Pure Storage FAAA_004 Exam Questions

Pure Storage helps customers increase storage density in their arrays as new technology becomes available through its Evergreen//One subscription program. Here's an analysis of the options:

Analysis of Options:

A . Customers can attach third-party storage arrays to the Pure Storage array :

Pure Storage does not support attaching third-party storage arrays directly to its arrays. This is not a valid option.

B . Customers can leverage Pure Storage's Capacity Consolidation offering :

While capacity consolidation is a benefit of Pure Storage arrays, it does not specifically address increasing storage density with new technology.

C . Customers can mix HDDs and flash modules within the same array :

Pure Storage arrays are all-flash and do not support mixing HDDs and flash modules. This is not a valid option.

D . Customers can add a shelf with an Evergreen//One subscription :

With Evergreen//One , customers can non-disruptively add new shelves or upgrade their arrays to take advantage of newer, denser storage technologies without rebuying existing storage. This is the correct answer.

Recommendation:

The correct answer is D. Customers can add a shelf with an Evergreen//One subscription .

Evergreen//One Program Overview :

Evergreen//One

Explains the benefits of Evergreen//One, including non-disruptive upgrades and capacity expansion.

FlashArray Expansion Shelves :

FlashArray Expansion Shelves

Details the process of adding shelves to increase storage capacity.

The Right-Size Guarantee is an Evergreen//Forever benefit that allows customers to trade in existing storage shelves for newer, higher-capacity shelves while only paying for the incremental capacity increase. In this scenario, the customer can trade in a 12 TB shelf for a 60 TB shelf and only pay for the additional 48 TB of capacity.

Why This Matters:

The Right-Size Guarantee ensures that customers can upgrade their storage infrastructure without overpaying for capacity they already own. This aligns with Pure Storage's commitment to providing flexible and cost-effective storage solutions.

By leveraging this benefit, the customer can modernize their storage environment while optimizing costs.

Why Not the Other Options?

A . Capacity Consolidation:

Capacity Consolidation refers to the ability to consolidate workloads onto fewer arrays or shelves, but it does not specifically address trading in existing shelves for higher-capacity ones at a reduced cost.

B . Flat is Fair Maintenance:

Flat is Fair Maintenance ensures predictable and consistent maintenance pricing over time, but it does not apply to upgrading or trading in storage shelves.

D . Love Your Storage:

Love Your Storage is a program that provides hardware upgrades and enhancements, but it does not directly relate to trading in shelves for capacity increases.

Key Points:

Right-Size Guarantee: Allows customers to trade in existing shelves for higher-capacity shelves at a reduced cost.

Cost Optimization: Ensures customers only pay for the incremental capacity increase, reducing total cost of ownership (TCO).

Evergreen Benefits: Part of Pure Storage's commitment to delivering flexible and future-proof storage solutions.

Pure Storage Evergreen//Forever Documentation: 'Understanding the Right-Size Guarantee'

Pure Storage Whitepaper: 'Evergreen Architecture and Subscription Benefits'

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: 'How to Leverage the Right-Size Guarantee'

The architectural design that simplifies controller upgrades from FlashArray//XR2 to //XR3 is the use of a common controller chassis for both models. This design allows customers to upgrade their controllers without replacing the entire array chassis, minimizing downtime and complexity during the upgrade process.

Why This Matters:

The common controller chassis ensures that the physical infrastructure (e.g., drive shelves, power supplies, and other components) remains unchanged during the upgrade. Only the controllers themselves need to be swapped out, which significantly reduces the time and effort required for the upgrade.

This approach also eliminates the need for re-cabling or reconfiguring the array, as the chassis and its connections remain consistent between the two models.

Why Not the Other Options?

B . InfiniBand connectivity between controllers: While InfiniBand is used for high-speed communication between controllers in FlashArray systems, it is not directly related to simplifying controller upgrades. It is a feature of the architecture but does not address the ease of upgrading between models.

C . NVRAM modules in both controllers: NVRAM (Non-Volatile RAM) is used to ensure data integrity during power loss, but it is not a factor in simplifying controller upgrades. Both XR2 and XR3 models include NVRAM, so this is not unique to the upgrade process.

D . Re-use of existing HBAs to prevent WWN changes: While reusing HBAs can help avoid changes to World Wide Names (WWNs), this is not a key factor in simplifying the upgrade process. The common controller chassis is the primary design feature that streamlines the upgrade.

Key Points:

Common Controller Chassis: Enables seamless upgrades by allowing the replacement of controllers without changing the rest of the array infrastructure.

Minimized Downtime: Reduces the time and complexity of upgrades, ensuring minimal disruption to operations.

Consistency Across Models: Ensures compatibility and continuity between different generations of FlashArray controllers.

Pure Storage FlashArray//X Documentation: 'Controller Upgrade Process and Best Practices'

Pure Storage Whitepaper: 'Evergreen Architecture and Controller Upgrades'

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: 'Upgrading FlashArray Controllers Without Downtime'

The exhibit shows latency in the VMware environment connected to the FlashArray. When troubleshooting latency issues in a VMware environment, the first step is to identify whether the issue originates from the storage array, the network, or the ESXi host. In this case, the SE should recommend checking the ESXi host , as it is often the source of latency problems in VMware environments.

Why This Matters:

ESXi Host Issues:

The ESXi host could be experiencing resource contention (e.g., CPU, memory, or network bottlenecks) or misconfigurations (e.g., improper queue depth settings or multipathing policies).

High latency on the ESXi host can impact the performance of virtual machines and appear as storage latency, even if the FlashArray itself is functioning optimally.

Why Not the Other Options?

A . Add DirectFlash Modules as the system is disk bound:

Pure Storage FlashArray uses DirectFlash Modules, which are NVMe-based and provide extremely low latency. If the array were disk-bound, it would indicate a hardware limitation, but this is unlikely with FlashArray's architecture. The issue is more likely related to the ESXi host or network.

B . Upgrade the controllers:

Controller upgrades are typically unnecessary unless the array is nearing its performance limits. Since the exhibit does not indicate any signs of controller saturation, this is not the correct recommendation.

C . Add network cards to alleviate network congestion:

While network congestion can cause latency, the issue is more likely related to the ESXi host configuration. Adding network cards should only be considered after confirming network bottlenecks through diagnostics.

Key Points:

ESXi Host Diagnostics: Start by checking the ESXi host for resource contention, misconfigurations, or improper settings.

Storage Array Health: Verify that the FlashArray is not experiencing any performance issues (e.g., high queue depths or latency).

Network Analysis: Only after ruling out the ESXi host and storage array should network-related issues be investigated.

Pure Storage FlashArray Documentation: 'Troubleshooting Latency in VMware Environments'

VMware Best Practices Guide: 'Optimizing ESXi Host Performance'

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: 'Diagnosing and Resolving Latency Issues'

The customer has a cloud-first strategy and does not wish to own additional capital assets, meaning they are looking for a solution that operates entirely within the public cloud without requiring on-premises hardware. Additionally, their primary goal is to reduce cloud storage costs while managing a large volume of database data (100 TB).

Cloud Block Store (CBS) is the ideal solution for this requirement. CBS is a software-defined block storage solution that runs natively in the public cloud (e.g., AWS or Azure). It provides enterprise-grade storage features like deduplication, compression, and thin provisioning, which help optimize storage usage and reduce costs. By leveraging CBS, the customer can efficiently manage their database workloads in the cloud while minimizing storage expenses.

Why Not the Other Options?

A . Evergreen//Flex: This is a subscription-based model for on-premises FlashArray hardware. Since the customer does not want to own any additional capital assets, this option does not align with their cloud-first strategy.

B . Evergreen//Forever: Similar to Evergreen//Flex, this is an on-premises solution that involves hardware ownership, which does not meet the customer's requirements.

D . Portworx DBaaS: While Portworx is a containerized storage solution for databases, it is primarily designed for Kubernetes environments and does not directly address the need to reduce cloud storage costs for traditional database workloads.

Key Points:

Cloud Block Store: A cloud-native block storage solution that reduces storage costs through advanced data reduction techniques.

Cloud-First Strategy: CBS aligns perfectly with the customer's desire to avoid capital expenditures and operate entirely within the public cloud.

Pure Storage Cloud Block Store Documentation: 'Deploying and Managing Cloud Block Store in Azure'

Pure Storage Whitepaper: 'Optimizing Cloud Costs with Cloud Block Store'

Pure Storage Best Practices Guide: 'Database Workloads in the Public Cloud'