The correct answer is HANA System Replication (HSR) with automatic failover using a third instance as a quorum, because this configuration prevents split-brain scenarios in a multi-node SAP HANA cluster by providing a tie-breaking vote during network disruptions. For SAP high availability design considerations on AWS, you must also ensure that the ASCS instance relies on a shared file system, such as Amazon EFS or FSx for NetApp ONTAP, to store the global transport directory and instance profiles, enabling seamless failover of enqueue and message server services. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish between intra-region HA mechanisms and cross-region disaster recovery—a common trap is confusing HSR with simple multi-AZ deployment. Remember that within a single Region, you need both the quorum node for HSR and a shared NFS file system for ASCS; without the quorum, automatic failover cannot guarantee data consistency. Memory tip: “Quorum for split-brain, NFS for ASCS pain.”
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. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
Which THREE of the following are valid considerations for designing SAP workloads on AWS to achieve high availability within a single AWS Region? (Choose three.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Use a cluster with a shared file system (e.g., Amazon EFS or FSx) for SAP ASCS
Option C is correct because SAP ASCS (ABAP Central Services) requires a shared file system for the global transport directory and instance profiles to enable failover between cluster nodes. Amazon EFS or FSx for NetApp ONTAP provide the necessary NFS-based shared storage that supports the SAP enqueue replication and message server services during a failover event.
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.
✗
Use AWS Network Load Balancer (NLB) for SAP Enqueue Replication 2 (ENSA2)
Why it's wrong here
ENSA2 uses a built-in mechanism, not an NLB.
✗
Use HANA scale-out with HSR across two nodes for high availability
Why it's wrong here
Scale-out HSR is not a typical HA setup; scale-up is used.
✓
Use a cluster with a shared file system (e.g., Amazon EFS or FSx) for SAP ASCS
Why this is correct
ASCS can be made highly available with a clustered file system.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Use Elastic Network Interface (ENI) failover for the SAP application server floating IP
Why this is correct
ENI failover can be used for SAP application server HA.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Implement HANA System Replication (HSR) with automatic failover using a third instance as a quorum
Why this is correct
HSR requires a third site to avoid split-brain.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Cisco often tests the misconception that ENSA2 requires a load balancer for replication traffic, but in reality, ENSA2 uses direct peer-to-peer communication between ASCS and ERS instances without any intermediate load balancer.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, SAP ASCS uses a floating IP address (virtual IP) that is moved between cluster nodes via a Pacemaker or similar cluster manager, and the shared file system (e.g., Amazon EFS) must support NFSv4 with strong consistency to avoid data corruption during lock table recovery. In real-world scenarios, using EFS with the 'elastic' throughput mode can cause performance bottlenecks for SAP transport directories, so FSx for ONTAP with its lower latency is often preferred for production workloads.
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 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 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: Use a cluster with a shared file system (e.g., Amazon EFS or FSx) for SAP ASCS — Option C is correct because SAP ASCS (ABAP Central Services) requires a shared file system for the global transport directory and instance profiles to enable failover between cluster nodes. Amazon EFS or FSx for NetApp ONTAP provide the necessary NFS-based shared storage that supports the SAP enqueue replication and message server services during a failover event.
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.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
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
Share a tip, memory trick, or ask about the reasoning behind this question. Do not post real exam questions, leaked content, braindumps, or copyrighted exam material. Comments are moderated and may be removed without notice.
Sign in to join the discussion.