Quick Answer
The answer is the SwapUsage custom metric from SAP HANA. This is correct because SAP HANA relies on in-memory computing, and when physical memory is exhausted, it begins swapping data to disk; monitoring swap usage directly reveals memory pressure, as high swap activity indicates the database is struggling to keep all data in RAM. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this tests your understanding of how to differentiate between standard AWS metrics and HANA-specific custom metrics—common traps include selecting CPUUtilization or DiskReadOps, which measure compute or storage load, not memory contention. Remember the key distinction: HANA’s swap is not OS swap; it’s an internal memory overflow mechanism. A simple memory tip: “Swap spikes signal memory strife—watch the HANA custom metric for the real story.”
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.
An SAP system on AWS is experiencing slow performance. The operations team suspects a memory bottleneck on the SAP HANA database. Which CloudWatch metric should be monitored to confirm memory pressure?
CPUUtilization
Why wrong: CPU metrics indicate processor load, not memory.
SwapUsage (custom metric from HANA)
High swap usage indicates insufficient physical memory.
DiskReadOps
Why wrong: Disk operations relate to storage I/O, not memory.
NetworkIn
Why wrong: Network metrics measure data transfer, not memory.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
SwapUsage (custom metric from HANA)
Option C is correct because SAP HANA uses swap space when memory is full; high swap usage indicates memory pressure. Option A (CPU) is not memory. Option B (Disk) is storage. Option D (Network) is network.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
CPUUtilization
Why it's wrong here
CPU metrics indicate processor load, not memory.
SwapUsage (custom metric from HANA)
Why this is correct
High swap usage indicates insufficient physical memory.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
DiskReadOps
Why it's wrong here
Disk operations relate to storage I/O, not memory.
NetworkIn
Why it's wrong here
Network metrics measure data transfer, not memory.
Common exam traps
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Detailed technical explanation
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Identify which PAS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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FAQ
Operations and Maintenance — This question tests Operations and Maintenance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: SwapUsage (custom metric from HANA) — Option C is correct because SAP HANA uses swap space when memory is full; high swap usage indicates memory pressure. Option A (CPU) is not memory. Option B (Disk) is storage. Option D (Network) is network.
Identify which PAS-C01 exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
This PAS-C01 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Amazon Web Services certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PAS-C01 exam.
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