- A
The primary and secondary instances must be in the same AWS region
Cross-region replication is possible but not within the same region requirement; however, for low latency, same region is essential.
- B
A Virtual Private Gateway must be attached to the VPC
Why wrong: Replication traffic within a region does not require a VPN gateway.
- C
The EBS volumes must be configured for multi-attach or use a shared file system
For HANA System Replication, the storage must support simultaneous access from both instances.
- D
A cluster placement group must be used
Why wrong: Placement groups are optional and not required for HANA System Replication.
- E
An Application Load Balancer must be configured for the replication traffic
Why wrong: HANA System Replication uses direct connection between instances, not a load balancer.
Quick Answer
The answer is that both SAP HANA instances must reside in the same AWS region, and the EBS volumes must be configured for multi-attach or use a shared file system. This is required because SAP HANA System Replication across AZs relies on low-latency TCP/IP communication, typically under 1 ms round-trip time for synchronous mode, which is only achievable within a single region’s Availability Zones; cross-region latency would break data consistency and failover guarantees. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this question tests your understanding of the network constraints that govern replication topology, often appearing as a trap where candidates mistakenly think cross-region replication is supported. A common memory tip is to remember that “same region, different AZ” is the only valid replication pair for HSR on AWS, and that shared storage or multi-attach EBS is mandatory for the data layer to remain accessible during failover.
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 TWO of the following are required to enable SAP HANA System Replication across two AWS Availability Zones?
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 primary and secondary instances must be in the same AWS region
SAP HANA System Replication requires both primary and secondary instances to be in the same AWS region because the replication protocol (based on TCP/IP) relies on low-latency, synchronous or asynchronous data transfer that is only feasible within a region's Availability Zones. Cross-region replication would introduce latency exceeding SAP's recommended thresholds (typically <1 ms RTT for synchronous replication), risking data consistency and failover reliability.
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 primary and secondary instances must be in the same AWS region
Why this is correct
Cross-region replication is possible but not within the same region requirement; however, for low latency, same region is essential.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
A Virtual Private Gateway must be attached to the VPC
- ✓
The EBS volumes must be configured for multi-attach or use a shared file system
Why this is correct
For HANA System Replication, the storage must support simultaneous access from both instances.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
A cluster placement group must be used
Why it's wrong here
Placement groups are optional and not required for HANA System Replication.
- ✗
An Application Load Balancer must be configured for the replication traffic
Why it's wrong here
HANA System Replication uses direct connection between instances, not a load balancer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse SAP HANA System Replication (which requires same-region AZs) with SAP HANA scale-out or backup scenarios that might use shared storage or cross-region replication, leading them to select EBS multi-attach or cross-region options incorrectly.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
SAP HANA System Replication uses log shipping over TCP/IP, where the primary HANA instance writes redo log entries to the secondary instance. For synchronous replication, the primary waits for acknowledgment from the secondary before committing a transaction, making network latency critical—AWS AZs within a region typically have <1 ms RTT, while cross-region latency can exceed 10 ms. The replication also requires the same SAP HANA revision and a dedicated network path (e.g., VPC subnet routing or Transit Gateway) but does not involve EBS multi-attach or shared file systems, as HANA uses local storage for data and logs.
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
An e-commerce site experiences heavy traffic on Black Friday and near-zero traffic during off-peak weeks. Rather than provisioning permanent large VMs, the team uses auto-scaling groups that add capacity automatically under load and reduce it overnight. Questions like this test whether you understand elasticity, availability zones, and cloud compute scaling patterns.
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this PAS-C01 question test?
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: The primary and secondary instances must be in the same AWS region — SAP HANA System Replication requires both primary and secondary instances to be in the same AWS region because the replication protocol (based on TCP/IP) relies on low-latency, synchronous or asynchronous data transfer that is only feasible within a region's Availability Zones. Cross-region replication would introduce latency exceeding SAP's recommended thresholds (typically <1 ms RTT for synchronous replication), risking data consistency and failover reliability.
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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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 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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