The correct answer is to verify HANA memory allocation, check CPU utilization, and review slow queries. These three steps directly address the most common root causes of slow SAP HANA performance on AWS, as memory pressure from misconfigured allocation limits often leads to swapping, high CPU usage indicates inefficient processing or contention, and slow queries reveal poorly optimized SQL or missing indexes. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your ability to apply a structured diagnostic approach rather than jumping to scaling actions—a common trap is selecting “scale up the instance” prematurely, which wastes cost without resolving the underlying bottleneck. Remember the mnemonic “M-C-S” for Memory, CPU, Slow queries: always check these three before resizing your AWS infrastructure.
PAS-C01 Operations and Maintenance Practice Question
This PAS-C01 practice question tests your understanding of operations and maintenance. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 steps should be taken when troubleshooting a slow-running SAP HANA database on AWS? (Select THREE.)
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Review HANA SQL plan cache for slow queries
Option A is correct - verify memory allocation is a key step. Option C is correct - check CPU utilization. Option D is correct - review slow queries. Option B is incorrect - scaling up before analysis may be premature. Option E is incorrect - checking IAM roles is not directly related to HANA performance.
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.
✗
Immediately scale up the EC2 instance type
Why it's wrong here
Analyze first before scaling.
✓
Review HANA SQL plan cache for slow queries
Why this is correct
Slow queries can indicate performance issues.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✓
Check CloudWatch metrics for CPU utilization and disk I/O
Why this is correct
High CPU or I/O can cause slowness.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Review IAM roles attached to the instance
Why it's wrong here
IAM roles are for permissions, not performance.
✓
Verify HANA memory allocation and check for memory pressure
Why this is correct
Memory pressure can cause swapping.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
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
How to think about this question
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.
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.
Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
→Underline the problem statement mentally.
→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 company's IT admin needs to give a contractor read-only access to production logs without sharing account credentials. Using role-based access control (RBAC) and temporary scoped permissions — not a permanent shared password — is the correct pattern. Questions like this test whether you can apply least-privilege access across cloud identity services.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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.
Operations and Maintenance — This question tests Operations and Maintenance — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Review HANA SQL plan cache for slow queries — Option A is correct - verify memory allocation is a key step. Option C is correct - check CPU utilization. Option D is correct - review slow queries. Option B is incorrect - scaling up before analysis may be premature. Option E is incorrect - checking IAM roles is not directly related to HANA performance.
What should I do if I get this PAS-C01 question wrong?
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.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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
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