The answer is Amazon CloudWatch and AWS Auto Scaling because SAP HANA memory monitoring requires custom metrics since standard EC2 metrics don’t track memory usage, and CloudWatch alarms can trigger AWS Auto Scaling to vertically scale the instance or add resources. For the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding that SAP HANA’s in-memory nature demands proactive memory monitoring, and that native EC2 Auto Scaling is designed for horizontal scaling of instance groups, not vertical scaling of a single HANA database. A common trap is choosing AWS Lambda for automation, but Lambda is a compute service, not a scaling orchestrator. Remember the mnemonic “HANA needs a Watch and a Scale” — CloudWatch watches memory, Auto Scaling scales the instance.
PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of operations and maintenance. 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 running SAP HANA on AWS. The system administrator notices that the SAP HANA database is frequently running out of memory, causing performance degradation. Which AWS service should the administrator use to set up memory usage alarms and automate scaling of the SAP HANA instance?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Amazon CloudWatch and AWS Auto Scaling
Option B is correct because Amazon CloudWatch can monitor memory metrics (via custom metrics) and trigger alarms; combined with AWS Auto Scaling, it can automatically adjust the instance size or add resources. Option A is wrong because AWS Lambda is a compute service, not a monitoring/scaling service. Option C is wrong because AWS Systems Manager is for management, not native monitoring and auto-scaling. Option D is wrong because Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling works at the instance group level, not for vertical scaling of a single HANA instance.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling
Why it's wrong here
EC2 Auto Scaling is for horizontal scaling, not vertical scaling of a single HANA instance.
✗
AWS Lambda
Why it's wrong here
Lambda is serverless compute; it cannot directly monitor memory or auto-scale EC2 instances.
✗
AWS Systems Manager
Why it's wrong here
Systems Manager is for patch management, automation, not monitoring memory or auto-scaling.
✓
Amazon CloudWatch and AWS Auto Scaling
Why this is correct
CloudWatch monitors memory (via agent) and Auto Scaling can adjust instance type or add instances.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PAS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Operations and Maintenance — This question tests Operations and Maintenance — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Amazon CloudWatch and AWS Auto Scaling — Option B is correct because Amazon CloudWatch can monitor memory metrics (via custom metrics) and trigger alarms; combined with AWS Auto Scaling, it can automatically adjust the instance size or add resources. Option A is wrong because AWS Lambda is a compute service, not a monitoring/scaling service. Option C is wrong because AWS Systems Manager is for management, not native monitoring and auto-scaling. Option D is wrong because Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling works at the instance group level, not for vertical scaling of a single HANA instance.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PAS-C01 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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