The correct action is to change the EBS volume type from gp2 to gp3 and increase the IOPS and throughput settings as needed. This resolves the burst balance drop because gp3 volumes provide a baseline performance of 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput regardless of volume size, eliminating reliance on burst credits that gp2 volumes exhaust under sustained database workloads. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of EBS volume types and their suitability for SAP HANA databases, where consistent I/O is critical. A common trap is choosing io2 Block Express for its high durability, but that is far more expensive and unnecessary for this workload, while st1 volumes are designed for throughput-heavy sequential access, not transactional databases. Remember the memory tip: gp3 gives you baseline, gp2 gives you a burst that will burst your budget.
PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of operations and maintenance. 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.
A company runs a critical SAP ERP system on AWS. The system consists of a single EC2 instance running SAP NetWeaver with an Oracle database on the same instance. The instance type is r5.4xlarge with 500 GB gp2 EBS volume for the database. The operations team receives a CloudWatch alarm that the EBS volume's 'BurstBalance' metric has dropped to 0%. Consequently, the database performance degrades significantly. The team needs to resolve the issue and prevent recurrence. The SAP system cannot tolerate more than 10 minutes of downtime. The budget is limited. Which action should the team take?
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 from gp2 to gp3 and increase the IOPS and throughput settings as needed.
Switching to gp3 provides baseline performance without burst credits and is cost-effective. Option C is correct. Option A is wrong because increasing to io2 volumes is more expensive and may require downtime if not using elasticity. Option B is wrong because changing to st1 is for throughput-optimized workloads, not suitable for database. Option D is wrong because adding more volumes and striping is complex and may require downtime.
Key principle: ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
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 database to an io2 Block Express volume with provisioned IOPS.
Why it's wrong here
io2 is expensive and may exceed budget.
✗
Add additional EBS volumes and configure RAID 0 striping to increase IOPS.
Why it's wrong here
This increases complexity and may require downtime.
✓
Change the EBS volume type from gp2 to gp3 and increase the IOPS and throughput settings as needed.
Why this is correct
gp3 provides consistent baseline performance without burst credits and is cost-effective.
Related concept
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
✗
Increase the volume size to 1000 GB to increase baseline IOPS and burst credits.
Why it's wrong here
Increasing size helps but may not be cost-effective and still relies on burst credits.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: ACLs stop at the first match
ACLs are processed top to bottom. The first matching entry wins, and an implicit deny usually exists at the end.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
ACL questions test precision: source, destination, protocol, port and direction. A generally correct ACL can still fail if it is applied on the wrong interface or in the wrong direction.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
Extended ACLs can match source, destination, protocol and ports.
The first matching ACL entry is used.
There is usually an implicit deny at the end.
TExam Day Tips
→Check inbound versus outbound direction.
→Read the ACL from top to bottom.
→Look for a broader permit or deny above the intended line.
Key takeaway
ACLs process entries top to bottom and stop at the first match. Entry order and interface direction matter as much as the permit or deny statement.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related PAS-C01 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
Operations and Maintenance — This question tests Operations and Maintenance — Standard ACLs match source addresses..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Change the EBS volume type from gp2 to gp3 and increase the IOPS and throughput settings as needed. — Switching to gp3 provides baseline performance without burst credits and is cost-effective. Option C is correct. Option A is wrong because increasing to io2 volumes is more expensive and may require downtime if not using elasticity. Option B is wrong because changing to st1 is for throughput-optimized workloads, not suitable for database. Option D is wrong because adding more volumes and striping is complex and may require downtime.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?
Review ACL processing order, placement rules (standard near destination, extended near source), and inbound vs outbound direction. Study wildcard masks and implicit deny. Then practise related PAS-C01 ACL questions on filtering logic and placement.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Standard ACLs match source addresses.
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Question Discussion
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