Free Practice Questions for Pure Storage FlashArray-Implementation-Specialist Exam

The FlashArray//XL is a high-performance, 5U storage system designed for massive scale and throughput. To support its powerful processors and high-density DirectFlash modules, the chassis is equipped withfourPower Supply Units (PSUs).

Consequently, the installation requires4 power connections. Each PSU must be connected to a power source to ensure full redundancy and load sharing. Best practice dictates distributing these four connections across two independent Power Distribution Units (PDUs) (e.g., PSUs 1 & 3 to PDU A, PSUs 2 & 4 to PDU B) to survive the loss of a single power feed or PDU failure without interrupting array operations.

This is a key differentiator from the smaller 3U FlashArray//X models, which typically require only two power connections (one per PSU). Implementation Engineers must ensure that the rack has sufficient outlets (4 for the //XL chassis alone, plus additional outlets for any shelves) before beginning the physical installation.

=========

On theFlashArray//XL, the designated PCIe slots forDirectFlash Shelf (DFS)connectivity areSlot 0 and Slot 6.

The FlashArray//XL features a high-density, high-performance architecture that utilizes100GbE RoCE (RDMA over Converged Ethernet)for backend connectivity to expansion shelves, replacing the SAS protocols used in previous generations.

Slot Assignment:To ensure maximum throughput and redundancy, these backend I/O modules must be balanced across the controller's PCIe bus. The hardware guide and slot map for the //XL explicitly assignSlot 0(typically on the lower riser) andSlot 6(on the upper riser) for the installation of the 2-port 100GbE NVMe-oF cards used to connect DirectFlash Shelves.

Configuration:If a customer orders a FlashArray//XL with external capacity, these cards will be pre-installed or must be seated in these specific slots by the engineer. Using other slots (like 1 or 7, which are often reserved for host I/O or other expansion cards) would result in an invalid configuration or lack of connectivity to the backend storage media.

TheFlashArray//XR2 and //XR3(representing the FlashArray//X generation) utilize a standardized3U(3 Rack Units) chassis form factor.

This 3U chassis is the foundation for the majority of the FlashArray//X line, including the //X10, //X20, //X50, //X70, and //X90 models. It is designed to be compact while providing sufficient airflow and space for the dual controllers, two data packs (up to 20 DirectFlash Modules), and power/cooling infrastructure.

Dimensions:Approximately 5.12 inches (13 cm) in height.

Rack Layout:Implementation Engineers must reserve 3U of contiguous space for the base controller chassis. If expansion shelves are included, they typically require an additional 2U each (for SAS or NVMe shelves).

Option B (4U) is not a standard height for current Pure Storage arrays. Option C (5U) refers to theFlashArray//XL, a larger, performance-optimized platform designed for maximum scale and density, which uses a significantly taller chassis to accommodate more expansion slots and power components. Therefore, for the specified R2/R3 X-series, 3U is the correct height.

To complete the Non-Disruptive Upgrade (NDU) from an//X70R2to an//X90R3using a fully shipped array, the Implementation Engineer must extract and use theControllers and NVRAM modules.

Stateless Architecture:The FlashArray upgrade philosophy allows the chassis and data drives (Data Packs) to remain in place while the compute (controllers) and cache (NVRAM) are swapped.

Component Compatibility:

Controllers:The X90R3 controllers provide the upgraded CPU/performance required.

NVRAM:The NVRAM modules (located in the chassis front or rear slots depending on generation, but logically paired with controller performance) often differ between generations (R2 vs. R3) and performance tiers (70 vs. 90). The X70R2 NVRAM modules are typically not compatible with X90R3 controllers. Therefore, the engineermustswap the NVRAM modules along with the controllers to ensure the write cache is recognized.

Power Supplies:Both the X70R2 and X90R3 utilize the same high-capacity1600W Power Supply Units. Unless the existing PSUs are faulty, they do not technicallyneedto be swapped for the system to function, making "Controller and NVRAM" the precise minimum requirement for the logic upgrade.

To ensure that all volumes connected to a specific host areautomaticallyprotected, the Implementation Engineer shouldadd the Host object as a member of the Protection Group (PGroup).

Purity's protection policy logic allows for membership at different granularities:

Volume Membership:You can add individual volumes to a PGroup. However, if a new volume is provisioned and attached to the host later, it willnotbe protected until an admin manually adds it to the PGroup (making Option A and B manual, error-prone processes).

Host/Host Group Membership:By adding theHostentity to the Protection Group, Purity applies a policy inheritance rule.Any volumecurrently connected to that host—and crucially,any volume attached in the future—automatically inherits the protection policy (snapshot schedule, replication target) of that group. This "set and forget" configuration is the best practice for ensuring compliance and data safety without requiring manual intervention for every provisioning task.

To validate that I/O traffic is correctly distributed across a host's initiators (Fibre Channel WWNs or iSCSI IQNs), the correct command ispurehost monitor --balance.

Ensuring "multipathing balance" is a critical post-installation check. If a host is configured correctly with Multipath I/O (MPIO) software (like DM-Multipath on Linux or MPIO on Windows), read/write requests should be distributed relatively evenly across all active paths to the storage array.

Command Function:The purehost monitor command provides real-time performance statistics for hosts. Adding the --balance flag switches the view to a granular breakdown of IOPS and Bandwidthper initiatorfor the specified host.

Interpretation:An Implementation Engineer looks for initiators showing 0 IOPS or significantly lower traffic than others, which would indicate a path failure, zoning issue, or incorrect MPIO policy (e.g., Failover Only instead of Round Robin). Options A and B are incorrect syntax; purehost list shows configuration (not real-time stats), and iobalance is not a valid Purity command argument.

Upgrading from a FlashArray//X to a FlashArray//XL involves a significant architectural change, often requiring a data migration or a specific "chassis replacement" workflow known as a Data-in-Place upgrade where the new chassis temporarily acts as an expansion shelf. In this specific procedure, the new FlashArray//XL chassis is not immediately populated with its final drives (DFMDs) before power-on because it first needs to be configured to accept data or join the cluster in a controlled state.

The procedure requires the Implementation Engineer to boot the FlashArray//XL chassis first and configure it intoShelf Mode (SPM). Onlyafterthe chassis is successfully running in this mode—effectively acting as a passive SAS/Ethernet attached shelf to the existing controllers—are the DirectFlash Modules (DFMd) inserted.

Inserting them earlier could cause the array to attempt a full boot sequence or initialize a new array instance, complicating the upgrade logic. By waiting until Shelf Mode is confirmed, the engineer ensures that the modules are recognized correctly as part of the migration target resources, allowing Purity to manage the layout and data redistribution correctly from the source array.

=========

On theFlashArray//XL,PCIe Slot 5is explicitly reserved forNon-Disruptive Upgrade (NDU)procedures and specific control plane functions.

The FlashArray//XL chassis (5U) features a redesigned controller layout with 9 PCIe slots per controller (numbered 0-8). While slots 0-3 and 6-8 are generally available for Host I/O (FC/iSCSI) or Backend Expansion (SAS/NVMe-oF),Slot 5is kept open or populated with specific interconnect cards used during controller upgrades.

During a "Data-in-Place" upgrade (e.g., moving from an //X to an //XL or upgrading //XL generations), this slot facilitates the high-speed link required to cluster the old and new controllers or to transfer state information. Implementation Engineers must ensure this slot is not populated with standard customer I/O cards (like FC HBAs) during the initial configuration, as doing so would block the ability to perform future non-disruptive hardware upgrades.

Verifying the physical SAS or RoCE cabling topology is a mandatory step before initializing a new shelf. The FlashArray provides a specific engineering-level Python script for this purpose:storage_view.py enclosures.

This script queries the backend fabric and visualizes the connection topology between the controllers and the shelves.

It confirms that both controllers (CT0 and CT1) have redundant paths to the shelf (IOM0 and IOM1).

It verifies that the shelf is visible on the expected ports.

It checks for cabling errors, such as "crossed" cables (connecting a primary port to a secondary port incorrectly) or missing links.

Using this tool ensures that the physical layer is perfectly redundant before data is ever placed on the shelf.

=========

The customer should proceed via theSelf-Service Upgrade (SSU)portal available onPure1 Manage.

Pure Storage has transitioned significantly toward a self-service model for routine software upgrades to provide customers with greater flexibility and immediacy.

Pure1 Manage:This cloud-based management platform includes a "Software Lifecycle" or "Upgrade" widget. It automatically checks the array's health, compatibility, and readiness for various Purity versions.

Process:The customer can select the target Purity version directly in the portal. Pure1 then orchestrates the "Pre-Flight Checks" (Remote Audit) to ensure the array is healthy. Once passed, the Purity software is downloaded directly to the array, and the customer (or the engineer) can trigger the upgrade at their convenience without needing to schedule a specific window with a live Support engineer.

Invalid Options:Options A and B describe legacy or unsupported workflows. Customers do not manually download Purity ISOs to USB drives or run raw pureinstall CLI commands manually; these methods lack the automated safety checks and cloud-based verification provided by the SSU ecosystem.