SAP HANA Storage for Data Volumes: io2 Block Express
A company is migrating its SAP ERP system to AWS and needs to choose a storage option for the SAP HANA database. Which AWS storage service is most suitable for SAP HANA data volumes?
Quick Answer
Choosing storage for SAP HANA data volumes comes down to matching the storage type's performance characteristics to what HANA's in-memory engine actually needs from its persistence layer: high, consistent IOPS and very low latency for both data and log writes. Amazon EBS io2 Block Express is the answer here because it's engineered specifically for this class of demanding, latency-sensitive workload, offering up to 256,000 IOPS per volume with sub-millisecond latency and a level of durability and consistency that meets SAP's certification requirements for production HANA deployments. That combination matters because HANA isn't just storing data at rest - it relies on fast, predictable log writes to maintain durability guarantees while still serving in-memory query performance, so any variability or throughput ceiling in the underlying storage becomes a direct bottleneck on the whole system. This is the distinction to keep in mind when comparing storage options for HANA versus other, less demanding workloads: general-purpose storage types are perfectly adequate for many applications, but HANA's certification requirements and I/O profile specifically call for the highest tier of provisioned-performance storage AWS offers. Whenever a question asks which storage option is most suitable for SAP HANA data or log volumes, and io2 Block Express appears among the choices, it's very likely the intended answer, since it represents the top of AWS's block storage performance tier and is the option built to meet SAP's own certification bar.
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates choose gp3 volumes (Option C) because they are cost-effective and offer good general-purpose performance, but they fail to recognize that SAP HANA production workloads require the maximum IOPS and sub-millisecond latency that only io2 Block Express volumes can provide, as per SAP's certification guidelines.
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
✓
Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes
Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes are the most suitable for SAP HANA data volumes because they provide the highest level of performance, durability, and consistency required for SAP HANA's demanding I/O workloads. io2 Block Express volumes offer up to 256,000 IOPS per volume and sub-millisecond latency, meeting SAP's certification requirements for production SAP HANA deployments on AWS. This storage type ensures the low-latency, high-throughput, and consistent performance that SAP HANA's in-memory database requires for its data and log volumes.
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 S3
Why it's wrong here
S3 is object storage, not block storage, and cannot be used for database data volumes.
- ✓
Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes
Why this is correct
io2 Block Express volumes provide high throughput and low latency, suitable for SAP HANA.
- ✗
Amazon EBS gp3 volumes
Why it's wrong here
gp3 volumes are general purpose and may not provide the consistent low latency required for SAP HANA.
- ✗
Amazon EFS
Why it's wrong here
EFS is a file system, not a block storage device, and not suitable for database data volumes.
Quick reference
AWS S3 Storage Class Comparison
| Storage Class | Min Duration | Retrieval | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S3 Standard | None | Immediate | Frequently accessed data |
| S3 Standard-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Infrequent access, rapid retrieval |
| S3 One Zone-IA | 30 days | Immediate | Non-critical infrequent data |
| S3 Intelligent-Tiering | None | Immediate–hours | Unknown or changing access patterns |
| S3 Glacier Instant | 90 days | Milliseconds | Archive with instant retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Flexible | 90 days | Minutes–hours | Archive, flexible retrieval |
| S3 Glacier Deep Archive | 180 days | Hours | Long-term compliance archive |
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Variation 1. A company is migrating SAP workloads to AWS and needs to choose storage for SAP HANA. Which two storage options are supported for SAP HANA data volumes? (Select TWO.)
easy- ✓ A.Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes.
- B.Amazon S3.
- C.Amazon EFS.
- D.Instance Store (NVMe SSD) volumes.
- ✓ E.Amazon EBS gp3 volumes.
Why A: Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes are supported for SAP HANA data volumes because they provide high durability (99.999% durability) and sub-millisecond latency with up to 256,000 IOPS per volume, meeting SAP's performance requirements for production HANA workloads. Amazon EBS gp3 volumes are also supported for SAP HANA data volumes, offering a baseline of 3,000 IOPS and 125 MB/s throughput with the ability to scale independently, making them suitable for non-production or smaller production environments.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.