- A
A quorum device (e.g., STONITH)
STONITH ensures node fencing to prevent split-brain.
- B
An Application Load Balancer
Why wrong: ALB is not typically used for SAP HANA HA; Pacemaker manages VIP.
- C
Amazon Route 53 health checks
Why wrong: Route 53 can be used but is not essential for Pacemaker.
- D
A virtual IP address
VIP allows clients to connect to the active node.
- E
Amazon CloudWatch alarms
Why wrong: CloudWatch is for monitoring, not required for cluster operation.
Question 1,555 of 1,733
Essential Pacemaker Cluster Components for SAP HANA on AWS
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 administrator is configuring high availability for SAP HANA on AWS. Which TWO components are essential for a Pacemaker-based cluster?
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
✓
A quorum device (e.g., STONITH)
A quorum device (e.g., STONITH) is essential for a Pacemaker-based cluster because it provides fencing, which ensures that a failed or partitioned node cannot continue to access shared resources or cause data corruption. STONITH (Shoot The Other Node In The Head) acts as the cluster's final arbiter, forcibly isolating or powering off an unresponsive node to maintain data integrity and prevent split-brain scenarios.
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.
- ✓
A quorum device (e.g., STONITH)
Why this is correct
STONITH ensures node fencing to prevent split-brain.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
An Application Load Balancer
Why it's wrong here
ALB is not typically used for SAP HANA HA; Pacemaker manages VIP.
- ✗
Amazon Route 53 health checks
Why it's wrong here
Route 53 can be used but is not essential for Pacemaker.
- ✓
A virtual IP address
Why this is correct
VIP allows clients to connect to the active node.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Amazon CloudWatch alarms
Why it's wrong here
CloudWatch is for monitoring, not required for cluster operation.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse high-availability components like load balancers or DNS health checks with the cluster-internal mechanisms (fencing and VIP) that Pacemaker specifically requires to maintain data consistency and provide a single endpoint for SAP HANA clients.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Pacemaker relies on a distributed consensus model where each node votes on cluster decisions; a quorum device (often implemented as a STONITH resource using AWS APIs like `fence_aws` or `fence_ec2`) ensures that a node that loses connectivity cannot rejoin the cluster without being fenced first. The virtual IP address (VIP) is managed by Pacemaker's resource agents (e.g., `ocf:heartbeat:IPaddr2`) and is moved between nodes via gratuitous ARP or route table updates, enabling seamless client failover without DNS propagation delays. In AWS, STONITH typically uses the `fence_ec2` agent with IAM permissions to stop or terminate instances, which is critical because shared storage (e.g., EBS) does not provide SCSI-3 persistent reservations for traditional fencing.
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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
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: A quorum device (e.g., STONITH) — A quorum device (e.g., STONITH) is essential for a Pacemaker-based cluster because it provides fencing, which ensures that a failed or partitioned node cannot continue to access shared resources or cause data corruption. STONITH (Shoot The Other Node In The Head) acts as the cluster's final arbiter, forcibly isolating or powering off an unresponsive node to maintain data integrity and prevent split-brain scenarios.
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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