SAP HANA Storage Options on AWS
A company is planning to migrate its SAP HANA database to AWS. The database is 5 TB in size and requires high IOPS for online transaction processing (OLTP) workloads. Which THREE AWS storage options are suitable for SAP HANA data volumes? (Choose THREE.)
Quick Answer
The correct answer is Amazon EBS gp3 volumes, along with io2 Block Express and instance store, as these three storage options are the only ones supported for SAP HANA data volumes on AWS. This is because SAP HANA requires block-level storage with consistent, high IOPS for OLTP workloads, and both io2 Block Express and gp3 are EBS volume types that deliver the necessary performance and durability, while instance store offers ultra-low latency for temporary data. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of the specific storage requirements for SAP HANA, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly choose Amazon EFS or S3, which are file and object storage respectively and not supported for HANA data volumes. A key memory tip is to remember that HANA data needs block storage only—think “EBS or Instance Store, never EFS or S3.”
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse Amazon S3 or EFS as suitable for database workloads due to their scalability, but they lack the block-level access and consistent high IOPS required for SAP HANA data volumes.
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
✓
EC2 instance store (NVMe SSD)
EC2 instance store (NVMe SSD) provides very high IOPS and low latency directly attached to the host, which is suitable for SAP HANA data volumes that require high performance for OLTP workloads. However, instance store is ephemeral, so it must be used with replication or backup strategies for persistence.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
EC2 instance store (NVMe SSD)
Why this is correct
Instance store provides very high IOPS, but data is ephemeral; suitable for /hana/data with replication.
- ✓
Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes
Why this is correct
io2 Block Express supports up to 256,000 IOPS and is SAP-certified for HANA data.
- ✗
Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
S3 is object storage, not block storage, and cannot be used for HANA data volumes.
- ✓
Amazon EBS gp3 volumes
Why this is correct
gp3 can be used for /hana/data if IOPS requirements are moderate, but io2 is preferred.
- ✗
Amazon EFS
Why it's wrong here
EFS is a file system, not block storage, and is not supported for HANA data.
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 planning to migrate its SAP HANA database to AWS. The database size is 3 TB, and they need high I/O performance with low latency. The SAP workload is critical and requires high availability. Which AWS storage solution should they choose for the HANA data volume?
easy- A.Amazon EBS gp3 volumes.
- B.EC2 Instance Store volumes.
- C.Amazon EFS with Provisioned Throughput.
- ✓ D.Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes.
Why D: AWS strongly recommends using Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes for SAP HANA data volumes due to their high performance, low latency, and high durability, which meet SAP's critical workload and high availability requirements. Option A (EBS gp3) is cost-effective but may not provide the consistent low latency required for SAP HANA. Option B (EC2 Instance Store) offers low latency but is ephemeral and does not provide data persistence, making it unsuitable for database data. Option C (EFS with Provisioned Throughput) is a file system, not block storage, and is not supported for SAP HANA data volumes.
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.