Quick Answer
The answer is VolumeWriteBytes and VolumeIdleTime. VolumeWriteBytes tracks the total write throughput to the EBS volume, and when it consistently approaches the volume’s provisioned throughput limit, it signals a disk I/O bottleneck for SAP HANA. VolumeIdleTime directly measures periods when the volume receives no I/O requests; a persistently low idle time indicates the volume is saturated, meaning it cannot keep up with the database’s demand, which is a classic sign of an I/O bottleneck. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between metrics that measure workload (like throughput) and those that measure saturation (like idle time). A common trap is choosing VolumeQueueLength alone—while it can indicate backpressure, it is not as direct as VolumeIdleTime for identifying a saturated volume. Memory tip: Think “Write + Wait” — VolumeWriteBytes for the work being done, VolumeIdleTime for the waiting.
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of design of sap workloads on aws. 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 administrator is troubleshooting a performance issue with SAP HANA. The database is running on an EC2 instance with EBS volumes. Which TWO metrics should be monitored to identify disk I/O bottlenecks? (Choose 2.)
VolumeIdleTime
Low idle time indicates I/O contention.
NetworkIn
Why wrong: Network metrics are not disk I/O.
VolumeReadBytes
Shows read throughput.
VolumeWriteBytes
Shows write throughput.
CPUUtilization
Why wrong: CPU high may be due to many factors.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
VolumeIdleTime
VolumeIdleTime (A) is correct because it directly indicates when the EBS volume is not receiving I/O requests; a consistently low idle time suggests the volume is saturated and causing a disk I/O bottleneck. For SAP HANA on EC2, monitoring VolumeIdleTime helps identify if the EBS volume's IOPS or throughput limits are being reached, leading to performance degradation.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
VolumeIdleTime
Why this is correct
Low idle time indicates I/O contention.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
NetworkIn
Why it's wrong here
Network metrics are not disk I/O.
VolumeReadBytes
Why this is correct
Shows read throughput.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
VolumeWriteBytes
Why this is correct
Shows write throughput.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
CPUUtilization
Why it's wrong here
CPU high may be due to many factors.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse network I/O (NetworkIn) or CPU utilization with disk I/O metrics, but the question specifically asks for metrics that identify disk I/O bottlenecks, which are only captured by EBS volume-level metrics like VolumeIdleTime, VolumeReadBytes, and VolumeWriteBytes.
Detailed technical explanation
VolumeReadBytes and VolumeWriteBytes (C and D) are both correct metrics because they directly measure the amount of data being read from or written to the EBS volume; when these metrics approach the volume's provisioned IOPS or throughput limits, they indicate a disk I/O bottleneck. In SAP HANA, which relies heavily on persistent storage for savepoints and log writes, monitoring these byte counts alongside VolumeQueueLength helps pinpoint whether the bottleneck is due to I/O size or queue depth.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.
What to study next
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FAQ
Design of SAP Workloads on AWS — This question tests Design of SAP Workloads on AWS — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: VolumeIdleTime — VolumeIdleTime (A) is correct because it directly indicates when the EBS volume is not receiving I/O requests; a consistently low idle time suggests the volume is saturated and causing a disk I/O bottleneck. For SAP HANA on EC2, monitoring VolumeIdleTime helps identify if the EBS volume's IOPS or throughput limits are being reached, leading to performance degradation.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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