Pure Storage Pure Storage FlashArray Architect Associate FAAA_004 Exam Dumps: Updated Questions & Answers (October 2025)

The customer at the small regional hospital requires a storage solution for aPACS image archivewith the following requirements:

More than 1 PB of storage

Latency is not a concern

Customer user shares must be on the same array

The best solution to meet these needs isFlashArray//C.

Why This Matters:

FlashArray//C:

FlashArray//C is designed forcapacity-optimized workloads, making it ideal for use cases like PACS image archives that require large amounts of storage at a lower cost per GB.

It supportsQLC flash technology, which provides high density and cost efficiency for less performance-intensive workloads.

With its ability to scale to over 1 PB of storage, FlashArray//C can meet the customer's capacity requirements while supporting both block and file workloads (e.g., user shares) on the same array usingFA File Services.

Why Not the Other Options?

A. FlashArray//X:

FlashArray//X is optimized for high-performance workloads, such as databases and mission-critical applications. While it supports large capacities, it is more expensive and not the most cost-effective solution for latency-insensitive workloads like PACS archives.

B. FlashArray//XL:

FlashArray//XL is designed for extreme-scale workloads requiring massive performance and capacity. It is overkill for this use case and would significantly increase costs without providing proportional benefits.

Key Points:

FlashArray//C:Provides high-density storage at a low cost per GB, ideal for large-scale, latency-insensitive workloads.

Unified Storage:Supports both block and file workloads on the same array, meeting the requirement for user shares.

Cost Efficiency:Balances performance and cost, making it suitable for PACS archives and similar use cases.

References:

Pure Storage FlashArray//C Documentation: "Use Cases for FlashArray//C"

Pure Storage Whitepaper: "Optimizing Storage Costs with FlashArray//C"

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "Choosing the Right FlashArray Model for Your Workload"

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"

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:

A white paper with black text AI-generated content may be incorrect.

A screenshot of a document AI-generated content may be incorrect.

Pure Storage'sRight-Size Guaranteeprotects the customer for12 months starting from the date of arrival. This guarantee ensures that if the customer's storage needs grow beyond their initial purchase, they can upgrade to larger capacity shelves or arrays without overpaying for the additional capacity.

Why This Matters:

The12-month protection periodgives customers ample time to assess their storage requirements and make adjustments as needed. This flexibility is particularly valuable for organizations with dynamic or unpredictable growth patterns.

By protecting the customer for a full year, Pure Storage ensures that they can scale their storage infrastructure efficiently without incurring unnecessary costs.

Why Not the Other Options?

A. 30 days starting from the date of arrival:

A 30-day protection period would be insufficient for most customers to evaluate their storage needs and make informed decisions about upgrades.

B. 6 months starting from the date of arrival:

While 6 months is longer than 30 days, it is still shorter than the standard 12-month protection period offered by Pure Storage.

D. Until the Evergreen subscription expires:

The Right-Size Guarantee is not tied to the duration of the Evergreen subscription. It is specifically valid for 12 months from the date of arrival.

Key Points:

12-Month Protection:Provides customers with a full year to assess their storage needs and leverage the Right-Size Guarantee.

Scalability:Ensures customers can upgrade their storage infrastructure cost-effectively as their needs evolve.

Customer-Centric Approach:Reflects Pure Storage's commitment to delivering flexible and future-proof solutions.

References:

Pure Storage Evergreen//Forever Documentation: "Right-Size Guarantee Terms and Conditions"

Pure Storage Whitepaper: "Maximizing Value with Evergreen Subscriptions"

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "Understanding the Right-Size Guarantee Duration"

The System Administrator requires anoffsite backup solutionthat is cost-effective, stores data in a different location from the current FlashArray, and does not prioritize restore times. The best solution to recommend isCloudSnap to a public cloud provider.

Why This Matters:

CloudSnap:

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

It is highly cost-effective because customers only pay for the cloud storage they use, and it eliminates the need for additional on-premises hardware.

Since restore times are not a concern, CloudSnap's slower restore process compared to on-premises solutions is acceptable.

Why Not the Other Options?

A. ActiveCluster to a FlashArray//C60:

ActiveCluster provides synchronous replication for high availability but does not meet the requirement for an offsite backup solution. Additionally, it is more expensive than CloudSnap.

B. ActiveDR to a FlashArray//C60:

ActiveDR provides asynchronous replication for disaster recovery but requires additional hardware (FlashArray//C60), which increases costs. It is less cost-effective than CloudSnap for backup purposes.

Key Points:

Cost Efficiency:CloudSnap leverages cloud storage, minimizing upfront and ongoing costs.

Offsite Storage:Ensures backups are stored in a different location from the primary FlashArray.

Restore Times:CloudSnap's slower restore process is acceptable given the customer's requirements.

References:

Pure Storage FlashArray Documentation: "CloudSnap for Offsite Backups"

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

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "Choosing the Right Backup Solution for Your Workload"

To address the customer's requirements, we need to evaluate the replication strategies offered by Pure Storage FlashArray:ActiveClusterandActiveDR, 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:

UseActiveClusterfor the VM datastore workload to achieve zero downtime and high availability.

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

References:

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.

The customer is reviewing their disaster recovery (DR) strategy and wants to replicate data to a secondary datacenter while addressing internal SLAs forRPO (Recovery Point Objective)andRTO (Recovery Time Objective). To meet these requirements, the SE should focus on two key Pure Storage FlashArray features:FlashRecoverandActiveDR.

Why These Features?

FlashRecover:

FlashRecover is a snapshot-based replication feature that allows efficient point-in-time copies of data to be replicated to a secondary site.

It helps achieve low RPOs by enabling frequent snapshots and replication to the DR site.

This ensures minimal data loss in the event of a failure.

ActiveDR:

ActiveDR is a disaster recovery solution that provides asynchronous replication between two FlashArrays.

It is specifically designed to minimize RTO by enabling fast failover and failback capabilities.

ActiveDR ensures that the secondary site is always ready to take over with minimal downtime, meeting strict RTO requirements.

Why Not the Other Options?

B. ActiveCluster:

ActiveCluster is a synchronous replication solution for high availability across two sites. While it provides zero RPO and near-zero RTO, it requires both sites to be within synchronous distance (typically <10ms latency). Since the customer is replicating to a secondary datacenter (likely farther away), ActiveCluster is not suitable.

C. CloudSnap:

CloudSnap is a feature that offloads snapshots to cloud storage (e.g., AWS S3 or Azure Blob). While it is useful for backup and archival purposes, it does not provide the real-time replication and failover capabilities needed for DR with strict RPO and RTO SLAs.

Key Points:

FlashRecover:Enables efficient replication with low RPOs through snapshot-based replication.

ActiveDR:Provides asynchronous replication with fast failover and failback capabilities to meet RTO requirements.

SLA Alignment:Both features are designed to help customers meet their internal SLAs for RPO and RTO.

References:

Pure Storage FlashArray Documentation: "Disaster Recovery with FlashRecover and ActiveDR"

Pure Storage Whitepaper: "Meeting RPO and RTO Requirements with FlashArray"

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "Best Practices for Disaster Recovery Planning"

The healthcare customer already has aFlashArray//X50with35 usable TB freeand anticipates storing15 TB of medical imaging data. Since the system load is currently35%, they canenable FA File on the array as-isto support the new workload.

Why This Matters:

FA File:

FA File Services enables file-based storage (NFS and SMB) on FlashArray, allowing the array to handle both block and file workloads simultaneously.

With 35 TB of free capacity and only 15 TB required for medical imaging, there is sufficient space to accommodate the new workload.

The current system load of 35% indicates that the array has ample headroom to handle the additional workload without requiring upgrades.

Why Not the Other Options?

A. They must first upgrade the controllers to a //X70 and enable FA File:

Upgrading to a //X70 is unnecessary given the available capacity and low system load. The current //X50 is capable of supporting the workload.

C. Medical imaging always belongs on a FlashBlade:

While FlashBlade is ideal for large-scale, high-performance unstructured data workloads, it is not mandatory for this use case. FA File on FlashArray//X50 is sufficient for 15 TB of medical imaging data.

D. They should purchase a FlashArray//C and enable FA File:

Purchasing a new array is unnecessary given the available resources on the existing FlashArray//X50.

Key Points:

FA File:Enables file-based storage on FlashArray without requiring additional hardware.

Capacity and Load:The array has sufficient free space and performance headroom to handle the new workload.

Cost Efficiency:Avoids unnecessary upgrades or purchases, optimizing costs while meeting requirements.

References:

Pure Storage FlashArray Documentation: "FA File Services Overview"

Pure Storage Whitepaper: "Consolidating Workloads on FlashArray"

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "Supporting Multiple Workloads with FlashArray"

TheEvergreen//Flexoffering allows customers toown their array hardwarewhile paying for storage on asubscription basis.

Why This Matters:

Evergreen//Flex:

This model combines the benefits of ownership with the flexibility of a subscription. Customers own the hardware outright but pay for storage capacity and services (e.g., maintenance, upgrades) on a subscription basis.

It provides predictable costs and access to Pure Storage's Evergreen architecture, ensuring long-term value and future-proofing.

Why Not the Other Options?

A. Evergreen//Foundation:

Evergreen//Foundation is a traditional purchase model where customers buy the hardware and software upfront. It does not involve a subscription-based payment structure.

B. Evergreen//One:

Evergreen//One is a fully managed subscription service where customers do not own the hardware. Instead, they lease the equipment and pay for storage as a service.

D. 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 owning on-premises hardware.

Key Points:

Ownership:Customers retain ownership of the hardware.

Subscription Flexibility:Pay for storage and services on a subscription basis.

Predictable Costs:Aligns with budgeting and financial planning goals.

References:

Pure Storage Evergreen//Forever Documentation: "Understanding Evergreen//Flex"

Pure Storage Whitepaper: "Maximizing Value with Evergreen Subscriptions"

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "How Evergreen//Flex Works"

To meet the healthcare customer's requirement for the fastest possible array for a highly transactional medical records database,FlashArray//XLis the optimal choice. Here's why:

Analysis of FlashArray Models:

FlashArray//XL:

TheFlashArray//XLis Pure Storage's highest-performance all-flash storage array, designed for mission-critical, high-transaction workloads that demand ultra-low latency and maximum throughput.

It offers the highest IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second), bandwidth, and capacity scaling capabilities in the FlashArray family, making it ideal for workloads like medical records databases that require extreme performance.

With its advanced NVMe architecture and DirectFlash Modules, FlashArray//XL delivers sub-millisecond latency and exceptional performance consistency, which are critical for transactional workloads.

FlashArray//X:

TheFlashArray//Xis a high-performance all-flash array but is positioned below the FlashArray//XL in terms of raw performance and scalability.

While it is suitable for most enterprise workloads, it may not provide the same level of performance as FlashArray//XL for highly transactional databases with demanding I/O requirements.

FlashArray//C:

TheFlashArray//Cis optimized for capacity and cost efficiency rather than raw performance.

It uses QLC NAND flash technology, which is more cost-effective but has lower endurance and performance compared to the TLC NAND used in FlashArray//X and FlashArray//XL.

This makes FlashArray//C unsuitable for highly transactional workloads like a medical records database.

Recommendation:

Given the customer's need for the "fastest possible array" and the highly transactional nature of their workload,FlashArray//XLis the best recommendation. Its ability to deliver consistent, low-latency performance at scale ensures that the medical records database will perform optimally under heavy transactional loads.

References:

FlashArray//XL Product Overview:

Pure Storage FlashArray//XL

Details the performance and use cases for FlashArray//XL.

FlashArray//X Product Overview:

Pure Storage FlashArray//X

Explains the capabilities of FlashArray//X for enterprise workloads.

FlashArray//C Product Overview:

Pure Storage FlashArray//C

Highlights the cost-efficient design of FlashArray//C for capacity-focused workloads.