- A
The instance memory is exhausted
Why wrong: 200 GB usage on 256 GB leaves 56 GB free, so memory is not exhausted.
- B
HANA is using huge pages instead of swap
Why wrong: Huge pages reduce swap usage, not increase it.
- C
The swap space is too small for the HANA workload
HANA recommends swap equal to RAM; 256 GB swap is needed.
- D
Swap is disabled on the instance
Why wrong: Swap is typically enabled by default on AWS instances.
Question 1,393 of 1,733
SAP HANA Swap Space Sizing
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of technology. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
An SAP administrator notices that the SAP HANA database on an r5.8xlarge instance is experiencing high swap usage. The instance has 256 GB of RAM. The SAP HANA memory usage is 200 GB. What is the most likely cause?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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
✓
The swap space is too small for the HANA workload
High swap usage on an r5.8xlarge instance with 256 GB RAM when SAP HANA is using 200 GB indicates that the system is actively paging memory to disk. SAP HANA is designed to run in-memory and should not normally use swap; however, if the swap space is too small to accommodate the overflow when memory pressure occurs, the system will exhibit high swap activity. The correct answer is C because insufficient swap space forces the kernel to thrash, causing high swap usage even when total memory is not fully exhausted.
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.
- ✗
The instance memory is exhausted
Why it's wrong here
200 GB usage on 256 GB leaves 56 GB free, so memory is not exhausted.
- ✗
HANA is using huge pages instead of swap
Why it's wrong here
Huge pages reduce swap usage, not increase it.
- ✓
The swap space is too small for the HANA workload
Why this is correct
HANA recommends swap equal to RAM; 256 GB swap is needed.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Swap is disabled on the instance
Why it's wrong here
Swap is typically enabled by default on AWS instances.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume high swap usage always means memory is exhausted, but in AWS PAS-C01, the focus is on swap sizing best practices for SAP HANA, where even with free RAM, a small swap partition can cause excessive paging.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Swap usage in Linux is managed by the kernel's page replacement algorithm (e.g., LRU). When memory pressure occurs, the kernel moves inactive pages to swap space. For SAP HANA, which relies on NUMA-aware memory allocation and huge pages (2 MB or 1 GB), excessive swap can severely degrade performance because HANA's column store and delta merge operations expect low-latency memory access. A common real-world scenario is when the swap partition is set to the default AWS recommendation (equal to RAM for instances with less than 2 GB, or 1 GB for larger instances), which is insufficient for HANA workloads that may temporarily exceed memory due to spikes in data loading or query processing.
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.
TExam Day Tips
- 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.
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PAS-C01 question test?
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: The swap space is too small for the HANA workload — High swap usage on an r5.8xlarge instance with 256 GB RAM when SAP HANA is using 200 GB indicates that the system is actively paging memory to disk. SAP HANA is designed to run in-memory and should not normally use swap; however, if the swap space is too small to accommodate the overflow when memory pressure occurs, the system will exhibit high swap activity. The correct answer is C because insufficient swap space forces the kernel to thrash, causing high swap usage even when total memory is not fully exhausted.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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