Oracle to SAP HANA Migration with HSR and DMO
Your company is running SAP Business Suite on Oracle on AWS. The database is hosted on an EC2 instance with EBS volumes configured as RAID 0 for performance. You are planning to migrate to SAP HANA on AWS. The new HANA database will be hosted on a single EC2 instance with EBS io2 volumes. You need to ensure minimal downtime during the migration. Which approach should you take?
Quick Answer
The correct choice is to use SAP HANA System Replication (HSR) with DMO, as this combination enables near-zero downtime by continuously replicating data from the source Oracle database to the target HANA system while the source remains fully operational, with only a brief final cutover to switch users. This approach leverages HSR’s log-based replication to keep the target synchronized and DMO’s ability to handle the heterogeneous migration process, making it ideal for migrating Oracle to SAP HANA on AWS with minimal downtime. On the AWS Certified SAP on AWS Specialty PAS-C01 exam, this scenario tests your understanding of high-availability migration strategies versus cold migration traps—many candidates mistakenly choose AWS DMS, but it does not support HANA as a target, or SAP LaMa, which orchestrates but doesn’t provide near-zero downtime replication. Remember the memory tip: “HSR + DMO = HANA Sync, Zero Downtime.”
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
✓
Use SAP HANA System Replication (HSR) with DMO to replicate data while the source is running, then perform a final cutover.
The correct approach is to use SAP HANA System Replication (HSR) with a Database Migration Option (DMO) migration. This allows continuous data replication from the source Oracle database to the target SAP HANA database while the source system remains operational, minimizing downtime. The final cutover is performed quickly. Option B (AWS DMS) is not suitable because AWS DMS does not support SAP HANA as a target. Option C (SAP LaMa) is a landscape management tool that can automate some migration steps but does not in itself provide near-zero downtime replication; it would typically be used with other methods. Option D (classic DMO with SUM in a single step) requires stopping the source system, resulting in extended downtime.
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 SAP HANA System Replication (HSR) with DMO to replicate data while the source is running, then perform a final cutover.
Why this is correct
HSR with DMO allows minimal downtime by replicating changes during the migration.
- ✗
Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to continuously replicate from Oracle to HANA.
Why it's wrong here
AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) is unsuitable because it does not support direct migration of SAP application databases, such as SAP Business Suite on Oracle, to SAP HANA. SAP migrations typically require specialised SAP-native tools like DMO of SUM for the application and database conversion. However, DMS is tempting as it excels at heterogeneous database migrations, providing continuous replication for minimal downtime, making it ideal for non-SAP database shifts between different platforms.
- ✗
Use SAP Landscape Management (LaMa) to automate the migration with minimal downtime.
Why it's wrong here
LaMa can automate but does not inherently provide near-zero downtime migration for database migration.
- ✗
Perform a classic migration using SAP Software Update Manager (SUM) with database migration option (DMO) in a single step, stopping the source system.
Why it's wrong here
This causes significant downtime as the source system must be stopped.
Quick reference
RAID Level Comparison
| RAID Level | Min Disks | Fault Tolerance | Read | Write | Usable Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | 2 | None | Excellent | Excellent | 100% |
| RAID 1 | 2 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 50% |
| RAID 5 | 3 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 67–94% |
| RAID 6 | 4 | 2 disks | Good | Lower | 50–88% |
| RAID 10 | 4 | 1 disk per mirror | Excellent | Good | 50% |
RAID is not a backup strategy — it protects against disk failure but not against accidental deletion, ransomware, or site-level events.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on PAS-C01
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A company runs its SAP Business Suite on AWS with an Oracle database on an EC2 instance. The database is stored on multiple EBS volumes configured as a RAID 0 array. The company wants to migrate the database to SAP HANA on a new EC2 instance. The SAP HANA instance will use EBS volumes for data and log storage. The current Oracle database size is 500 GB. The company needs to minimize downtime during the migration. Which migration strategy should they use?
hard- A.Use AWS Application Migration Service to migrate the entire EC2 instance.
- B.Use SAP HANA System Replication to replicate data from the source Oracle database to the target HANA database.
- C.Export the Oracle database to a flat file and import into SAP HANA.
- ✓ D.Use AWS Database Migration Service (DMS) to migrate from Oracle to SAP HANA.
Why D: AWS DMS supports heterogeneous migration from Oracle to SAP HANA, enabling minimal downtime through continuous replication. SAP HANA System Replication (HSR) cannot be used because it only works between HANA systems, not from Oracle. Export/import causes extended downtime, and Application Migration Service is for server-level migration, not database-level.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.