PSC Virtualization & Container Integration 1

Question 1

What vSphere primitive enables Pure Storage FlashArray to perform array-side copy operations without consuming ESXi host CPU resources?

Accepted Answer

VAAI XCOPY (Full Copy) offload

Answer

VAAI's XCOPY primitive offloads block-copy operations entirely to the FlashArray, freeing ESXi CPU and reducing network I/O during cloning and migration tasks.

Question 2

What does enabling Virtual Volumes (VVols) in a Pure Storage and VMware environment allow that traditional VMFS datastores do not?

Accepted Answer

Per-VM storage policy enforcement and granular snapshot management at the individual VM object level

Answer

VVols map each VM component (vmdk, swap, config) to a native array object, enabling Storage Policy-Based Management (SPBM) with per-VM QoS, snapshots, and replication policies.

Question 3

Which Pure Storage component must be installed in VMware Site Recovery Manager (SRM) to enable array-based replication and automated failover orchestration?

Accepted Answer

Pure Storage Storage Replication Adapter (SRA)

Answer

The Pure Storage SRA integrates with VMware SRM to enable non-disruptive failover testing and automated recovery plans using FlashArray replication.

Question 4

What is the role of the Pure Storage VASA (vSphere APIs for Storage Awareness) Provider in a VMware environment?

Accepted Answer

It communicates FlashArray capabilities and storage profiles to vCenter for VVol and SPBM support

Answer

The VASA Provider tells vCenter about the array's capabilities (protocols, replication, QoS) so administrators can create and assign VM storage policies through SPBM.

Question 5

Which connectivity protocols does Pure Storage FlashArray support for VMware ESXi host access?

Accepted Answer

Fibre Channel (FC), iSCSI, and NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF)

Answer

FlashArray supports FC, iSCSI, and NVMe-oF (NVMe/FC and NVMe/TCP) for block storage connectivity to VMware ESXi hosts, providing flexibility across data center environments.

PSC - Pure Storage Certification Practice Test

PSC - Pure Storage Certification Practice Test

PSC Virtualization & Container Integration 1