The answer is to replace the instance with an x1e.16xlarge to increase both CPU and memory capacity. This directly resolves the high CPU utilization and the read latency issue because the x1e.16xlarge doubles the vCPUs and memory, providing more processing power to handle peak query loads and reducing contention on the EBS volume by allowing more data to reside in memory rather than being paged to disk. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of SAP HANA performance instance scaling with x1e, where the key insight is that read latency above 20 ms on a gp3 volume often signals an undersized instance rather than a storage problem. A common trap is to focus on increasing IOPS or changing volume types, but the real bottleneck here is the instance’s compute and memory ceiling. Remember the mnemonic: “High CPU and slow reads? Scale the instance, not the disks.”
PAS-C01 Technology Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of technology. 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 company runs its SAP ERP system on AWS using SAP HANA as the database. The HANA database is deployed on an EC2 instance with 2 TB of memory. The system has been running for months, but recently the application team reported that some queries are taking significantly longer than usual. The operations team checks the CloudWatch metrics and sees that the database instance's CPU utilization is consistently above 90% during peak hours. They also notice that the EBS volume used for HANA data files has a read latency of over 20 ms. The volume is a gp3 volume with 16,000 IOPS. The instance type is an x1e.8xlarge. The team suspects that the instance is not optimized for the workload. What should they do to resolve the performance issue?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Replace the instance with an x1e.16xlarge instance to increase CPU and memory capacity.
Option D is correct: The high CPU and read latency suggest that the instance type is insufficient. Switching to an x1e.16xlarge doubles vCPUs and memory, addressing both issues. Option A is wrong because increasing IOPS may help latency but does not address CPU. Option B is wrong because enabling EBS optimization is already default on x1e instances. Option C is wrong because moving to gp2 may reduce performance.
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.
✗
Change the EBS volume type to gp2 with a larger size.
Why it's wrong here
gp2 may not provide better performance.
✗
Increase the gp3 volume IOPS to 32,000 to reduce read latency.
Why it's wrong here
Higher IOPS may improve latency but CPU remains high.
✓
Replace the instance with an x1e.16xlarge instance to increase CPU and memory capacity.
Why this is correct
More vCPUs and memory will handle the workload.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Enable EBS optimization on the EC2 instance.
Why it's wrong here
x1e instances are already EBS-optimized by default.
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 cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
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.
Technology — This question tests Technology — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Replace the instance with an x1e.16xlarge instance to increase CPU and memory capacity. — Option D is correct: The high CPU and read latency suggest that the instance type is insufficient. Switching to an x1e.16xlarge doubles vCPUs and memory, addressing both issues. Option A is wrong because increasing IOPS may help latency but does not address CPU. Option B is wrong because enabling EBS optimization is already default on x1e instances. Option C is wrong because moving to gp2 may reduce performance.
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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