Quick Answer
The answer is Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes for the SAP HANA data volume in production. This is correct because SAP HANA demands extremely high IOPS and sub-millisecond latency for its data volume, and io2 Block Express is the only AWS block storage that delivers up to 256,000 provisioned IOPS per volume with consistent single-digit millisecond latency, meeting the strict throughput requirements for large-scale production HANA systems. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of storage performance tiers for SAP HANA—a common trap is choosing gp3, which may suffice for smaller non-production systems but lacks the sustained IOPS and latency guarantees for production workloads. Remember that SAP HANA data volume is always block storage, never object or file storage, so S3 and EFS are immediate eliminations. A helpful memory tip: “io2 for HANA’s IO—Block Express for the Express performance.”
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.
A company is designing a new SAP S/4HANA workload on AWS. Which storage service should be used for the SAP HANA data volume to meet the required throughput and latency for production systems?
Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes
io2 Block Express provides up to 256K IOPS and low latency, ideal for SAP HANA.
Amazon S3
Why wrong: S3 is object storage and cannot be used as block device for HANA.
Amazon EFS
Why wrong: EFS is file storage and not suitable for HANA data volumes.
Amazon EBS gp3 volumes
Why wrong: gp3 may not meet the highest performance requirements for production HANA systems.
Answer choices
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
Option B is correct because SAP HANA requires high IOPS and low latency, which is best provided by Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes with provisioned IOPS. Option A is wrong because EBS gp3 may not provide sufficient performance for large production HANA systems. Option C is wrong because S3 is object storage, not block storage. Option D is wrong because EFS is file storage, not block storage.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes
Why this is correct
io2 Block Express provides up to 256K IOPS and low latency, ideal for SAP HANA.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Amazon S3
Why it's wrong here
S3 is object storage and cannot be used as block device for HANA.
Amazon EFS
Why it's wrong here
EFS is file storage and not suitable for HANA data volumes.
Amazon EBS gp3 volumes
Why it's wrong here
gp3 may not meet the highest performance requirements for production HANA systems.
Common exam traps
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
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.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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.
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FAQ
Design of SAP Workloads on AWS — This question tests Design of SAP Workloads on AWS — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes — Option B is correct because SAP HANA requires high IOPS and low latency, which is best provided by Amazon EBS io2 Block Express volumes with provisioned IOPS. Option A is wrong because EBS gp3 may not provide sufficient performance for large production HANA systems. Option C is wrong because S3 is object storage, not block storage. Option D is wrong because EFS is file storage, not block storage.
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.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 20, 2026
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.
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