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

TheFlashArray//XLrequires4 x C19/C20power cables to connect to the rack Power Distribution Units (PDUs).

The FlashArray//XL chassis (5U) is significantly larger and draws more power than the standard FlashArray//X series (3U). It is equipped with four high-capacity Power Supply Units (PSUs) to support the increased thermal and electrical load of the dense DirectFlash Modules and high-performance controllers.

Connector Type:To handle the higher amperage safely, the //XL utilizesIEC C20inlets on the chassis side (rectangular with horizontal pins) rather than the standard C14 inlets found on most servers. Consequently, the required cables must have aC19connector (female) to plug into the array and aC20connector (male) to plug into the PDU (assuming a high-power PDU).

Quantity:Since the chassis has four PSUs for N+2 redundancy, four distinct cables are required. The standard C13/C14 cables (Option A/B) used for lower-wattage IT equipment are physically incompatible and electrically insufficient for the //XL platform.

Hardware Non-Disruptive Upgrades (HWNDU) rely strictly on the array being in a fully healthy state before the process begins. The validate-array-health check is designed to gate the upgrade if any component that provides redundancy or data integrity is compromised. NVRAM (Non-Volatile Random Access Memory) modules are critical components in the FlashArray architecture; they store in-flight write data to ensure it is persistent before being destaged to flash.

A "Code 60" alert specifically points to a hardware issue with an NVRAM module. While the //X70 model indeed has redundancy (often using multiple NVRAM modules), proceeding with an upgrade while one is degraded puts the array at risk. During an NDU, controllers reboot and failover; running on reduced redundancy during these critical operations is not supported and is blocked by the health checks.

The correct first step for an Implementation Engineer is to attempt toreseat the unhealthy NVRAM module. Often, connection issues or transient seating faults can trigger these alerts. After reseating, the engineer must run the health check again to confirm the module status has returned to "healthy." If the module remains unhealthy after reseating, it must be replaced before the upgrade can proceed. You cannot simply disable it or ignore it, as the upgrade script will likely refuse to continue to protect data integrity.

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ActiveCluster, Pure Storage's synchronous replication solution for zero RPO/RTO, currently supports a maximum of2 arraysin a single active-active relationship (often referred to as a "Pod").

Architecture:The ActiveCluster architecture is strictly designed as a 1:1 synchronous pairing between two FlashArrays. This allows both arrays to serve reads and writes for the same volumes simultaneously.

Stretched Clustering:The limit of two arrays ensures that the synchronous acknowledgement (ACK) process for writes remains performant and manageable over the inter-site link. Adding a third array to the synchronous loop would exponentially increase write latency and complexity.

3-Data Center Configurations:While you can configure a "3DC" architecture, this involves one ActiveCluster pair (2 arrays) replicating asynchronously to a third, standalone array (ActiveCluster + ActiveDR or Async). However, the synchronous ActiveCluster domain itself never exceeds 2 arrays.

A valid transfer path forre-using iSCSI cardsduring a controller upgrade is from aFlashArray//XR2 to a FlashArray//XR3(Option A).

Hardware Continuity:The FlashArray//XR2 and //XR3 generations share a high degree of physical component compatibility, particularly regarding PCIe form factors and supported interface cards.

Upgrade Workflow:When performing an "Intra-Series" upgrade (refreshing just the controllers from R2 to R3 to gain CPU performance), the existing I/O cards (Fibre Channel or iSCSI) from the R2 chassis can typically be transferred directly into the new R3 controllers.

Legacy Limitations:Migrating cards from a much olderFlashArray//M(Option B or C) is generally restricted. The //M series often used older generation PCIe cards or different form factors (like onboard risers) that are not validated or physically compatible with the modern PCIe slots found in the //X series. Therefore, for //M to //X upgrades, new I/O cards are usually required, whereas R2 > R3 supports reuse.

The FlashArray//XL series has a specific, validated slot population rule for its PCIe cards to ensure optimal performance and thermal management. For a standard Fibre Channel (FC) configuration on aFlashArray//XLR5, the factory default shipment includes a specific arrangement of host I/O cards and offload engines.

The correct default configuration is:

PCIe Slot 3:4-Port 32Gb FC card.

PCIe Slot 5:2-Port 32Gb FC card.

PCIe Slot 6:DirectCompress Accelerator (DCA).

This layout (Option B) adheres to the //XL's architecture where specific slots are prioritized for frontend host I/O (like slots 3 and 5) and others for offload functions or backend connectivity. Implementation Engineers must verify cards are in these exact slots during the visual inspection. If cards are moved to incorrect slots (like slot 1 or 4 for primary FC in this specific config), the array may not boot or may fail to initialize the FC services correctly due to BIOS enumeration orders.

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A FlashArray support case should be openedbefore starting the installation(Option C).

Proactive Support:Pure Storage advocates for a proactive support model. Opening a case (often categorized as an "Install" or "Planned Event" ticket) prior to the engineer arriving onsite or beginning the physical work serves multiple purposes:

Notification:It alerts Pure Support that a new array is about to come online.

Validation:It allows Support to verify the serial number, entitlement, and ensure the array is ready to receive the latest Purity updates or patches immediately upon connection.

Remote Assist:It establishes a placeholder for the "Health Check" phase. Once the physical install is done, the engineer can immediately reference this existing case number when enabling Remote Assist, allowing a Technical Support Engineer (TSE) to quickly jump in and perform the final validation without the delay of ticket creation and routing.

Waiting until an issue arises (Option A) is reactive, and waiting until completion (Option B) delays the mandatory sign-off process.

After executing the puredb run giveback --safe command during a manual controller upgrade or specific non-disruptive upgrade (NDU) procedure, the Implementation Engineer must wait for10 minutesbefore proceeding to the next step (typically upgrading the peer controller).

The giveback command instructs the recently upgraded controller (e.g., CT0) to resume its primary role and take back ownership of its assigned storage resources and I/O handling from the peer controller. This process triggers a failover event for the host multipathing software.

Path Stabilization:The 10-minute wait time is a critical safety buffer mandated to ensure that all host-side multipathing drivers (MPIO) have successfully recognized the restored paths to the upgraded controller and have stabilized.

Risk Mitigation:Proceeding too quickly—before the hosts have fully settled and paths are marked as "Active/Optimized"—could lead to an "all paths down" (APD) scenario when the second controller is taken offline for its upgrade. This wait time verifies that the upgraded node is fully functional and carrying load, adhering to the strict "availability first" philosophy of FlashArray upgrades.

TheFlashArray//XLsupports0 (zero)SAS expansion shelves for permanent capacity.

Architecture:The FlashArray//XL is architected exclusively forNVMestorage media. Its backend connectivity utilizes 100GbE RoCE (RDMA over Converged Ethernet) to connect toDirectFlash Shelves (DFS). It does not possess the legacy SAS controllers or ports required to drive SAS expansion shelves.

Migration Exception:While a "SAS Swing Shelf" (containing legacy SSDs from an older array) might be temporarily attached during a specific Data-in-Place upgrade migration scenario, this is a transient state. In terms ofsupportedoperational configuration for storage capacity, the limit is zero. The platform relies entirely on DirectFlash Modules in the chassis and external DirectFlash Shelves.

Contrast:Older generations (FlashArray//M, FlashArray//X R1/R2) supported SAS shelves, but the //XL platform eliminates this protocol entirely in favor of end-to-end NVMe.

Upgrading from a FlashArray//X to a FlashArray//XL is a complex procedure involving significant hardware and network architecture changes. A known issue during specific phases of this upgrade involves the synchronization of ARP tables and IP neighbor entries between the legacy environment and the new controller architecture, which can prevent the High Availability (HA) link from establishing correctly.

If the new controller hangs or fails to reach a "Ready" state after a reboot, the engineering-level scriptha_sync.py --resync ipneighis the prescribed resolution.

This script forces a resynchronization of the IP neighbor table (ARP cache) and HA state information.

It clears stale entries that might be pointing to old MAC addresses or interfaces that moved during the X-to-XL transition.

Once cleared, the controllers can correctly rediscover each other over the internal HA interconnect and proceed to a healthy clustered state.

Options like hardware_check.py are diagnostic only, and firewall.py is for packet filtering, not ARP/HA sync issues.

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When installing thefirst DirectFlash Shelf (DFS)on aFlashArray//XR2 or //XR3utilizing the onboard or default mezzanine connectivity, the correct ports to use areETH6 and ETH9.

Hardware Layout:The FlashArray//XR2 and //XR3 utilize a specificEthernet Mezzanine (EMEZZ)slot for backend connectivity to NVMe-oF shelves. This card typically enumerates its ports as ETH6 through ETH9 (a 4-port configuration).

Cabling Rule:To maximize physical separation and ensure redundancy across the internal ASIC lanes of the mezzanine card, standard cabling procedures for thefirstshelf dictate using the outer ports:ETH6(Port 0) andETH9(Port 3).

Redundancy:This configuration (Port 0 and Port 3) is preferred over using adjacent ports (like 6 and 7) to reduce the risk of a single lane cluster failure affecting both connections to the shelf. The second shelf, if added later, would typically utilize the remaining ports (ETH7 and ETH8).