Pure Storage FAAA_004 Exam Questions

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'

Pure Storage's Right-Size Guarantee ensures that customers can accurately predict their storage needs based on their workload characteristics. Here's an analysis of the statements:

Correct Statements:

B . Evergreen//Foundation subscriptions are not eligible for guarantee :

The Right-Size Guarantee applies only to specific subscription tiers, such as Evergreen//One and Evergreen//Forever. Evergreen//Foundation, which is a lower-tier subscription, is not eligible for this guarantee.

C . The Workload Mix cannot change by more than 20% :

To maintain the accuracy of the Right-Size Guarantee, the customer's workload mix (e.g., database, VDI, file shares) must remain relatively stable. A significant change in the workload mix (greater than 20%) could invalidate the guarantee, as it affects data reduction ratios and capacity predictions.

Incorrect Statements:

A . The customer must complete a 6-month proof of concept :

A proof of concept is not required to qualify for the Right-Size Guarantee. Instead, the guarantee is based on the initial assessment of the workload and adherence to the terms.

D . Capacity upgrades will extend the Right-Size Guarantee :

Capacity upgrades do not automatically extend the Right-Size Guarantee. The guarantee is tied to the initial assessment and workload stability, not hardware upgrades.

Final Recommendation:

The correct answers are B. Evergreen//Foundation subscriptions are not eligible for guarantee and C. The Workload Mix cannot change by more than 20% .

Pure Storage Right-Size Guarantee Overview :

Pure Storage Right-Size Guarantee

Details the terms and conditions of the Right-Size Guarantee.

Evergreen Subscription Tiers :

Pure Storage Evergreen Subscriptions

Explains the differences between Evergreen subscription tiers.

The Evergreen//Forever program is Pure Storage's premium subscription offering, providing continuous upgrades and enhancements to ensure customers always have access to the latest technology. In contrast, Evergreen//Foundation is a lower-tier subscription with limited benefits. Here's an analysis of the features:

Correct Features:

A . Controller Upgrades :

Controller upgrades are a key feature of Evergreen//Forever, allowing customers to upgrade their FlashArray controllers non-disruptively to newer generations.

This feature is not included in Evergreen//Foundation.

D . Upgrade Always :

'Upgrade Always' ensures that customers can continuously upgrade their hardware and software without additional costs.

This is a hallmark of Evergreen//Forever and is not available in Evergreen//Foundation.

Incorrect Features:

B . Pro Deployment :

Pro Deployment services are available across all Evergreen tiers, including Evergreen//Foundation.

Therefore, this is not specific to Evergreen//Forever.

C . Capacity Consolidation :

Capacity consolidation is a general benefit of Pure Storage arrays and is not exclusive to Evergreen//Forever.

It is also available in Evergreen//Foundation.

Final Recommendation:

The correct answers are A. Controller Upgrades and D. Upgrade Always , as these are specific to Evergreen//Forever and not included in Evergreen//Foundation.

Evergreen//Forever Program Overview :

Evergreen//Forever

Explains the benefits and features of Evergreen//Forever.

Evergreen Subscription Tiers Comparison :

Evergreen Tiers

Compares the features of Evergreen//Forever and Evergreen//Foundation.

Why This Matters:

Usable Storage Space Consumed:

The 'usable storage space consumed' refers to the actual physical capacity used on the array after accounting for RAID overhead but before applying data reduction techniques like deduplication and compression.

This value represents the raw space utilized by the data stored on the array, excluding any logical space savings from data reduction.

Why Not the Other Options?

B . 5.58 T:

This value likely represents the logical capacity provisioned or consumed after applying data reduction techniques (e.g., deduplication and compression). However, the question specifically asks for the usable storage space consumed , which excludes logical space savings.

C . 1.22 T:

This value might represent the raw capacity of the drives or some other metric unrelated to the usable storage space consumed. It does not align with the definition of usable storage space.

D . 4.36 T:

This value could represent an intermediate calculation or another metric, but it does not match the usable storage space consumed as shown in the exhibit.

Key Points:

Usable Storage Space Consumed: Represents the physical capacity used on the array after RAID overhead but before data reduction.

Logical vs. Physical Capacity: Logical capacity reflects space savings from deduplication and compression, while usable storage space reflects the actual physical usage.

Exhibit Analysis: Carefully interpret the metrics provided in the exhibit to identify the correct value.

Pure Storage FlashArray Documentation: 'Understanding Array Capacity Metrics'

Pure Storage Whitepaper: 'Capacity Management and Data Reduction'

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: 'What is Usable Space vs. Raw Space?'

To address the customer's requirements, we need to evaluate the replication strategies offered by Pure Storage FlashArray: ActiveCluster and ActiveDR , and how they align with the specific needs of the two workloads.

Workload Analysis:

Transactional Database Workload :

This workload is highly reliant on storage performance. Any replication strategy must ensure minimal latency and high availability to avoid impacting transactional throughput and response times.

The database workload typically benefits from synchronous replication to maintain consistency and performance across sites.

VM Datastore (Tier 1 Applications) :

This workload requires zero downtime, meaning it must remain accessible even in the event of a site failure. High availability and seamless failover are critical.

The VM datastore can tolerate some level of asynchronous replication as long as it does not compromise availability or recovery objectives.

Replication Strategies:

ActiveCluster :

ActiveCluster is a synchronous replication solution that provides active-active high availability across two FlashArrays. It ensures zero RPO (Recovery Point Objective) and zero RTO (Recovery Time Objective), making it ideal for workloads requiring continuous availability and zero downtime.

ActiveCluster is well-suited for the VM datastore workload because it guarantees seamless failover and high availability, meeting the zero-downtime requirement.

ActiveDR :

ActiveDR is an asynchronous replication solution designed for disaster recovery scenarios. It provides near-zero RPO (typically seconds to minutes) and allows for non-disruptive testing of failover scenarios.

ActiveDR is better suited for the transactional database workload because it minimizes the impact of latency over the 20-mile distance while still maintaining high performance and consistency.

Distance Consideration:

The 20-mile distance between the two FlashArrays introduces latency concerns. Synchronous replication (ActiveCluster) can handle this distance effectively for the VM datastore workload due to its tolerance for slightly higher latency. However, for the transactional database workload, the latency could degrade performance, making ActiveDR a better choice.

Final Recommendation:

Use ActiveCluster for the VM datastore workload to achieve zero downtime and high availability.

Use ActiveDR for the transactional database workload to balance performance and disaster recovery needs over the 20-mile distance.

Pure Storage ActiveCluster Documentation :

Explains the synchronous replication capabilities and use cases for ActiveCluster.

Pure Storage ActiveCluster

Pure Storage ActiveDR Documentation :

Details the asynchronous replication features and disaster recovery use cases for ActiveDR.

Pure Storage ActiveDR

Pure Storage Best Practices for Replication :

Provides guidance on selecting the appropriate replication strategy based on workload requirements and distance considerations.

Pure Storage Replication Best Practices

Pure Storage Architectural Guides :

Covers architectural considerations for deploying ActiveCluster and ActiveDR in multi-site environments.

Pure Storage Architectural Guides

This approach ensures that both workloads meet their respective SLAs while addressing the customer's concerns about distance and performance.