Pure Storage Certified FlashArray Implementation Specialist FlashArray-Implementation-Specialist FAIS Exam Questions

Answer : C

For the FlashArray//X50 R2 and R3 models, the default Fibre Channel (FC) configuration utilizes a 4-port PCIe Fibre Channel card installed in Slot 0.

The hardware architecture of the FlashArray//X series differentiates slot usage based on the model controller chassis.

FlashArray//X10 and //X20: These lower-end models utilize Slot 2 for host connectivity (Fibre Channel or iSCSI) because Slots 0 and 1 are typically reserved or occupied by onboard controllers/mezzanine cards. The standard card for these models is often a 2-port card.

FlashArray//X50, //X70, and //X90: These mid-to-high-range models feature a different PCIe bus layout. Slot 0 is the primary designated slot for Host I/O connectivity. To support the higher performance capabilities and port density requirements of the X50, Pure Storage defaults to 4-port FC cards (typically 16Gb or 32Gb).

Therefore, identifying the model number is crucial. Since the question specifies the X50 (R2/R3), the correct placement is Slot 0, and the correct card type is the 4-port model. Option A is incorrect because the 2-port card is not the standard default for the performance-tier X50. Option B describes the configuration for an X20, not an X50.

Answer : A

The upgrade from a FlashArray//XR4 to a FlashArray//XL is a specific 'Data-in-Place' hardware migration that utilizes the purewes (Pure Workflow Execution Service) utility to orchestrate complex steps. One of the most critical steps involves stopping the Purity software stack on the controller that is about to be removed (CT0) to ensure a clean failover and data flush to the surviving controller.

The correct command syntax is purewes controller disable --purity --verify-mode secondary --verify-array ARRAY_NAME ct0.

purewes controller disable: Initiates the shutdown of the controller's services.

--purity: Specifies that the Purity software stack should be stopped (not just the hardware).

--verify-mode secondary: This is a crucial safety check. It ensures the command only executes if CT0 is currently the Secondary controller. If CT0 were Primary, running this command without a failover first would cause an outage.

--verify-array: Confirms the action is being taken on the correct target array.

This command sequence ensures the controller is safely quiesced before the Implementation Engineer physically removes it from the chassis.

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Answer : B

In a Non-Disruptive Upgrade (NDU), ensuring that the host is correctly multipathed and balancing I/O across all paths is critical before taking a controller down. If a host is only using paths to the controller about to be rebooted (CT0, for example), taking that controller offline would cause an outage.

The command iobalance --sampletime 30 (or its wrapper purehost monitor --balance) is the standard tool used during the upgrade procedure to validate this state.

iobalance: This script samples the I/O throughput on all ports for a specified duration (e.g., 30 seconds).

It analyzes the distribution of I/O. If it detects that I/O is heavily skewed or missing entirely on the 'secondary' paths (the ones that will survive the reboot), it flags a warning.

This allows the Implementation Engineer to pause and remediate the host multipathing configuration (e.g., fixing a bad cable or zoning issue) before proceeding with the controller removal, ensuring the NDU remains truly non-disruptive.

Answer : A

In the architectural evolution from FlashArray//XR2 and //XR3 to the FlashArray//XR4, Pure Storage made significant changes to the controller's rear panel and I/O design to accommodate higher performance and PCIe Gen 4 capabilities. One of the most critical changes for an Implementation Engineer to plan for during a hardware Non-Disruptive Upgrade (NDU) is the removal of the onboard, default iSCSI ports that were present on previous generations.

On //XR2 and //XR3 controllers, there were onboard Ethernet ports often used for iSCSI host connectivity without requiring a discrete PCIe adapter. However, the //XR4 controller design removes these dedicated onboard iSCSI ports to streamline the motherboard design and shift host I/O strictly to PCIe add-in cards. The //XR4 retains onboard ports specifically for Management (Mgmt) and Replication connectivity, ensuring that administrative access and array-to-array replication can still be maintained without additional hardware.

Consequently, if a customer was relying solely on the onboard ports for iSCSI traffic on their legacy //XR2 or //XR3, the Bill of Materials (BOM) for the upgrade to //XR4 must include discrete Ethernet/iSCSI PCIe cards to migrate those connections. Failure to identify this architectural difference during the pre-upgrade inventory can result in a loss of host connectivity or an inability to cable the new controllers correctly, as the expected physical ports simply will not exist on the new chassis.

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Answer : C

When performing a controller upgrade (Non-Disruptive Upgrade) from an //X50R3 to an //X50R4, the specific hardware configuration of the source array dictates the target bill of materials. The presence of SAS drives in the chassis indicates that the source is a legacy or transitional configuration, as the standard //X R4 platform is optimized for end-to-end NVMe (DirectFlash).

However, the question asks for the specific controller SKU required. In Pure Storage nomenclature for upgrades, the standard controller replacement part is typically the base model code, here FLASHARRAY//XC50 R4.

The 'XC' designation often refers to the controller component itself in upgrade kits. While special considerations apply to SAS media (which are usually phased out or require specific handling during R4 upgrades since R4 natively drops legacy SAS support on the motherboard), the controller part number itself remains the standard R4 SKU (Option C). Options like 'SE' or 'NS' (often denoting specific encryption or networking variants) are not the standard identifiers for the base controller upgrade in this context.

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Answer : C

The Pure1 mobile app provides convenient access to array monitoring and management features from anywhere. Most features, such as viewing performance telemetry (Option A) or managing support tickets (Option B), are cloud-native and accessible over the public internet via the secure Pure1 connection.

However, Opening Remote Assist (RA) ---the feature that creates a secure tunnel for Pure Storage Support to access the array remotely---is a privileged security action. To prevent unauthorized external actors from enabling this access, the Pure1 app often enforces a 'proximity' or network validation check. The user must be connected to the internal company network (e.g., via Wi-Fi or VPN) that has visibility to the array's management interface to authorize the Remote Assist session. This requirement ensures that only an authorized administrator physically or logically present within the customer's secure environment can grant external access to the storage system.

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Answer : B

Data evacuation is a background process used to move data off specific physical media (like a shelf or data pack) so it can be removed safely. Purity is designed to handle dynamic changes to evacuation requests efficiently.

If an evacuation is already running and additional hardware needs to be evacuated, the Implementation Engineer does not need to stop the current job or wait for it to finish. The correct procedure is to issue a new evacuation command specifying the additional packs or shelves. Purity will intelligently update the existing background job to include the new targets, queuing the data movement logic to ensure all specified hardware is cleared. This 'add-to-flight' capability saves time and administrative overhead compared to cancelling and restarting the entire workflow.

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