The answer is to create separate EBS volumes for /hana/data and /hana/log. This is the most cost-effective design change because SAP HANA’s data and log workloads have fundamentally different I/O patterns—data writes are random, while log writes are sequential—and sharing a single EBS volume forces them to compete for the same queue depth and bandwidth, causing I/O contention and high latency. By isolating each workload onto its own volume, you dedicate IOPS and throughput to each pattern, eliminating the bottleneck without upgrading to premium volume types. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of SAP HANA’s storage architecture and the principle that separating data and log volumes is a foundational best practice, not an optional optimization. A common trap is to assume a larger single volume or a switch to io2 Block Express is needed, but the simplest fix is separation. Memory tip: think “random vs. sequential” for data versus log—never let them share a queue.
PAS-C01 Design of SAP Workloads on AWS Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of design of sap workloads on aws. 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 is running on an EC2 instance with a single EBS volume for /hana/data and /hana/log. The system is experiencing high latency during write operations. What is the most cost-effective design change to improve performance?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create separate EBS volumes for /hana/data and /hana/log, attaching them to the instance
Option A is correct because SAP HANA requires separate EBS volumes for /hana/data and /hana/log to avoid I/O contention. When both directories share a single volume, write operations to the log (sequential) and data (random) compete for the same queue depth and bandwidth, causing high latency. Separating them allows each workload to use dedicated IOPS and throughput, which is the most cost-effective fix without upgrading to premium volume types.
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.
✓
Create separate EBS volumes for /hana/data and /hana/log, attaching them to the instance
Why this is correct
Separating data and log volumes eliminates contention and improves write latency cost-effectively.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use an Instance Store volume for /hana/data
Why it's wrong here
Instance Store is ephemeral and not persistent, risky for database data.
✗
Modify the EBS volume to use Provisioned IOPS (io2) with higher IOPS
Why it's wrong here
This adds cost and still has contention on a single volume.
✗
Increase the size of the existing EBS volume to gain more throughput
Why it's wrong here
Larger volumes provide more baseline IOPS but do not eliminate contention between data and log writes.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often choose Provisioned IOPS (io2) or volume size increases, thinking more performance is needed, when the real issue is I/O contention from sharing a single volume between two distinct workload types.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, SAP HANA uses asynchronous I/O with separate threads for log writes (sequential, small I/O) and data writes (random, larger I/O). On a single EBS volume, the Linux block layer and EBS queue depth become a bottleneck as both streams compete for the same I/O channel. AWS EBS volumes have a maximum queue depth (e.g., 256 for gp3), and mixing sequential and random I/O patterns can cause head-of-line blocking. In real-world scenarios, even with gp3 volumes, separating /hana/data and /hana/log onto distinct EBS volumes can reduce write latency by 40-60% without additional cost.
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 startup's cloud architect reviews their monthly bill and notices costs are higher than expected for a long-running batch job. Switching from on-demand instances to Reserved Instances — or using Spot/Preemptible VMs — can reduce compute costs by up to 72 %. Questions like this test whether you understand the tradeoffs between commitment, flexibility, and cost across cloud pricing models.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Design of SAP Workloads on AWS — This question tests Design of SAP Workloads on AWS — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Create separate EBS volumes for /hana/data and /hana/log, attaching them to the instance — Option A is correct because SAP HANA requires separate EBS volumes for /hana/data and /hana/log to avoid I/O contention. When both directories share a single volume, write operations to the log (sequential) and data (random) compete for the same queue depth and bandwidth, causing high latency. Separating them allows each workload to use dedicated IOPS and throughput, which is the most cost-effective fix without upgrading to premium volume types.
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.
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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