Question 1,622 of 1,733
TechnologymediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Improving SAP Database Write Performance on AWS RDS gp2

This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of technology. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 is experiencing high latency for database writes. The database is running on an RDS instance with General Purpose (gp2) storage. What change will PROVIDE the most immediate performance improvement?

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

Change the storage type to Provisioned IOPS (io1 or io2).

The SAP system is experiencing high latency for database writes, which is a latency-sensitive workload. General Purpose (gp2) storage provides a baseline of 3 IOPS per GB, but its burst model can lead to performance degradation under sustained high write loads. Changing to Provisioned IOPS (io1 or io2) guarantees consistent, low-latency I/O performance by allowing you to provision a specific number of IOPS independently of storage size, providing the most immediate performance improvement for write-heavy operations.

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 storage type to Provisioned IOPS (io1 or io2).

    Why this is correct

    Provides consistent low latency for writes.

    Related concept

    Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

  • Add a read replica to offload read traffic.

    Why it's wrong here

    Does not improve write latency.

  • Increase the allocated storage size to increase baseline IOPS.

    Why it's wrong here

    May help but less effective than Provisioned IOPS.

  • Enable Multi-AZ deployment.

    Why it's wrong here

    For availability, not performance.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

The trap here is that candidates often assume increasing storage size (Option C) will immediately boost IOPS, but they overlook the gp2 burst credit mechanism and the fact that Provisioned IOPS provides a guaranteed, immediate performance floor without relying on credits or size-dependent baselines.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Provisioned IOPS (io1/io2) volumes deliver a consistent IOPS performance level, with io2 offering 500 IOPS per GB up to 64,000 IOPS, and are designed for latency-sensitive transactional workloads like SAP. The gp2 burst model uses I/O credits, and once exhausted, performance throttles to the baseline rate, which can cause significant write latency under sustained load. In real-world SAP deployments, even a small increase in write latency can cascade into application-level performance issues, making Provisioned IOPS the standard recommendation for production databases.

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.

TExam Day Tips

  • 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.

Quick reference

AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison

Storage ClassMin DurationRetrievalUse Case
S3 StandardNoneImmediateFrequently accessed data
S3 Standard-IA30 daysImmediateInfrequent access, rapid retrieval
S3 One Zone-IA30 daysImmediateNon-critical infrequent data
S3 Intelligent-TieringNoneImmediate–hoursUnknown or changing access patterns
S3 Glacier Instant90 daysMillisecondsArchive with instant retrieval
S3 Glacier Flexible90 daysMinutes–hoursArchive, flexible retrieval
S3 Glacier Deep Archive180 daysHoursLong-term compliance archive

What to study next

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this PAS-C01 question test?

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: Change the storage type to Provisioned IOPS (io1 or io2). — The SAP system is experiencing high latency for database writes, which is a latency-sensitive workload. General Purpose (gp2) storage provides a baseline of 3 IOPS per GB, but its burst model can lead to performance degradation under sustained high write loads. Changing to Provisioned IOPS (io1 or io2) guarantees consistent, low-latency I/O performance by allowing you to provision a specific number of IOPS independently of storage size, providing the most immediate performance improvement for write-heavy operations.

What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026

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