here
This helps performance but not capacity; the volume is still 90% full.
✓
Expand the EBS volume size and extend the file system.
Why this is correct
Expanding volume increases capacity and improves performance; online resize is possible.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
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: Expand the EBS volume size and extend the file system. — Option B is correct because expanding the volume size increases available capacity and also increases baseline performance for gp3 (more capacity = more throughput). This can be done without downtime. Option A is wrong because modifying IOPS alone does not increase capacity. Option C is wrong because converting to io2 might not be necessary and could increase cost. Option D is wrong because moving to instance store is not recommended for persistent data and requires downtime.
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.
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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.
Question Discussion
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