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To determine the raw capacity required to meet the customer's needs for 3 years, we need to account for the current workload, data reduction ratio (DRR), growth rate, and headroom.

Step-by-Step Calculation:

Current Logical Workload:

The customer's current workload is50 TB.

Expected Growth Over 3 Years:

The workload grows at a predictable rate of25% per year.

After 3 years, the logical workload will be:

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TheFlashArray feature that allows snapshots to be sent to a public cloud targetisCloudSnap.

Why This Matters:

CloudSnap:

CloudSnap is a feature that offloads snapshots to cloud storage providers like AWS S3 or Azure Blob.

It provides a cost-effective and scalable solution for storing backups or archival data in the cloud, ensuring offsite protection and long-term retention.

Public Cloud Integration:

By leveraging public cloud storage, customers can reduce on-premises storage costs while maintaining secure and accessible backups.

Why Not the Other Options?

A. Cloud Block Store:

Cloud Block Store is a cloud-native block storage solution that runs in public clouds (e.g., AWS, Azure). It does not involve sending snapshots to a public cloud target.

C. ActiveCluster:

ActiveCluster provides synchronous replication between two sites for high availability. It does not involve offloading snapshots to the cloud.

Key Points:

CloudSnap:Offloads snapshots to public cloud storage for cost-effective and scalable backups.

Offsite Protection:Ensures data is securely stored in the cloud for disaster recovery or archival purposes.

Integration:Seamlessly integrates with popular cloud providers like AWS and Azure.

References:

Pure Storage FlashArray Documentation: "CloudSnap for Offsite Backups"

Pure Storage Whitepaper: "Cost-Effective Backup Strategies with FlashArray"

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "Using CloudSnap to Offload Snapshots"

The value 77.24 T in the context of Pure Storage FlashArray represents C. The guaranteed capacity.

Guaranteed Capacity is a feature of Pure Storage’s Evergreen subscription model. It reflects the effective capacity Pure Storage commits to the customer based on their typical data reduction ratios (deduplication, compression, and pattern removal). This value is calculated as:

Guaranteed Capacity=Physical Raw Capacity×Data Reduction Factor (DRF)Guaranteed Capacity=Physical Raw Capacity×Data Reduction Factor (DRF)

Pure typically guarantees a minimum DRF (e.g., 3:1 for many workloads), but actual savings often exceed this.

Why Not the Other Options?

A. Total usable space: This would include the total logical capacity after data reduction and overheads (RAID-HD, metadata), which is usually larger than the guaranteed capacity.

B. Total raw space: This refers to the physical capacity of drives (e.g., 100TB raw). The value shown (77.24T) is smaller than raw, so this is incorrect.

D. Total deduplicated space: Pure Storage combines dedupe, compression, and pattern removal into a single "data reduction" metric. Deduplication alone is not isolated in capacity reporting.

Official Reference:

Pure Storage documentation explicitly defines Guaranteed Capacity as the "logical capacity Pure commits to deliver, factoring in data reduction." This aligns with the Evergreen//Forever subscription model, where customers pay for usable capacity, not raw storage.

To achieve the lowest RPO (Recovery Point Objective) disaster recovery strategy between two data centers located 30 miles apart with a round-trip latency of 4ms,Purity Snapshot Replicationis the best choice. Here's why:

Analysis of Options:

A. Purity Snapshot Replication:

Snapshot Replication is an asynchronous replication method that periodically replicates snapshots of volumes to a remote FlashArray.

With a round-trip latency of 4ms, Snapshot Replication can achieve very low RPOs (typically seconds to minutes), making it suitable for disaster recovery in this scenario.

B. Purity ActiveCluster:

ActiveCluster is a synchronous replication solution that provides active-active high availability across two arrays.

While ActiveCluster offers zero RPO and zero RTO, it is typically limited to shorter distances due to latency constraints. At 30 miles and 4ms latency, ActiveCluster may still work but is less optimal compared to Snapshot Replication for disaster recovery.

C. Pure1 Manage:

Pure1 Manage is a cloud-based monitoring and management platform for Pure Storage arrays. It does not provide replication or disaster recovery capabilities.

D. Purity Snapshots:

Snapshots are point-in-time copies of data stored locally on the FlashArray. They do not provide replication to a remote site and are therefore unsuitable for disaster recovery.

Recommendation:

The correct answer isA. Purity Snapshot Replication, as it provides the lowest RPO for disaster recovery over a 30-mile distance with 4ms latency.

References:

Purity Snapshot Replication Documentation:

Purity Snapshot Replication

Explains how Snapshot Replication works and its use cases.

Purity ActiveCluster Documentation:

Purity ActiveCluster

Details the capabilities and limitations of ActiveCluster.

PurityCloudSnapis a feature of Pure Storage FlashArray that enables customers to offload snapshots to public cloud storage for long-term retention or disaster recovery purposes. To determine which public cloud storage services are supported as offload targets, let's analyze the options:

Analysis of Options:

A. Amazon AWS S3:

Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) is one of the most widely used object storage services in the public cloud.

Purity CloudSnap supports AWS S3 as an offload target, making it a valid choice.

B. IBM Object Storage:

IBM Object Storage is not currently supported as an offload target for Purity CloudSnap.

Pure Storage focuses on integration with major cloud providers like AWS and Azure.

C. Amazon AWS EBS:

Amazon EBS (Elastic Block Store) is a block storage service designed for use with EC2 instances.

However, CloudSnap does not support AWS EBS as an offload target because it is intended for object storage services like S3.

D. Azure Blob Storage:

Azure Blob Storage is Microsoft's object storage service, similar to AWS S3.

Purity CloudSnap supports Azure Blob Storage as an offload target, making it a valid choice.

Recommendation:

The correct answers areA. Amazon AWS S3andD. Azure Blob Storage, as these are the supported public cloud storage services for CloudSnap.

References:

Pure Storage CloudSnap Documentation:

CloudSnap Overview

Explains how CloudSnap integrates with public cloud storage services.

Supported Cloud Providers:

CloudSnap Supported Targets

Lists AWS S3 and Azure Blob Storage as supported offload targets.

For anActiveCluster solution with Uniform Configuration, the architect should recommenddual connections from each controller through two fabricsto ensure high availability and redundancy in Fibre Channel connectivity.

Why This Matters:

Dual Connections:

Each controller should have dual connections to provide redundancy and fault tolerance. If one connection fails, the other ensures uninterrupted communication between the host and the array.

Two Fabrics:

Using two independent Fibre Channel fabrics (e.g., Fabric A and Fabric B) ensures that there is no single point of failure in the network infrastructure. This aligns with best practices for ActiveCluster deployments.

Why Not the Other Options?

B. A single connection from each controller through two fabrics:

A single connection per controller does not provide sufficient redundancy. If the connection fails, the host may lose access to the array.

C. Crossed connections from each controller through a single fabric:

Using a single fabric introduces a single point of failure. Additionally, "crossed connections" are not a standard or recommended configuration for ActiveCluster.

D. A single connection from each controller through a single fabric:

This configuration lacks both redundancy at the connection level and at the fabric level, making it highly vulnerable to failures.

Key Points:

Redundancy:Dual connections and two fabrics ensure fault tolerance and high availability.

Best Practices:Aligns with Pure Storage's recommendations for ActiveCluster deployments.

Uniform Configuration:Ensures consistent and reliable connectivity across all hosts in the cluster.

References:

Pure Storage FlashArray Documentation: "ActiveCluster Best Practices for Fibre Channel Connectivity"

Pure Storage Whitepaper: "Designing High-Availability Solutions with ActiveCluster"

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "Configuring Host Connections for ActiveCluster"

If a customer is unsatisfied with the level of data reduction on their FlashArray, the SE should make the following two statements:

FlashArray's deduplication effectiveness will usually increase as the data quantity grows:

Deduplication relies on identifying and eliminating duplicate data blocks. As more data is written to the array, the likelihood of finding duplicates increases, improving the overall deduplication ratio.

Customers should expect better data reduction results over time as their dataset grows.

The Right-Size Guarantee means that the customer can work with their SE if necessary:

Pure Storage'sRight-Size Guaranteeensures that customers receive the expected effective capacity based on their workload's data reduction profile. If the actual data reduction does not meet expectations, the customer can collaborate with their SE to address the issue and potentially adjust their subscription or configuration.

Why Not the Other Options?

A. A FlashArray's compression and deduplication will need to be tuned for data subsets:

FlashArray's data reduction techniques (compression and deduplication) are automatic and do not require manual tuning. This statement is misleading.

C. FlashArray data reduction needs to be tuned to increase its effectiveness:

Similar to Option A, FlashArray's data reduction mechanisms are fully automated and do not require manual intervention.

Key Points:

Data Growth:Deduplication effectiveness improves as more data is written to the array.

Right-Size Guarantee:Provides assurance that customers can work with their SE to address data reduction concerns.

Automatic Optimization:FlashArray's data reduction features are self-optimizing and do not require manual tuning.

References:

Pure Storage FlashArray Documentation: "Understanding Data Reduction and Capacity Planning"

Pure Storage Whitepaper: "Maximizing Data Reduction with FlashArray"

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "Right-Size Guarantee Terms and Conditions"

TheEvergreen//Foreverprogram 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//Foundationis 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 isnot includedin 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 isnot availablein 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 areA. Controller UpgradesandD. Upgrade Always, as these are specific to Evergreen//Forever and not included in Evergreen//Foundation.

References:

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.

TheFlashArray featurethat best protects local snapshots from ransomware attacks isSafeMode.

Why This Matters:

SafeMode Snapshots:

SafeMode is a security feature that creates immutable snapshots, meaning they cannot be deleted, modified, or encrypted by malicious actors, including ransomware.

These snapshots are locked for a user-defined retention period, ensuring data integrity and recoverability even in the event of a ransomware attack.

Why Not the Other Options?

A. CloudSnap:

CloudSnap offloads snapshots to cloud storage (e.g., AWS S3 or Azure Blob). While it provides an offsite backup solution, it does not inherently protect against ransomware attacks targeting local snapshots.

C. ActiveCluster:

ActiveCluster provides synchronous replication between two sites for high availability. While it ensures data redundancy, it does not protect against ransomware attacks targeting snapshots.

Key Points:

SafeMode:Creates immutable snapshots to protect against ransomware attacks.

Data Integrity:Ensures snapshots remain unaltered during the retention period.

Ransomware Protection:A critical feature for safeguarding data in modern IT environments.

References:

Pure Storage FlashArray Documentation: "SafeMode Snapshots for Ransomware Protection"

Pure Storage Whitepaper: "Protecting Data Against Ransomware with FlashArray"

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "Best Practices for Using SafeMode Snapshots"

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.

References:

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"