Pure Storage FAAA_004 Practice Test Questions Answers

The customer is reviewing their disaster recovery (DR) strategy and wants to replicate data to a secondary datacenter while addressing internal SLAs forRPO (Recovery Point Objective)andRTO (Recovery Time Objective). To meet these requirements, the SE should focus on two key Pure Storage FlashArray features:FlashRecoverandActiveDR.

Why These Features?

FlashRecover:

FlashRecover is a snapshot-based replication feature that allows efficient point-in-time copies of data to be replicated to a secondary site.

It helps achieve low RPOs by enabling frequent snapshots and replication to the DR site.

This ensures minimal data loss in the event of a failure.

ActiveDR:

ActiveDR is a disaster recovery solution that provides asynchronous replication between two FlashArrays.

It is specifically designed to minimize RTO by enabling fast failover and failback capabilities.

ActiveDR ensures that the secondary site is always ready to take over with minimal downtime, meeting strict RTO requirements.

Why Not the Other Options?

B. ActiveCluster:

ActiveCluster is a synchronous replication solution for high availability across two sites. While it provides zero RPO and near-zero RTO, it requires both sites to be within synchronous distance (typically <10ms latency). Since the customer is replicating to a secondary datacenter (likely farther away), ActiveCluster is not suitable.

C. CloudSnap:

CloudSnap is a feature that offloads snapshots to cloud storage (e.g., AWS S3 or Azure Blob). While it is useful for backup and archival purposes, it does not provide the real-time replication and failover capabilities needed for DR with strict RPO and RTO SLAs.

Key Points:

FlashRecover:Enables efficient replication with low RPOs through snapshot-based replication.

ActiveDR:Provides asynchronous replication with fast failover and failback capabilities to meet RTO requirements.

SLA Alignment:Both features are designed to help customers meet their internal SLAs for RPO and RTO.

References:

Pure Storage FlashArray Documentation: "Disaster Recovery with FlashRecover and ActiveDR"

Pure Storage Whitepaper: "Meeting RPO and RTO Requirements with FlashArray"

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "Best Practices for Disaster Recovery Planning"

Given that the two FlashArrays are located in different data centers with a network link latency of35 ms, the best Purity feature to provide protection against a site failure with thelowest recovery pointisActiveDR.

Why This Matters:

ActiveDR:

ActiveDR is an asynchronous replication solution designed for disaster recovery scenarios where the secondary site may be geographically distant (e.g., >10 ms latency).

It provides low RPOs (typically seconds to minutes) and supports fast failover and failback capabilities, ensuring minimal data loss and downtime.

With a 35 ms latency between sites, synchronous replication (e.g., ActiveCluster) is not feasible due to the high latency impacting performance.

Why Not the Other Options?

A. ActiveCluster:

ActiveCluster requires synchronous replication, which is only suitable for sites within a low-latency range (<10 ms). At 35 ms latency, ActiveCluster would cause significant performance degradation.

C. Snapshot replication:

Snapshot replication is asynchronous but does not provide the same level of failover and failback capabilities as ActiveDR. It is better suited for backup purposes rather than disaster recovery with low RPOs.

D. Local snapshots:

Local snapshots are useful for point-in-time recovery within a single array but do not protect against site failures.

Key Points:

ActiveDR:Ideal for asynchronous replication with low RPOs and fast failover/failback.

Latency Considerations:ActiveDR supports higher latencies (e.g., 35 ms) compared to synchronous solutions like ActiveCluster.

Disaster Recovery:Ensures protection against site failures with minimal data loss and downtime.

References:

Pure Storage FlashArray Documentation: "ActiveDR for Disaster Recovery"

Pure Storage Whitepaper: "Meeting RPO and RTO Requirements with FlashArray"

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "Choosing the Right Replication Solution for High Latency"

During acontroller upgradeof a Pure Storage FlashArray, theactive/active controller architectureensures there will be no tangible impact on performance. This design allows both controllers to handle I/O operations simultaneously, so even if one controller is being upgraded, the other can continue processing workloads without interruption.

Why This Matters:

Active/Active Architecture:In an active/active design, both controllers share the workload equally. If one controller is taken offline for maintenance or upgrades, the remaining controller seamlessly handles all I/O operations.

This ensures continuous availability and consistent performance during upgrades, minimizing downtime and user impact.

Why Not the Other Options?

B. Stateful controller architecture:

While stateful architectures maintain session information, they do not inherently ensure no performance impact during upgrades. The key factor here is the active/active design.

C. Active/passive controller front-end ports:

In an active/passive design, only one controller is actively handling I/O at any given time. If the active controller is upgraded, the passive controller must take over, which can lead to temporary performance degradation.

D. Primary/secondary controller architecture:

Similar to active/passive, this design relies on a primary controller for all operations, making it less resilient during upgrades compared to active/active.

Key Points:

Active/Active Design:Ensures continuous I/O processing during upgrades.

Seamless Upgrades:Minimizes performance impact and downtime for users.

High Availability:Maintains consistent performance and reliability throughout the upgrade process.

References:

Pure Storage FlashArray Documentation: "Controller Upgrade Process and Best Practices"

Pure Storage Whitepaper: "Active/Active Controller Architecture"

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "Minimizing Impact During Controller Upgrades"

When customers leverage theEvergreen//One offering, billing is based on theeffective capacity consumed.

Why This Matters:

Effective Capacity Consumed:

Evergreen//One is a subscription-based model where customers pay for thelogical capacity they consumeafter applying data reduction techniques like deduplication, compression, and pattern removal.

This ensures customers only pay for the actual usable capacity they need, aligning with Pure Storage's commitment to delivering predictable and cost-effective storage solutions.

Why Not the Other Options?

A. Total capacity installed:

Billing is not based on the total raw capacity installed in the array, as this does not reflect the actual usable capacity after data reduction.

B. Raw capacity consumed:

Raw capacity refers to the physical storage used before applying data reduction. Evergreen//One focuses on effective capacity, not raw capacity.

D. Capacity provisioned to hosts:

Provisioned capacity refers to the logical space allocated to hosts, which may include unused or overprovisioned space. Billing is based on the actual consumed capacity.

Key Points:

Effective Capacity:Reflects the logical capacity consumed after data reduction.

Subscription Model:Aligns with Evergreen//One's focus on predictable and flexible billing.

Data Reduction:Deduplication, compression, and pattern removal optimize storage efficiency, reducing costs for customers.

References:

Pure Storage Evergreen//One Documentation: "Understanding Billing Metrics"

Pure Storage Whitepaper: "Maximizing Value with Evergreen Subscriptions"

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "How Evergreen//One Billing Works"

The offering thatdiscounts controller upgrades with a purchase of qualifying storage capacityisLove Your Storage.

Why This Matters:

Love Your Storage:

This program is part of Pure Storage's Evergreen//Forever subscription model. It allows customers to upgrade their controllers at a discounted rate when they purchase additional qualifying storage capacity.

The goal is to ensure that customers can modernize their infrastructure without incurring excessive costs, aligning with Pure Storage's commitment to providing flexible and future-proof solutions.

Why Not the Other Options?

B. Right-Size Guarantee:

The Right-Size Guarantee allows customers to trade in existing shelves for higher-capacity ones while only paying for the incremental capacity increase. It does not involve discounts on controller upgrades.

C. Capacity Consolidation:

Capacity Consolidation refers to the ability to consolidate workloads onto fewer arrays or shelves but does not include discounts on controller upgrades.

D. Ever Agile:

Ever Agile is a subscription model that provides flexibility in scaling storage and compute resources but does not specifically discount controller upgrades tied to storage purchases.

Key Points:

Love Your Storage:Discounts controller upgrades when purchasing qualifying storage capacity.

Evergreen Benefits:Ensures customers can modernize their infrastructure cost-effectively.

Future-Proofing:Aligns with Pure Storage's commitment to delivering long-term value.

References:

Pure Storage Evergreen//Forever Documentation: "Understanding Love Your Storage"

Pure Storage Whitepaper: "Maximizing Value with Evergreen Subscriptions"

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "How Love Your Storage Works"