PROFESSIONAL EXAM GUIDE

FlashArray™
Architect
Professional
Exam Number: FAP_002
PROFESSIONAL EXAM GUIDE

Contents
About Pure Storage® Certified Exams .................................................................................................................................3

Section 1: Exam Registration Instructions .......................................................................................................................... 4

1.1. Exam Information ...............................................................................................................................................................................4
1.2. Creating an Online Account .............................................................................................................................................................4
1.3. Online Exam Computer Requirements ...........................................................................................................................................4
1.4. Day of the Exam ................................................................................................................................................................................5
1.5. Exam Scoring .....................................................................................................................................................................................5
1.6. After the Exam ...................................................................................................................................................................................5
1.7. Your Candidate Record ....................................................................................................................................................................6

Section 2: Pure Storage FlashArray Architect Professional Exam Topics ........................................................................... 7

2.1. Domain Names .................................................................................................................................................................................. 7
2.2. Task Information ............................................................................................................................................................................... 7
2.3. Domain Distribution..........................................................................................................................................................................8

Section 3: The Pure Storage FlashArray Architect Professional Job Role ..........................................................................9
3.1. The Minimally Qualified Candidate (MQC).....................................................................................................................................9
3.2. MQC Work Experience.....................................................................................................................................................................9

Section 4: Determine Exam Readiness .............................................................................................................................. 10

4.1. Exam Prerequisites ......................................................................................................................................................................... 10
4.2. On-the-Job Experience ................................................................................................................................................................. 10
4.3. Self-Assessment Preparation Worksheet ................................................................................................................................... 10

Section 5: Pure Storage FlashArray Architect Professional Exam Sample Questions ...................................................... 12

Section 6: Answer Key ...................................................................................................................................................... 15

Support ............................................................................................................................................................................. 18

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PROFESSIONAL EXAM GUIDE

About Pure Storage® Certified Exams

To be a Pure Storage Certified FlashArray™ Architect Professional is to demonstrate expertise in

delivering fast and reliable solutions that unlock business value and eliminate deployment risk. Pure
Storage’s Certification exams have been developed following industry best practices to strive for
reliable and valid test score interpretations.

This guide has two purposes:

• to provide you with the recommended preparations for the Pure Storage FlashArray Architect Professional Exam, and

• to help you determine if you are ready to sit for the exam.

This guide outlines the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of a “minimally qualified candidate” for
a specific job role, which will be evaluated in the exam.

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PROFESSIONAL EXAM GUIDE

Section 1: Exam Registration Instructions

1.1. Exam Information

• Exam name: Pure Storage FlashArray™ Architect Professional

• Exam number: FAP_002

• Exam cost: $129 (US Dollars)

• Number of questions: 75

• Question types: Multiple Choice (four or five options; one, two, or three correct answers)

• Time limit: 120 minutes

1.2. Creating an Online Account

1. Go to the ExamStudio Storefront.

2. Select “Pure Storage FlashArray™ Architect Professional”.

3. Either confirm the scheduling process or log in. The system will automatically recognize if you are eligible and will allow you
to move forward.

4. Log in to your candidate dashboard and click “Schedule” under the Actions tab.

5. Select the appropriate time zone; then, select the date and time you want to take the exam. Please note that exams require
a 24-hour lead time to schedule. The earliest date on which you can make a reservation is the next business day.

6. Complete a technical compatibility check by visiting https://go.proctoru.com/testitout

1.3. Online Exam Computer Requirements

Your computer must meet the minimum requirements of ProctorU, including:

• A stable broadband internet service with a download speed of at least 12Mbps down and 3Mbps up

• Chrome or Firefox web browser. Download ProctorU extensions: Chrome or Firefox

• Webcam

• Microphone

To check if your computer meets the minimum requirements of the exam provider, visit https://go.proctoru.com/testitout. To
watch a video on how ProctorU works, please click here.

You will be prompted to download and run a LogMeIn Rescue applet file that will bring up a chat box to allow you to text with
your proctor. If prompted, be sure to click “Open” or “Allow” to give the file permission to run. When the chat box says
“Waiting,” it means that you are in the queue waiting for your proctor.

TIP: If your status shows “Waiting,” do not re-download the applet file. You will be put back at the end of the queue. For
more information on what to expect on the day of the exam, please visit this link.

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1.4. Day of the Exam

Requirements:
• You must provide one form of government-issued photo ID (e.g., driver’s license, passport).

• If you do not provide acceptable proof of identification via webcam to the proctor prior to the exam, you will not be
allowed to take the exam. No refund or rescheduling is provided when an exam cannot be started due to failure to provide
proper identification.

• You must also consent to have your photo taken. The ID will be used for identity verification only and will not be stored.

• You must be in a private, well-lit environment such as a conference room or home office.

• You must close all third-party programs and unplug any secondary monitors.

• The proctor will ask you to show your desk and surroundings before your exam can start.

• You cannot consult notes or books during the exam. The proctor will not allow the use of documents, materials, or
websites during the exam.

• Make sure you have downloaded the ProctorU extension for either Chrome or Firefox.

Log in to Launch the Exam

To launch the exam, log in to your ExamStudio account.

1. Enter your login credentials.

2. Click “Start Exam” under the Actions tab on your dashboard.

NOTE: The timer for your exam does not start until the proctor launches the exam. You will have 120 minutes to
complete the exam. You may start your exam once the countdown timer reaches 0:00:00. If you do not start your exam
within 15 minutes of this time frame, the system will automatically mark you as a No-Show and you will not be able to
take your exam.

Special Considerations
• To reset a forgotten password, visit https://portal2.examstudio.com/ResetPassword.aspx?id=100106. Once you reset your
password, you can log in via your candidate portal.

• For additional questions regarding ProctorU, please visit this link.

• For any other additional questions or concerns, please contact the Pure Storage certification team at
[email protected].

1.5. Exam Scoring

• One point is awarded for each correct answer to a single-response or multi-response question.

• No points are awarded for either incorrectly answered or unanswered single-response or multi-response questions.

1.6. After the Exam

Your candidate record will be updated with the results of your exam 24-48 hours following the exam. Please see Section 1.7 of
this exam guide for instructions on how to review your candidate record.

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If You Pass:
Your candidate record will have an eCertificate when you achieve a certification, as well as a Pure Storage certification logo
for this exam. A certification is valid for 2 years, and, upon expiration, you will need to take the exam again.

If You Fail:
You will need to wait 72 hours to re-schedule the exam.

1.7. Your Candidate Record

To access your candidate record, visit https://www.certmetrics.com/purestorage/login.aspx. From here, you will be able to
access your score report(s).

The first time you log in, you will need to create an account.

To create an account:
1. Click “Never logged in before?” on the landing page.

2. Enter either your email address or data from your score report, as shown below.

3. You will receive an email with instructions on how to access your account.

Once you create your account, you will be able to log in with your login ID and password.

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Section 2: Pure Storage FlashArray Architect Professional Exam Topics

2.1. Domain Names

The job tasks measured on the exam are grouped into the following domains of practice:

• Design and Plan

• Platform and Architecture

• Administration

• Data Protection

2.2. Task Information

Within each domain, you will be asked about specific tasks you should be able to perform as a Pure Storage Certified
FlashArray Architect Professional, including but not limited to:

Design and Plan

• Determine the minimum FlashArray configuration needed to meet the customer’s requirements

• Use Pure1® to analyze performance or capacity needs

• Identify appropriate migration options for customer needs

• Recommend appropriate data protection solutions

• Recommend appropriate SAN configuration between an array and hosts

Platform and Architecture

• Describe the benefits of the Lifecycle of an I/O in a FlashArray System

• Identify differences and advantages of NVMe compared to SCSI in the FlashArray

• Identify the architecture components that allow non-disruptive operations

Administration
• Perform advanced storage operations using the FlashArray GUI/CLI

• Discern the difference between expected IO latency versus unexpected latency

• Configure Snap to NFS and Purity CloudSnap™ on a FlashArray

• Configure and utilize Protection Groups

• Troubleshoot array/SAN performance

• Manage and monitor a VM environment connected to FlashArray

Data Protection
• Demonstrate understanding and use cases of snapshot and replication technology in a FlashArray

• Identify relevant third-party tools for data backups

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2.3. Domain Distribution

The questions on the exam are distributed as follows for each domain.

NOTE: Each question carries the same weight, and there is no partial credit for any question.

Domain Percent of Exam

Design and Plan 36%

Platform Architecture 21%

Administration 35%

Data Protection 8%

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Section 3: The Pure Storage FlashArray Architect Professional Job Role

This exam is designed for individuals who are currently performing or have previous work experience with the job
responsibilities of a Pure Storage FlashArray Architect Professional.

3.1. The Minimally Qualified Candidate (MQC)

To pass the exam, you must possess at least the minimum level of knowledge, skills, and abilities required of a Pure Storage
FlashArray Architect Professional. The MQC will have general storage knowledge, as well as Pure Storage FlashArray
experience. The MQC will also have familiarity with Pure1®, Purity OS, FlashArray GUI/CLI, and Evergreen™.

The Pure Storage FlashArray Architect Professional should be able to perform the following tasks without any assistance:

• Capacity sizing FlashArray for the workloads defined by a customer

• Describe the hardware and software architecture of FlashArray at a deep technical level

• Perform advanced management tasks with FlashArray GUI/CLI, and Pure1

• Define and deploy data protection and data workflow strategies with snapshot and replication

• Describe Array upgrade dependencies

• Install an Array for POC purposes

• Configure host operating systems utilizing best practices (i.e., MPIO, Connectivity, DSM)

• Maximize performance based on SAN guidelines

• Utilize Pure Storage documentation (KB)

The Pure Storage FlashArray Architect Professional should be able to participate in the following tasks with substantial

guidance, mentoring, or instruction:

• Performance sizing FlashArray for the workloads defined by a customer

• Configure basic third-party integration solutions and plugins (i.e., Vsphere plugin, Microsoft Powershell toolkit)

• SAN/network troubleshooting

3.2. MQC Work Experience

A minimally qualified Pure Storage FlashArray Architect Professional typically has the following work experience:

• Intermediate-level role

• Minimum of 3-5 years of storage industry experience

• Minimum of 1-2 years of Pure Storage experience

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PROFESSIONAL EXAM GUIDE

Section 4: Determine Exam Readiness

Nothing can guarantee that you will pass your test; however, the more practical work experience you have, the better your
chances are to pass the test. Use the self-assessment preparation worksheet (below) to evaluate your level of readiness.

4.1. Exam Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for the Pure Storage FlashArray Architect Professional Examination.

4.2. On-the-Job Experience

Since Pure Storage exams measure knowledge, skills, and abilities for a specific job role, one of the best ways to prepare for
the exam is to make sure you have the minimum work experience, as described in this guide.

4.3. Self-Assessment Preparation Worksheet

Use the following worksheet to review the exam topics and assess your own readiness. If you need to prepare more for a
certain topic, determine if you need training, on-the-job experience, or both.

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I can:

Topic Yes No

Design and Plan

Using information provided, assess the expected data reduction rate, growth rate, capacity
requirement, and data protection requirements to propose a solution to meet customer requirements

Use volume protection to determine appropriate location of a snapshot

Determine appropriate volume protection and/or status of a volume protection

Determine appropriate tool use for a variety of scenarios (e.g., storage vMotion, host migration)

Analyze customers' RPO and RTO and recommended solution(s)

Determine replication intervals given simplified constraints

Identify zoning configurations

Identify compatible SAN hardware (e.g., HBA, cable, fiber cable)

Platform and Architecture

Identify the path of an I/O through a FlashArray (e.g., garbage collection, NVRAM)

Identify the benefits of FlashArray DirectFlash® Modules as compared to SSDs

Identify the features in the FlashArray architecture that allows for a controller to be replaced without
performance loss, or loss of access to data

Administration

Identify CLI commands (i.e., Create volume, identify hosts to the array, connect hosts to volumes)

Configure Stretched POD for Active Cluster

Calculate the SAN, Array, and total latency from given tool outputs in the GUI and CLI

Identify steps to install and configure Snap to NFS/CloudSnap™ on a FlashArray

Configure Protections Groups for Shared Volumes

Include appropriate members in Protection Group

Analyze I/O size and/or queue depth and justify observed latency

Data Protection

Based on scenario, determine appropriate replication methods

Determine FlashArray compatibility use with third-party data protection tools

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Section 5: Pure Storage FlashArray Architect Professional Exam Sample Questions

Review and practice taking exam questions to get a sense for the types of questions on the exam. Please note that your
performance here does not indicate how you will do on the actual exam. To fully prepare for the exam, closely review the topic
areas and objectives in this Exam Guide.

The correct answers are at the end of the exam guide.

1. A customer environment consists of 60TB of Oracle Databases, 100TB of Virtual Server data, and 70TB of Virtual Desktop
data. Assume data reduction ratios of 3:1 for Databases, 5:1 for Virtual Servers, and 7:1 for Virtual Desktops. There is NO
compression or encryption at the application level.

What is the minimum usable capacity that should be sized on a FlashArray to host this customer environment?

a. 230TB

b. 80TB

c. 50TB

d. 30TB

2. What are the advantages of using NVMe over SAS/SATA?

a. NVMe uses a new SCSI command set and has more available queues vs. SAS/SATA.

b. NVMe uses a reduced and more efficient command set and has more available queues vs. SAS/SATA.

c. NVMe uses a reduced and more efficient command set and has the same number of queues vs. SAS/SATA.

d. NVMe uses a new SCSI command set and has the same number of queues vs. SAS/SATA.

3. When designing a FlashArray configuration with Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), which three roles are available on the
FlashArray?

a. Operator, Storage Admin, Superuser

b. Read Only, Storage Admin, Array Admin

c. Operator, Storage Admin, Array Admin

d. Read Only, Storage Admin, Network Adm

4. Where are three places in the Purity//FA 5.x GUI a FlashArray Professional can see failed components?

a. System Tab, Messages Tab, and Analysis Tab

b. Dashboard Tab, Health Tab, and Messages Tab

c. Storage Tab, System Tab, and Messages Tab

d. Dashboard Tab, Storage Tab, and Messages Tab

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5. A FlashArray Professional uses the Restore feature to recover a volume from a snapshot.

Which steps does the FlashArray take?

a. 1. An undo snapshot is taken of the volume

2. The volume is overwritten by the volume snapshot

3. The Source Volume field is assigned to the name of the originating volume

4. The volume Create Date field is set to the snapshot create date

b. 1. The volume is overwritten by the volume snapshot

2. The Source Volume field is assigned to the name of the originating volume

3. The volume Create Date field is set to the snapshot create date

4. The snapshot is deleted

c. 1. A new temporary volume is created

2. The temporary volume is overwritten by the snapshot

3. The temporary volume is copied over the target volume

4. The temporary volume is deleted

5. The target volume Create Date is set to the current date

d. 1. The volume is overwritten by the volume snapshot

2. The Source Volume field is assigned to the name of the originating volume

3. The volume Create Date is set to the snapshot create date

6. A customer fills a 100GB FlashArray volume with 80GB of data. A customer tries to resize the volume to 1TB but
accidentally leaves the units as GB. The volume is effectively truncated to 1GB.

How should a FlashArray Professional resolve this issue?

a. Resize the volume back to the original size using the CLI

b. Unmount the volume and use host-side tools to recover the filesystem from the volume's deleted sectors

c. Call Pure Storage Support to have the data restored from the RAID parity

d. Recover the volume from the auto-generated snapshot in the Destroyed Snapshots list

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7. Which Purity//FA feature supports Microsoft bulk data movement?

a. XCOPY

b. VSS

c. ODX

d. VAAI

8. The FlashArray GUI reports Volume Space as 80GB for a volume named WinVol. The customer takes a snapshot of this
volume and copies the snapshot to a new volume called WinVol_Clone.

With NO further changes to the dataset, how is the space reported for these two volumes in the GUI?

a. Volumes = 80GB, Snapshots = 0GB

b. Volumes = 0GB, Shared = 80GB

c. Shared = 80GB, Snapshots = 80GB

d. Volumes = 160GB, Snapshots = 0GB

9. A user is a member of multiple FlashArray groups.

What are the effective permissions for that user?

a. The user will inherit the permissions of the most powerful group.

b. The user will inherit the permissions of all group memberships.

c. The user will inherit the "no access" permission.

d. The user will inherit the permissions of the most restrictive group.

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Section 6: Answer Key

Correct answers are shown below in bold italics.

1. A customer environment consists of 60TB of Oracle Databases, 100TB of Virtual Server data, and 70TB of Virtual Desktop
data. Assume data reduction ratios of 3:1 for Databases, 5:1 for Virtual Servers, and 7:1 for Virtual Desktops. There is NO
compression or encryption at the application level.

What is the minimum usable capacity that should be sized on a FlashArray to host this customer environment?

a. 230TB

b. 80TB

c. 50TB

d. 30TB

2. What are the advantages of using NVMe over SAS/SATA?

a. NVMe uses a new SCSI command set and has more available queues vs. SAS/SATA.

b. NVMe uses a reduced and more efficient command set and has more available queues vs. SAS/SATA.

c. NVMe uses a reduced and more efficient command set and has the same number of queues vs. SAS/SATA.

d. NVMe uses a new SCSI command set and has the same number of queues vs. SAS/SATA.

3. When designing a FlashArray configuration with Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), which three roles are available on the
FlashArray?

a. Operator, Storage Admin, Superuser

b. Read Only, Storage Admin, Array Admin

c. Operator, Storage Admin, Array Admin

d. Read Only, Storage Admin, Network Adm

4. Where are three places in the Purity//FA 5.x GUI a FlashArray Professional can see failed components?

a. System Tab, Messages Tab, and Analysis Tab

b. Dashboard Tab, Health Tab, and Messages Tab

c. Storage Tab, System Tab, and Messages Tab

d. Dashboard Tab, Storage Tab, and Messages Tab

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5. A FlashArray Professional uses the Restore feature to recover a volume from a snapshot.

Which steps does the FlashArray take?

a. 1. An undo snapshot is taken of the volume

2. The volume is overwritten by the volume snapshot

3. The Source Volume field is assigned to the name of the originating volume

4. The volume Create Date field is set to the snapshot create date

b. 1. The volume is overwritten by the volume snapshot

2. The Source Volume field is assigned to the name of the originating volume

3. The volume Create Date field is set to the snapshot create date

4. The snapshot is deleted

c. 1. A new temporary volume is created

2. The temporary volume is overwritten by the snapshot

3. The temporary volume is copied over the target volume

4. The temporary volume is deleted

5. The target volume Create Date is set to the current date

d. 1. The volume is overwritten by the volume snapshot

2. The Source Volume field is assigned to the name of the originating volume

3. The volume Create Date is set to the snapshot create date

6. A customer fills a 100GB FlashArray volume with 80GB of data. A customer tries to resize the volume to 1TB but
accidentally leaves the units as GB. The volume is effectively truncated to 1GB.

How should a FlashArray Professional resolve this issue?

a. Resize the volume back to the original size using the CLI

b. Unmount the volume and use host-side tools to recover the filesystem from the volume's deleted sectors

c. Call Pure Storage Support to have the data restored from the RAID parity

d. Recover the volume from the auto-generated snapshot in the Destroyed Snapshots list

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7. Which Purity//FA feature supports Microsoft bulk data movement?

a. XCOPY

b. VSS

c. ODX

d. VAAI

8. The FlashArray GUI reports Volume Space as 80GB for a volume named WinVol. The customer takes a snapshot of this
volume and copies the snapshot to a new volume called WinVol_Clone.

With NO further changes to the dataset, how is the space reported for these two volumes in the GUI?

a. Volumes = 80GB, Snapshots = 0GB

b. Volumes = 0GB, Shared = 80GB

c. Shared = 80GB, Snapshots = 80GB

d. Volumes = 160GB, Snapshots = 0GB

9. A user is a member of multiple FlashArray groups.

What are the effective permissions for that user?

a. The user will inherit the permissions of the most powerful group.

b. The user will inherit the permissions of all group memberships.

c. The user will inherit the "no access" permission.

d. The user will inherit the permissions of the most restrictive group.

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Support
For information on Pure Storage’s certification programs, visit this link. To contact us, please send an email to
[email protected].

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