- A
Configure a swap file on the instance's root EBS volume
Why wrong: Swap on EBS is slow and not recommended for HANA performance.
- B
Enable HANA memory overcommit and set the memory limit to 90%
Overcommit allows HANA to use more memory than allocated, useful for temporary spikes.
- C
Migrate to an instance with more memory, such as x1e.32xlarge
Why wrong: This is a valid option but not the immediate resolution; it's costly and not always necessary.
- D
Reduce the number of HANA table partitions
Why wrong: Partitioning doesn't directly reduce memory usage.
Question 674 of 1,733
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. 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 administrator notices that the SAP HANA database is running out of memory frequently. The system is deployed on an EC2 instance with 512 GB of RAM. The HANA memory usage is peaking at 480 GB. What should the administrator do to resolve this issue?
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
✓
Enable HANA memory overcommit and set the memory limit to 90%
Option B is correct because SAP HANA on AWS requires memory overcommit to be enabled in the kernel (vm.overcommit_memory=1) and the HANA memory limit set to 90% of the instance's physical RAM. This prevents the Linux OOM killer from terminating HANA processes when memory usage approaches the instance's total capacity, as HANA's in-memory database can temporarily exceed its allocation during spikes. Without overcommit, the kernel may kill HANA even if the 90% limit is respected, because the kernel reserves memory for other processes.
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.
- ✗
Configure a swap file on the instance's root EBS volume
Why it's wrong here
Swap on EBS is slow and not recommended for HANA performance.
- ✓
Enable HANA memory overcommit and set the memory limit to 90%
Why this is correct
Overcommit allows HANA to use more memory than allocated, useful for temporary spikes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Migrate to an instance with more memory, such as x1e.32xlarge
Why it's wrong here
This is a valid option but not the immediate resolution; it's costly and not always necessary.
- ✗
Reduce the number of HANA table partitions
Why it's wrong here
Partitioning doesn't directly reduce memory usage.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume the solution is to add more memory (Option C) or reduce memory usage (Option D), when the actual issue is a kernel-level memory management configuration that prevents HANA from safely using the available RAM up to the 90% limit.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, Linux kernel memory overcommit (vm.overcommit_memory=1) allows processes to allocate more virtual memory than physical RAM, relying on the assumption that not all allocated memory will be used simultaneously. For SAP HANA, this is critical because HANA's memory allocator (using huge pages) can request large contiguous blocks, and without overcommit, the kernel may deny allocations even if the 90% limit is not reached, leading to OOM kills. A real-world scenario: during a data load spike, HANA may temporarily exceed its 90% limit by a few GB; with overcommit enabled, the kernel allows this, whereas without it, the OOM killer terminates HANA, causing downtime.
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
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.
Visual reference
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PAS-C01 question test?
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: Enable HANA memory overcommit and set the memory limit to 90% — Option B is correct because SAP HANA on AWS requires memory overcommit to be enabled in the kernel (vm.overcommit_memory=1) and the HANA memory limit set to 90% of the instance's physical RAM. This prevents the Linux OOM killer from terminating HANA processes when memory usage approaches the instance's total capacity, as HANA's in-memory database can temporarily exceed its allocation during spikes. Without overcommit, the kernel may kill HANA even if the 90% limit is respected, because the kernel reserves memory for other processes.
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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