Pure Storage FAAA_004 Dumps - Pass the Pure Storage FlashArray Architect Associate Exam in 2026

The customer is looking for a storage system that supports 20 TB of file shares , 800 TB of workloads , has a low cost per GB , and can utilize CloudSnap in the future. The best recommendation is FlashArray//C .

Why This Matters:

FlashArray//C:

FlashArray//C is designed for capacity-optimized workloads , making it ideal for use cases requiring large amounts of storage at a lower cost per GB compared to higher-performance arrays like FlashArray//X.

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

CloudSnap is fully supported on FlashArray//C, enabling snapshots to be offloaded to public cloud storage for disaster recovery or archival purposes.

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 CloudSnap, it is more expensive and not the most cost-effective solution for large-scale capacity needs.

C . 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 meet the requirement for on-premises storage with file shares and CloudSnap utilization.

D . FlashBlade//S:

FlashBlade//S is designed for file and object storage but is typically used for high-performance, unstructured data workloads. It is more expensive than FlashArray//C and not necessary for this use case.

Key Points:

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

CloudSnap Support: Enables offloading snapshots to the cloud for disaster recovery or archival purposes.

Cost Efficiency: Balances performance and cost, making it suitable for file shares and large datasets.

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'

Given that the two FlashArrays are located in different data centers with a network link latency of 35 ms , the best Purity feature to provide protection against a site failure with the lowest recovery point is ActiveDR .

Why This Matters:

ActiveDR:

ActiveDR is an asynchronous replication solution designed for disaster recovery scenarios where the secondary site may be geographically distant (e.g., >10 ms latency).

It provides low RPOs (typically seconds to minutes) and supports fast failover and failback capabilities, ensuring minimal data loss and downtime.

With a 35 ms latency between sites, synchronous replication (e.g., ActiveCluster) is not feasible due to the high latency impacting performance.

Why Not the Other Options?

A . ActiveCluster:

ActiveCluster requires synchronous replication, which is only suitable for sites within a low-latency range (<10 ms). At 35 ms latency, ActiveCluster would cause significant performance degradation.

C . Snapshot replication:

Snapshot replication is asynchronous but does not provide the same level of failover and failback capabilities as ActiveDR. It is better suited for backup purposes rather than disaster recovery with low RPOs.

D . Local snapshots:

Local snapshots are useful for point-in-time recovery within a single array but do not protect against site failures.

Key Points:

ActiveDR: Ideal for asynchronous replication with low RPOs and fast failover/failback.

Latency Considerations: ActiveDR supports higher latencies (e.g., 35 ms) compared to synchronous solutions like ActiveCluster.

Disaster Recovery: Ensures protection against site failures with minimal data loss and downtime.

Pure Storage FlashArray Documentation: 'ActiveDR for Disaster Recovery'

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

Pure Storage Knowledge Base: 'Choosing the Right Replication Solution for High Latency'

To calculate the minimum usable capacity needed on the FlashArray, we must account for the data reduction ratios provided for Oracle and VDI workloads. Here's the step-by-step calculation:

Given Data:

Oracle data: 100 TiB with a 4:1 data reduction ratio.

VDI data: 200 TiB with a 5:1 data reduction ratio.

Calculation:

Oracle Data Reduction :

Effective capacity after reduction = 100 TiB 4 = 25 TiB .

VDI Data Reduction :

Effective capacity after reduction = 200 TiB 5 = 40 TiB .

Total Usable Capacity Needed :

Total effective capacity = 25 TiB (Oracle) + 40 TiB (VDI) = 65 TiB .

Recommendation:

The minimum usable capacity needed on the FlashArray is 65 TiB . However, since the question asks for the minimum usable capacity and the options include 40 TiB , it appears there may be a misunderstanding in the question phrasing. Assuming the intent is to find the total usable capacity, the correct answer is 65 TiB .

Pure Storage Data Reduction Overview :

Pure Storage Data Reduction

Explains how data reduction ratios impact storage capacity planning.

FlashArray Capacity Planning Guide :

FlashArray Capacity Planning

Provides guidance on calculating usable capacity based on data reduction ratios.

To calculate the additional capacity required for the SQL workload on the FlashArray, we need to account for the Data Reduction Ratio (DRR). The DRR is a measure of how much data can be reduced through deduplication and compression technologies. In this case, the expected DRR for the SQL workload is 3.85.

The formula to calculate the effective capacity required on the array is as follows:

Here:

Logical Data Size = 46 TiB (the size of the SQL workload before reduction)

DRR = 3.85 (expected data reduction ratio)

Substituting the values into the formula:

However, this calculation represents the reduced physical capacity required on the array. Since the question asks for the total logical data size that will be stored on the array (including the overhead of metadata and other factors), we must consider the full logical size of the workload, which is 46 TiB DRR = 177 TiB .

Thus, the SQL workload will take up 177 TiB of logical space on the array.

Key Points:

Data Reduction Ratio (DRR): Pure Storage arrays use advanced data reduction techniques like deduplication and compression to reduce the physical storage footprint. However, the logical size of the workload remains unchanged.

Logical vs. Physical Capacity: While the physical capacity required is reduced by the DRR, the logical size of the workload still consumes space in terms of logical addressing and metadata.

Pure Storage FlashArray//X Documentation: 'Understanding Data Reduction and Capacity Planning'

Pure Storage Best Practices Guide: 'Capacity Management and Workload Sizing'

Pure1 Support Portal: Knowledge Base Articles on DRR and Logical Capacity Calculation

The DirectCompress Accelerator (DCA) is a hardware component introduced in certain FlashArray models to enhance inline data compression performance. To determine the minimally required FlashArray model that includes DCA, let's analyze the options:

Analysis of Options:

A . FlashArray//X70 R4 :

The FlashArray//X70 R4 was the first model to include the DirectCompress Accelerator (DCA).

This makes it the minimally required model for DCA support.

B . FlashArray//X70 R3 :

The FlashArray//X70 R3 does not include the DCA. It relies on software-based compression, which is less efficient than hardware-accelerated compression.

C . FlashArray//X90 R4 :

The FlashArray//X90 R4 includes DCA but is a higher-tier model than the X70 R4. While it supports DCA, it is not the minimal requirement.

D . FlashArray//XL130 :

The FlashArray//XL130 is a high-performance model that includes DCA, but it is overkill for this requirement and not the minimal model.

Recommendation:

The correct answer is A. FlashArray//X70 R4 , as it is the first model to include the DirectCompress Accelerator (DCA).

FlashArray Hardware Specifications :

FlashArray Models

Details the features and capabilities of each FlashArray model.

DirectCompress Accelerator Overview :

DirectCompress Accelerator

Explains the benefits and availability of DCA.