The answer is to place the SAP BusinessObjects servers in private subnets and use a NAT Gateway for outbound internet alongside a VPN Gateway for on-premises connectivity. This architecture is correct because private subnets prevent direct internet exposure for security, while the NAT Gateway handles outbound traffic like software patches without allowing inbound access, and the VPN Gateway establishes an encrypted tunnel to corporate systems, enabling seamless hybrid communication between the CMS database, audit database, and processing servers. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of network segmentation and hybrid connectivity within a single VPC, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly place servers in public subnets or forget that a NAT Gateway is required for outbound internet from private subnets. A useful memory tip is “Private for protection, NAT for outbound, VPN for on-premises,” which reinforces the three-layer security and connectivity model.
PAS-C01 Design of SAP Workloads on AWS Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of design of sap workloads on aws. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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 is deploying a new SAP BusinessObjects system on AWS. The system will consist of multiple servers: a CMS database server, an audit database server, and several processing servers. The administrator needs to ensure that all servers can communicate with each other and with corporate on-premises systems via a VPN connection. The AWS environment is in a single VPC with public and private subnets. Which network architecture should be used to meet these requirements?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Place servers in private subnets and use a NAT Gateway for outbound internet and a VPN gateway for on-premises connectivity.
Placing the SAP BusinessObjects servers in private subnets ensures they are not directly exposed to the internet, which is a security best practice. A NATGateway provides outbound internet access for tasks like software updates, while a VPN Gateway (or Virtual Private Gateway) establishes encrypted connectivity to the corporate on-premises systems, meeting the requirement for inter-server and hybrid communication.
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.
✓
Place servers in private subnets and use a NAT Gateway for outbound internet and a VPN gateway for on-premises connectivity.
Why this is correct
Private subnets with NAT and VPN provide secure connectivity.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Place all servers in public subnets with Elastic IPs and use security groups to restrict access.
Why it's wrong here
Public subnets expose servers unnecessarily.
✗
Use a single public subnet for all servers and rely on network ACLs for isolation.
Why it's wrong here
Public subnet not recommended for security.
✗
Place servers in private subnets and use a bastion host for all inter-server communication.
Why it's wrong here
Bastion host is for administrative access, not for server-to-server traffic.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the purpose of a NATGateway (outbound internet only) with a bastion host (administrative access) or mistakenly think public subnets are acceptable for SAP servers, ignoring the security and compliance requirements for private, isolated workloads.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the VPNGateway (Virtual Private Gateway) attaches to the VPC and terminates IPsec VPN tunnels (using IKEv1 or IKEv2) to the on-premises VPN device, enabling encrypted traffic over the internet. The NAT Gateway, deployed in a public subnet with an Elastic IP, translates private subnet IPs to a single public IP for outbound traffic, but does not allow inbound connections, maintaining a strong security posture. In real-world SAP deployments, this architecture ensures that the CMS and audit databases remain isolated while still reaching on-premises systems for data replication or user authentication.
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 media company stores terabytes of video archives that are accessed once a year for audit purposes. Moving these objects to a cold storage tier (Azure Archive, S3 Glacier, or Google Nearline) costs a fraction of hot storage. Questions like this test whether you understand storage tiers, access frequency tradeoffs, and retrieval latency requirements.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Design of SAP Workloads on AWS — This question tests Design of SAP Workloads on AWS — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Place servers in private subnets and use a NAT Gateway for outbound internet and a VPN gateway for on-premises connectivity. — Placing the SAP BusinessObjects servers in private subnets ensures they are not directly exposed to the internet, which is a security best practice. A NAT Gateway provides outbound internet access for tasks like software updates, while a VPN Gateway (or Virtual Private Gateway) establishes encrypted connectivity to the corporate on-premises systems, meeting the requirement for inter-server and hybrid communication.
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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Question Discussion
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