- A
Increase the EBS volume size to 16 TB to improve IOPS
Why wrong: Increasing size does not guarantee sufficient IOPS; gp2 IOPS scale with size but may not meet HANA requirements.
- B
Use Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP as the storage backend for HANA, as it provides high performance and is certified for SAP HANA
Why wrong: FSx for ONTAP is not SAP HANA certified.
- C
Use an instance with instance store SSDs (e.g., i3en.2xlarge) to get high local I/O performance, and migrate using SAP HANA backup and restore
Why wrong: Instance store is ephemeral and the i3en.2xlarge has insufficient RAM.
- D
Switch to EBS io2 volumes with provisioned IOPS to meet performance requirements, and use AWS DMS to migrate the data
io2 volumes provide consistent high IOPS, and DMS can migrate data efficiently.
Workaround for Insufficient RAM When Migrating SAP HANA to a Smaller Instance
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of migration. 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.
A mid-size company is migrating its SAP Business One on SAP HANA to AWS. The current system runs on a single server with 256 GB RAM and uses a local disk for HANA data. The company wants to minimize capital expenditure and operational overhead. They have already sized the target EC2 instance as an x1e.2xlarge (122 GB RAM) but later realized that SAP HANA requires at least 256 GB RAM for their workload. The migration deadline is in one week. The company has a limited budget and cannot change the instance type to a larger one due to procurement delays. They have an 8 TB EBS gp2 volume attached for HANA data, but it is not meeting performance requirements. The team proposes the following actions:
Option A: Increase the EBS volume size to 16 TB to improve IOPS. Option B: Switch to EBS io2 volumes with provisioned IOPS to meet performance requirements, and use AWS DMS to migrate the data. Option C: Use an instance with instance store SSDs (e.g., i3en.2xlarge) to get high local I/O performance, and migrate using SAP HANA backup and restore. Option D: Use Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP as the storage backend for HANA, as it provides high performance and is certified for SAP HANA.
Which option is the best course of action considering the constraints?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"least"Why it matters: You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
Clue:
"minimum / minimize"Why it matters: Asks for the least resource use — fewest addresses, smallest subnet, lowest overhead. Eliminate over-provisioned options even if they would technically work.
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
Switch to EBS io2 volumes with provisioned IOPS to meet performance requirements, and use AWS DMS to migrate the data
Option D is the best course of action given the constraints. The company is locked into the x1e.2xlarge instance (122 GB RAM) due to procurement delays, even though SAP HANA requires 256 GB RAM for the workload. Option A (increasing EBS volume size) does not proportionally increase IOPS on gp2 volumes and does not address performance. Option B (FSx for NetApp ONTAP) is not SAP HANA certified and adds complexity. Option C (i3en.2xlarge) has only 64 GB RAM, which is worse for memory requirements. Option D uses EBS io2 volumes with provisioned IOPS to meet storage performance needs and AWS DMS for a managed migration, making it the most viable choice despite the RAM limitation. While the RAM shortage persists, it is a known constraint that cannot be resolved within the deadline, and D provides the best balance of performance and operational overhead.
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.
- ✗
Increase the EBS volume size to 16 TB to improve IOPS
Why it's wrong here
Increasing size does not guarantee sufficient IOPS; gp2 IOPS scale with size but may not meet HANA requirements.
- ✗
Use Amazon FSx for NetApp ONTAP as the storage backend for HANA, as it provides high performance and is certified for SAP HANA
Why it's wrong here
FSx for ONTAP is not SAP HANA certified.
- ✗
Use an instance with instance store SSDs (e.g., i3en.2xlarge) to get high local I/O performance, and migrate using SAP HANA backup and restore
Why it's wrong here
Instance store is ephemeral and the i3en.2xlarge has insufficient RAM.
- ✓
Switch to EBS io2 volumes with provisioned IOPS to meet performance requirements, and use AWS DMS to migrate the data
Why this is correct
io2 volumes provide consistent high IOPS, and DMS can migrate data efficiently.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "least", "minimum / minimize" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
How to think about this question
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.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
Visual reference
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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
Questions learners often ask
What does this PAS-C01 question test?
Migration — This question tests Migration — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Switch to EBS io2 volumes with provisioned IOPS to meet performance requirements, and use AWS DMS to migrate the data — Option D is the best course of action given the constraints. The company is locked into the x1e.2xlarge instance (122 GB RAM) due to procurement delays, even though SAP HANA requires 256 GB RAM for the workload. Option A (increasing EBS volume size) does not proportionally increase IOPS on gp2 volumes and does not address performance. Option B (FSx for NetApp ONTAP) is not SAP HANA certified and adds complexity. Option C (i3en.2xlarge) has only 64 GB RAM, which is worse for memory requirements. Option D uses EBS io2 volumes with provisioned IOPS to meet storage performance needs and AWS DMS for a managed migration, making it the most viable choice despite the RAM limitation. While the RAM shortage persists, it is a known constraint that cannot be resolved within the deadline, and D provides the best balance of performance and operational overhead.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "least", "minimum / minimize". You want the option with minimum overhead, fewest steps, or lowest impact — not the most feature-rich or comprehensive answer.
What is the key concept behind this question?
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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