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Question 134 of 1,733

Operations and Maintenance →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question

This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of operations and maintenance. Examine the command output carefully: the correct answer depends on what the output actually shows, not on general recall alone. 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 Basis administrator notices that the SAP application server logs show repeated connection timeouts to the database. The database is running on an RDS for SAP HANA instance. The application server and database are in the same VPC but different subnets. The security groups allow inbound traffic from the application server's security group on port 3xx17. Network ACLs allow both inbound and outbound traffic on ephemeral ports. Despite this, connections fail intermittently. What is the most likely cause?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

A
The RDS instance's DNS name resolves to a different IP address intermittently.
Why wrong: Incorrect. RDS DNS names are stable and do not change intermittently, so this is unlikely to cause connection timeouts.
B
The network ACL is stateful and blocking return traffic.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Network ACLs are stateless, but the configuration described (allowing inbound and outbound on ephemeral ports) is correct for stateless ACLs, so this is not the issue.
C
The security group for the RDS instance does not allow inbound traffic on the HANA internal communication port (e.g., 3xx18).
Correct. SAP HANA requires an additional internal communication port (e.g., 3xx18) to be allowed in the security group. Without it, connections may fail intermittently.
D
The application server's subnet has a route table that points to a NAT gateway instead of the database subnet.
Why wrong: Incorrect. Route tables within a VPC use local routes for communication between subnets, so a NAT gateway in the route table does not affect database traffic within the same VPC.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

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

✓

The security group for the RDS instance does not allow inbound traffic on the HANA internal communication port (e.g., 3xx18).

Option C is correct because SAP HANA uses multiple ports for internal communication. While port 3xx17 (SQL) is allowed, the missing inbound rule for the HANA internal communication port (e.g., 3xx18) causes intermittent connection timeouts. Option A is incorrect because RDS DNS names are stable and do not change intermittently. Option B is incorrect because network ACLs are stateless, but the problem states both inbound and outbound are allowed on ephemeral ports, so return traffic is not blocked. Option D is incorrect because route tables within a VPC use local routes for database traffic, and NAT gateways do not affect intra-VPC traffic.

Key principle: Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
The RDS instance's DNS name resolves to a different IP address intermittently.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. RDS DNS names are stable and do not change intermittently, so this is unlikely to cause connection timeouts.
✗
The network ACL is stateful and blocking return traffic.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Network ACLs are stateless, but the configuration described (allowing inbound and outbound on ephemeral ports) is correct for stateless ACLs, so this is not the issue.
✓
The security group for the RDS instance does not allow inbound traffic on the HANA internal communication port (e.g., 3xx18).
Why this is correct
Correct. SAP HANA requires an additional internal communication port (e.g., 3xx18) to be allowed in the security group. Without it, connections may fail intermittently.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
✗
The application server's subnet has a route table that points to a NAT gateway instead of the database subnet.
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect. Route tables within a VPC use local routes for communication between subnets, so a NAT gateway in the route table does not affect database traffic within the same VPC.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: usable hosts are not the same as total addresses

Subnetting questions often tempt you into counting all addresses. In normal IPv4 subnets, the network and broadcast addresses are not usable host addresses.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Subnetting questions test whether you can identify the network, broadcast address, usable range, mask and correct subnet. Slow down enough to calculate the block size correctly.

KKey Concepts to Remember

CIDR notation defines the prefix length.
Block size helps identify subnet boundaries.
Network and broadcast addresses are not usable hosts in normal IPv4 subnets.
The required host count determines the smallest suitable subnet.

TExam Day Tips

Write the block size before choosing the subnet.
Check whether the question asks for hosts, subnets or a specific address range.
Do not confuse /24, /25, /26 and /27 host counts.

Key takeaway

Count usable hosts — not total addresses — and remember that the network and broadcast addresses are not available to hosts in standard IPv4 subnets.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A healthcare organisation deploys an application with a public-facing web tier and a private database tier. The database subnet has no public IP and only accepts connections from the web tier's security group. Questions like this test whether you can design cloud network isolation using VNets/VPCs, subnets, and security group rules.

Visual reference

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Review block sizes, usable host formulas (2^n − 2), and how to find network and broadcast addresses for /24 through /30. Then practise related PAS-C01 subnetting questions on CIDR, address ranges, and subnet selection.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this PAS-C01 question test?

Operations and Maintenance — This question tests Operations and Maintenance — CIDR notation defines the prefix length..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The security group for the RDS instance does not allow inbound traffic on the HANA internal communication port (e.g., 3xx18). — Option C is correct because SAP HANA uses multiple ports for internal communication. While port 3xx17 (SQL) is allowed, the missing inbound rule for the HANA internal communication port (e.g., 3xx18) causes intermittent connection timeouts. Option A is incorrect because RDS DNS names are stable and do not change intermittently. Option B is incorrect because network ACLs are stateless, but the problem states both inbound and outbound are allowed on ephemeral ports, so return traffic is not blocked. Option D is incorrect because route tables within a VPC use local routes for database traffic, and NAT gateways do not affect intra-VPC traffic.

What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

CIDR notation defines the prefix length.

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