- A
Migrate the /usr/sap directory to Amazon EFS
Why wrong: EFS may introduce network latency and is not optimized for high I/O workloads like SAP /usr/sap.
- B
Move the /usr/sap directory to an instance store volume
Why wrong: Instance store volumes are ephemeral; data would be lost on instance stop/termination, which is not suitable for SAP.
- C
Change the EBS volume type to io2 Block Express with provisioned IOPS
io2 volumes with provisioned IOPS can significantly improve I/O performance for high-throughput workloads like SAP.
- D
Increase the instance size to a larger instance type
Why wrong: Increasing instance size may not directly improve I/O performance of the EBS volume; it provides more network bandwidth but not necessarily lower I/O wait.
Question 426 of 1,733
Improving EBS Performance for SAP Application Server — io2 Block Express Best Practices | AWS SAP on AWS Specialty Explained
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 administrator is troubleshooting a performance issue on an SAP application server running on an EC2 instance. The /usr/sap directory is on an EBS volume. The administrator notices high I/O wait times. Which action should be taken to improve I/O performance?
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 EBS volume type to io2 Block Express with provisioned IOPS
The io2 Block Express volume type provides up to 256,000 provisioned IOPS and sub-millisecond latency, which directly addresses high I/O wait times caused by insufficient IOPS on the EBS volume hosting /usr/sap. SAP application servers are sensitive to storage latency, and increasing provisioned IOPS reduces queue depth and wait times for database and log writes.
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.
- ✗
Migrate the /usr/sap directory to Amazon EFS
Why it's wrong here
EFS may introduce network latency and is not optimized for high I/O workloads like SAP /usr/sap.
- ✗
Move the /usr/sap directory to an instance store volume
Why it's wrong here
Instance store volumes are ephemeral; data would be lost on instance stop/termination, which is not suitable for SAP.
- ✓
Change the EBS volume type to io2 Block Express with provisioned IOPS
Why this is correct
io2 volumes with provisioned IOPS can significantly improve I/O performance for high-throughput workloads like SAP.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Increase the instance size to a larger instance type
Why it's wrong here
Increasing instance size may not directly improve I/O performance of the EBS volume; it provides more network bandwidth but not necessarily lower I/O wait.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse compute scaling (Option D) with storage performance tuning, overlooking that I/O wait is a storage-layer metric that requires adjusting EBS volume type or IOPS, not instance size.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
io2 Block Express uses a SCSI-based protocol over a dedicated network fabric to deliver consistent sub-millisecond latency and up to 4,000 IOPS per GiB. In SAP environments, high I/O wait often stems from log file synchronization (e.g., redo logs) or contention on the /usr/sap/trans directory; provisioning sufficient IOPS on the EBS volume eliminates queuing at the block device level. Real-world tuning involves monitoring the EBS volume queue length (via CloudWatch) and matching provisioned IOPS to the SAP workload's peak demand.
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.
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 EBS volume type to io2 Block Express with provisioned IOPS — The io2 Block Express volume type provides up to 256,000 provisioned IOPS and sub-millisecond latency, which directly addresses high I/O wait times caused by insufficient IOPS on the EBS volume hosting /usr/sap. SAP application servers are sensitive to storage latency, and increasing provisioned IOPS reduces queue depth and wait times for database and log writes.
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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