Prep | Complete Study Guide with Verified Questions
& Answers, FlashArray Storage Professional Practice
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PURE STORAGE FLASHARRAY ARCHITECT ASSOCIATE EXAM PREP
Complete Study Guide | 400 Verified Practice Questions & Answers
Q1. What is the primary storage media used in Pure Storage FlashArray systems?
A. Hard Disk Drives (HDD)
B. Hybrid SSD and HDD
C. NAND Flash-based Solid State Drives (SSD)
D. Shingled Magnetic Recording (SMR) drives
E. Optane Persistent Memory
CORRECT ANSWER: C. NAND Flash-based Solid State Drives (SSD)
RATIONALE: Pure Storage FlashArray systems are all-flash arrays built
exclusively on NAND flash-based SSDs, delivering consistent low latency and high
throughput without spinning disk media.
Q2. Which FlashArray model is specifically designed for NVMe-based DirectFlash
Modules?
A. FlashArray//M
B. FlashArray//C
C. FlashArray//X
D. FlashArray//E
E. FlashArray//XL
, CORRECT ANSWER: C. FlashArray//X
RATIONALE: The FlashArray//X was designed to leverage Pure Storage's
proprietary NVMe-based DirectFlash Modules (DFMs), providing ultra-low latency and
high performance by eliminating the SSD controller overhead.
Q3. What does the FlashArray//C model primarily optimize for?
A. Highest IOPS performance
B. NVMe over Fabrics connectivity
C. Capacity-optimized workloads at lower cost
D. GPU-accelerated storage
E. Mainframe connectivity
CORRECT ANSWER: C. Capacity-optimized workloads at lower cost
RATIONALE: The FlashArray//C is a capacity-optimized all-flash array that
uses QLC NAND flash, offering a lower cost per GB compared to the //X, making it ideal
for secondary workloads, archival, and mixed workloads.
Q4. How many controllers does a standard FlashArray chassis contain?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four
E. Six
, CORRECT ANSWER: B. Two
RATIONALE: All FlashArray systems use a dual-controller architecture for high
availability. Both controllers are active-active, meaning they both process I/O
simultaneously, providing redundancy and maximizing performance.
Q5. What is the name of Pure Storage's proprietary flash module used in
FlashArray//X?
A. FlashPack
B. DirectFlash Module (DFM)
C. NVMe SSD Pack
D. PureFlash Cartridge
E. FlashBlade Module
CORRECT ANSWER: B. DirectFlash Module (DFM)
RATIONALE: Pure Storage developed the DirectFlash Module (DFM), a
proprietary NVMe-based flash module that allows Purity to manage NAND flash directly,
bypassing the traditional SSD firmware layer and reducing latency significantly.
Q6. Which of the following best describes the FlashArray//XL?
A. An entry-level all-flash system
B. A hybrid flash/disk system
C. A scale-out NAS platform
, D. A high-capacity, enterprise-scale version of FlashArray//X
E. A software-defined storage platform
CORRECT ANSWER: D. A high-capacity, enterprise-scale version of
FlashArray//X
RATIONALE: The FlashArray//XL is the largest and highest-performance
member of the FlashArray//X family, designed for the most demanding enterprise
workloads requiring maximum capacity and throughput in a single system.
Q7. What is the maximum number of shelves that can be added to a FlashArray for
capacity expansion?
A. 2
B. 4
C. 6
D. 10
E. It depends on the FlashArray model
CORRECT ANSWER: E. It depends on the FlashArray model
RATIONALE: The number of expansion shelves supported varies by
FlashArray model. Each model has specific limits based on controller capabilities and
supported configurations, so the answer is model-dependent.
Q8. Which RAID technology does Pure Storage use to protect data on FlashArray?