- A
Deploy a second EC2 instance in the same AZ and configure a Route 53 weighted routing policy.
Why wrong: Same AZ does not protect against AZ failure; weighted routing is not automatic failover.
- B
Use an Auto Scaling group with EC2 instances in two Availability Zones behind an Application Load Balancer.
Auto Scaling with multiple AZs provides cost-effective high availability and load distribution.
- C
Use a multi-AZ RDS database and keep the application on a single EC2 instance.
Why wrong: Database is HA but application layer remains a single point of failure.
- D
Use an EC2 instance in a different region and use Route 53 latency-based routing.
Why wrong: Cross-region adds latency and cost; not cost-effective for application layer.
Question 513 of 1,733
PAS-C01 Technology Practice Question
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 is running on EC2 with a single Availability Zone. The company needs to increase availability for the SAP application layer. Which is the most cost-effective and reliable approach?
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
✓
Use an Auto Scaling group with EC2 instances in two Availability Zones behind an Application Load Balancer.
Option B is correct because it distributes the SAP application layer across multiple EC2 instances in two Availability Zones behind an Application Load Balancer, providing both high availability and fault tolerance. The Auto Scaling group ensures that the desired number of instances are maintained even if an instance or an entire AZ fails, while the ALB performs health checks and routes traffic only to healthy instances. This approach is cost-effective as it avoids over-provisioning and only scales based on demand, and it is reliable because it eliminates a single point of failure at the application tier.
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.
- ✗
Deploy a second EC2 instance in the same AZ and configure a Route 53 weighted routing policy.
Why it's wrong here
Same AZ does not protect against AZ failure; weighted routing is not automatic failover.
- ✓
Use an Auto Scaling group with EC2 instances in two Availability Zones behind an Application Load Balancer.
Why this is correct
Auto Scaling with multiple AZs provides cost-effective high availability and load distribution.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Use a multi-AZ RDS database and keep the application on a single EC2 instance.
Why it's wrong here
Database is HA but application layer remains a single point of failure.
- ✗
Use an EC2 instance in a different region and use Route 53 latency-based routing.
Why it's wrong here
Cross-region adds latency and cost; not cost-effective for application layer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may assume that simply adding a second instance in the same AZ (Option A) or using a multi-AZ database (Option C) is sufficient for application-layer high availability, but they overlook that the application tier itself must be distributed across multiple AZs to survive an AZ outage.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the Application Load Balancer operates at Layer 7 and can perform path-based routing, which is useful for SAP’s multiple interfaces (e.g., SAP GUI, web dispatcher). The Auto Scaling group integrates with EC2 health checks and can automatically replace unhealthy instances based on the ELB health check status, ensuring that the SAP application remains responsive even during instance failures. In a real-world scenario, SAP systems often require sticky sessions (session affinity) to maintain user sessions, which the ALB supports via cookies, and this is critical for SAP’s stateful application behavior.
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 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.
Quick reference
OSI Model Reference
| Layer | Name | PDU | Key Protocols / Devices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Application | Data | HTTP, HTTPS, DNS, SMTP, FTP, SSH |
| 6 | Presentation | Data | TLS / SSL, JPEG, ASCII encoding |
| 5 | Session | Data | NetBIOS, RPC, SIP |
| 4 | Transport | Segment / Datagram | TCP, UDP |
| 3 | Network | Packet | IP, ICMP, OSPF — Routers |
| 2 | Data Link | Frame | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, PPP — Switches, Bridges |
| 1 | Physical | Bits | Cables, NICs, Hubs, Repeaters |
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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: Use an Auto Scaling group with EC2 instances in two Availability Zones behind an Application Load Balancer. — Option B is correct because it distributes the SAP application layer across multiple EC2 instances in two Availability Zones behind an Application Load Balancer, providing both high availability and fault tolerance. The Auto Scaling group ensures that the desired number of instances are maintained even if an instance or an entire AZ fails, while the ALB performs health checks and routes traffic only to healthy instances. This approach is cost-effective as it avoids over-provisioning and only scales based on demand, and it is reliable because it eliminates a single point of failure at the application tier.
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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