Optimal SAP HANA Storage: io2 Block Express on AWS
A company wants to migrate its on-premises SAP system to AWS. The system consists of an SAP NetWeaver application server and an SAP HANA database. The database requires ultra-low latency storage. Which AWS storage solution is most suitable for the SAP HANA data volume?
Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes, as they are the most suitable AWS storage solution for SAP HANA data volumes requiring ultra-low latency. This is because io2 Block Express delivers sub-millisecond latency and up to 256,000 IOPS per volume, meeting the demanding performance requirements of SAP HANA’s persistent database storage. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to differentiate storage types for SAP workloads, with a common trap being Instance Store (ephemeral, lost on stop) or EFS (shared file system, not block). A key memory tip: for SAP HANA, think “io2 Block Express for persistent, low-latency block storage” — the “io” stands for input/output optimized, and “Block Express” signals high throughput for database volumes.
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse EC2 Instance Store's low latency with durability, overlooking that SAP HANA requires persistent, non-ephemeral storage for production data.
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
✓
Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes
Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes are the most suitable storage solution for SAP HANA data volumes because they provide ultra-low latency, high durability, and up to 256,000 IOPS per volume with sub-millisecond latency. This meets the stringent performance requirements of SAP HANA, which demands consistent, low-latency storage for its in-memory database operations. io2 Block Express is certified by SAP for production HANA workloads on AWS.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes
Why this is correct
Provides consistent low latency and high IOPS for SAP HANA.
- ✗
EC2 Instance Store
Why it's wrong here
Instance Store is ephemeral, data persists only during instance lifetime.
- ✗
Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
Object storage, not suitable for database volumes.
- ✗
Amazon EFS file system
Why it's wrong here
EFS is not block storage and has higher latency.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on PAS-C01
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company is implementing SAP HANA on AWS and needs to ensure that the storage configuration meets the required IOPS and throughput. The SAP HANA system uses a scale-out architecture with multiple worker nodes. Which type of Amazon EBS volume is recommended for the /hana/data and /hana/log volumes in a production environment?
easy- A.Throughput Optimized HDD (st1)
- B.General Purpose SSD (gp2 or gp3)
- ✓ C.Provisioned IOPS SSD (io1 or io2)
- D.Cold HDD (sc1)
Why C: For SAP HANA production workloads on AWS, the /hana/data and /hana/log volumes require consistent, high IOPS and low latency. Provisioned IOPS SSD (io1 or io2) volumes are recommended because they allow you to specify a guaranteed IOPS rate independent of volume size, meeting SAP's strict performance requirements for scale-out architectures. General Purpose SSD volumes (gp2/gp3) cannot provide the sustained, predictable IOPS needed for critical SAP HANA operations, especially under burst conditions.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.