The answer is to attach an additional EBS volume, create a logical volume spanning both volumes, and extend the filesystem without downtime. This works because SAP HANA on AWS supports online storage expansion via Linux Logical Volume Manager (LVM), allowing you to add a new EBS volume to an existing volume group and extend the logical volume and filesystem while the database remains active. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of non-disruptive storage scaling for /hana/data, a critical concept for production SAP HANA systems. A common trap is choosing to resize the existing gp2 volume, which can cause performance degradation during the modification, or using EFS, which introduces unacceptable latency for HANA data. Remember the key principle for SAP HANA storage extension online: add, not replace—always extend the logical volume with a new EBS device rather than modifying the existing one. Memory tip: "LVM loves new volumes, not resized old ones."
PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of operations and maintenance. 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 a critical SAP S/4HANA system on AWS. The system uses an SAP HANA database on an EC2 instance with EBS storage. The operations team receives an alert that the database is running out of disk space on the /hana/data volume. The current configuration uses a single 2 TB gp2 EBS volume for /hana/data, which is 85% full. The team needs to resolve the immediate space issue and also plan for future growth. The database is in production and cannot tolerate downtime. The team has enabled Multi-Attach on the volume. Which course of action should the team take?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Attach an additional EBS volume, create a logical volume spanning both volumes, and extend the filesystem without downtime.
Option B is correct because you can add a second EBS volume and extend the logical volume online without downtime. Option A is wrong because resizing gp2 online can cause performance impact and downtime. Option C is wrong because EFS has higher latency and is not suitable for HANA data. Option D is wrong because snapshots require I/O freeze.
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.
✗
Migrate the data to Amazon EFS and mount it to the EC2 instance.
Why it's wrong here
EFS introduces latency and is not recommended for HANA data.
✗
Use the Elastic Volumes feature to modify the size of the existing volume to 4 TB while the instance is running.
Why it's wrong here
Resizing a gp2 volume online can cause performance degradation and may require a reboot to recognize the new size.
✓
Attach an additional EBS volume, create a logical volume spanning both volumes, and extend the filesystem without downtime.
Why this is correct
LVM allows online expansion; no downtime required.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Take an EBS snapshot of the volume, create a larger volume from the snapshot, and attach it to the instance.
Why it's wrong here
This requires detaching the volume, causing downtime.
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.
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.
Operations and Maintenance — This question tests Operations and Maintenance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Attach an additional EBS volume, create a logical volume spanning both volumes, and extend the filesystem without downtime. — Option B is correct because you can add a second EBS volume and extend the logical volume online without downtime. Option A is wrong because resizing gp2 online can cause performance impact and downtime. Option C is wrong because EFS has higher latency and is not suitable for HANA data. Option D is wrong because snapshots require I/O freeze.
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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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.
Question Discussion
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