100+ Free Pure Storage FAIS Practice Questions

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How many controllers are in a standard Pure Storage FlashArray and what role do they serve?

One active controller and one cold spare powered off

Two controllers configured as a stateless active/active HA pair

Three controllers in a quorum cluster for write coordination

A single controller with redundant power supplies

to track

2026 Statistics

Key Facts: Pure Storage FAIS Exam

60 scored

Multiple-choice questions

Pure Storage

10-15

Unscored pre-test items

Pure Storage

120 min

Exam Duration

Pure Storage

3 years

Cert Validity

Pure Storage

Webassessor

Delivery (Pearson VUE)

Pure Storage

Implementation

Specialist Tier

Pure Storage

Pure Storage FAIS has 60 scored multiple-choice questions plus 10-15 unscored pre-test items in 120 minutes and is valid for 3 years. The exam validates hands-on FlashArray installation, Purity configuration, host integration, replication, and Pure1 monitoring skills, delivered via Webassessor / Pearson VUE.

Sample Pure Storage FAIS Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your Pure Storage FAIS exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1How many controllers are in a standard Pure Storage FlashArray and what role do they serve?

A.One active controller and one cold spare powered off

B.Two controllers configured as a stateless active/active HA pair

C.Three controllers in a quorum cluster for write coordination

D.A single controller with redundant power supplies

Explanation: Every FlashArray ships as a stateless, dual-controller HA pair where both controllers are simultaneously active for I/O. Each controller has its own NVRAM and PCIe paths, and either can take over all workload during a Non-Disruptive Upgrade or hardware fault. Persistent state lives on the DirectFlash Modules, not the controllers, which is why controller swaps are non-disruptive.

2Which Pure Storage FlashArray model line is purpose-built for high-density, lower-cost capacity workloads using QLC DirectFlash Modules?

A.FlashArray//X

B.FlashArray//C

C.FlashArray//XR

D.FlashArray//ST

Explanation: The FlashArray//C family (C90/C60/C50) uses QLC DirectFlash Modules to deliver dense, all-flash capacity at a price point closer to hybrid arrays, targeting workloads such as Tier-2 databases, backup, and large file repositories. //X uses TLC for performance, //XR is a refresh hardware platform, and //ST is targeted at SAP HANA.

3What does DRR refer to in FlashArray capacity reporting?

A.Disk Recovery Rate after a drive failure

B.Data Reduction Ratio combining deduplication, compression, and pattern removal

C.Drive Replacement Recommendation based on wear

D.Direct Read Response time of the array

Explanation: DRR (Data Reduction Ratio) is the combined ratio of inline deduplication, compression, and pattern removal applied to host-written data before it lands on DFMs. DRR excludes thin provisioning and snapshot savings, which are reported separately to give a true compaction view. Reported as X:1 in Purity, it is the single most-cited capacity metric on FlashArray.

4What is the primary cloud-based monitoring and analytics service for FlashArray?

A.Pure Vision

B.Pure1

C.FlashCenter

D.Purity Insights

Explanation: Pure1 is the SaaS-delivered cloud platform that provides monitoring, capacity forecasting, Workload Planner, AI-driven support recommendations, and a unified view across every FlashArray and FlashBlade an organization owns. Phone-home telemetry from Purity feeds Pure1 continuously when Cloud Assist is enabled.

5On FlashArray, which storage media type are DirectFlash Modules (DFMs)?

A.SATA SSDs with RAID-5

B.SAS hard drives mirrored

C.Custom NVMe flash modules with raw NAND directly managed by Purity

D.NVDIMM persistent memory

Explanation: DirectFlash Modules are Pure Storage proprietary NVMe drives where Purity, rather than a packaged SSD controller, manages garbage collection, wear leveling, and metadata over raw NAND. This eliminates the FTL (Flash Translation Layer) duplication found in commodity SSDs and is core to FlashArray's predictable latency and capacity efficiency.

6Which Purity feature delivers active-active synchronous replication between two FlashArrays?

A.ActiveDR

B.ActiveCluster

C.CloudSnap

D.SafeMode

Explanation: ActiveCluster provides synchronous, active-active replication where the same volume is simultaneously read/write on two FlashArrays inside a stretched POD. Hosts see uniform or non-uniform access depending on topology, and an external mediator (Pure1 Cloud Mediator or on-prem) prevents split-brain.

7What is a POD in the context of FlashArray ActiveCluster?

A.A physical chassis containing the controllers and DFMs

B.A logical container that groups volumes for synchronous replication

C.A licensing bundle for VMware integration

D.A maintenance window scheduled in Pure1

Explanation: A POD is a Purity-defined logical namespace that groups one or more volumes (and their host connections) so they can be stretched across two FlashArrays for ActiveCluster synchronous replication. PODs control failover behavior, mediator policy, and which side is preferred during partition events.

8For VMware ESXi hosts connecting to a FlashArray, what is the Pure Storage best practice for the Path Selection Policy?

A.MRU — Most Recently Used

B.Fixed with preferred path

C.VMW_PSP_RR (Round-Robin) with IOPS=1

D.VMW_PSP_LB based on latency

Explanation: Pure Storage best practice for ESXi is the Round-Robin PSP (VMW_PSP_RR) configured with IOPS limit = 1, so the host rotates each I/O to a new path. This balances load evenly across all active/optimized paths, which is required to extract full FlashArray throughput. The Pure vSphere Plugin and the satp-rule installer set this automatically.

9Which feature on FlashArray applies always-on inline deduplication, compression, and pattern removal that cannot be disabled per volume?

A.Volume QoS

B.Purity Reduce

C.Always-On Data Reduction

D.SafeMode

Explanation: FlashArray's always-on inline data reduction (deduplication, LZ-style compression, and pattern removal) is a global Purity service applied to every host write before it lands on DFMs. There is no per-volume toggle; this guarantees consistent capacity efficiency and avoids configuration drift.

10Which protocol family is supported on FlashArray for NVMe over Fabrics block access?

A.Only NVMe-TCP

B.RoCE, NVMe-FC, and NVMe-TCP

C.Only RoCE v1

D.iSER and SRP

Explanation: FlashArray supports NVMe over Fabrics across three transports: RoCE v2 (Ethernet with RDMA), NVMe-FC (over Fibre Channel), and NVMe-TCP (standard Ethernet, no RDMA). This gives customers a migration path from SCSI on the same fabrics they already operate.

About the Pure Storage FAIS Exam

The Pure Storage Certified FlashArray Implementation Specialist (FAIS) validates the skills required to plan, install, configure, and operationalize a Pure Storage FlashArray. The exam covers FlashArray hardware portfolio, pre-installation site survey and network design, rack and stack, Purity OS configuration, host integration on Linux/Windows/VMware, replication with ActiveCluster and ActiveDR, Pure1 monitoring, and day-2 troubleshooting.

Assessment

60 scored multiple-choice questions plus 10-15 unscored pre-test items

Time Limit

120 minutes

Passing Score

Pure Storage does not publish a fixed passing score for FAIS

Exam Fee

Set by Pure Storage; varies by region and exam window (purchased through Pure Storage / Webassessor) (Pure Storage / Webassessor)

Pure Storage FAIS Exam Content Outline

20%

FlashArray Hardware & Architecture

FlashArray//X, //C, //XR, //ST, //File model portfolio, dual-controller HA pair, DirectFlash Modules, RAID-HA, NVMe-oF (RoCE / FC-NVMe / NVMe-TCP), capacity raw vs effective and DRR

15%

Pre-Installation & Site Design

Site survey (power, cooling, floor load), customer prerequisites, network design for management/replication/iSCSI/NVMe-TCP, FC SAN single-initiator zoning, and IP addressing

15%

Installation & Initial Setup

Rack and stack with redundant PDU feeds, controller cabling, expansion shelf hot-add, initial setup wizard, license import, Pure1 Cloud Assist registration, and management VIP plus per-controller IPs

15%

Purity Configuration & Host Integration

Hosts and Host Groups, host personalities, Connections and LUN ID, ALUA, Linux multipathd, Windows MPIO, ESXi PSP Round-Robin with IOPS=1, Disk.MaxIOSize=512KB

15%

Data Services, Volumes & Snapshots

Always-on inline deduplication, compression, pattern removal, encryption (AES-256, KMIP), QoS bandwidth/IOPS, volumes, volume groups, snapshots, clones, and SafeMode

10%

Replication & Business Continuity

Protection Groups, async snapshot replication, ActiveDR continuous replication, ActiveCluster synchronous active-active with PODs and Pure1 Cloud Mediator (RTT supported up to 11 ms), CloudSnap to S3-compatible storage

10%

VMware, Pure1 & Day-2 Operations

vSphere Client Plugin, VVols (Storage Container, Protocol Endpoint, VASA), VAAI primitives (XCOPY, ATS, UNMAP, WRITE_SAME), Pure1 monitoring/Workload Planner/Capacity Planning/Service Catalog/PSO for Kubernetes, Purity NDU, REST API, Audit Log, and troubleshooting (RX_OPN, slow drain, queue saturation, cache hit drops)

How to Pass the Pure Storage FAIS Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: Pure Storage does not publish a fixed passing score for FAIS
Assessment: 60 scored multiple-choice questions plus 10-15 unscored pre-test items
Time limit: 120 minutes
Exam fee: Set by Pure Storage; varies by region and exam window (purchased through Pure Storage / Webassessor)

Keys to Passing

Complete 500+ practice questions
Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
Focus on highest-weighted sections
Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

Pure Storage FAIS Study Tips from Top Performers

1Memorize the FlashArray model lineup: //X (TLC performance), //C (QLC capacity), //XR (refreshed hardware), //ST (SAP HANA), //File (unified file/block) — and which workloads land where

2Drill the install runbook in order: site survey, rack and stack with split A/B PDUs, controller cabling, expansion shelf hot-add, initial setup wizard, Pure1 Cloud Assist, license import

3Lock in the ESXi best-practice trio: PSP = VMW_PSP_RR, IOPS limit = 1, Disk.MaxIOSize = 512 KB — and know that the Pure vSphere Plugin enforces them automatically

4Be fluent in the difference between ActiveCluster (synchronous, RTT supported up to 11 ms, mediator-arbitrated) and ActiveDR (asynchronous continuous, multi-thousand-km capable)

5Practice reading FC port counters: RX_OPN points to physical-layer issues (dirty optics, bad SFPs); rising TX wait or zero-credit time points to slow-drain hosts and ISL congestion

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Pure Storage FAIS exam delivered and how long is it?

FAIS is delivered through Pure Storage's Webassessor portal (proctored online or at a Pearson VUE test center) and runs for 120 minutes. You answer 60 scored multiple-choice questions plus 10-15 unscored pre-test items used by Pure Storage to evaluate future content.

What does FAIS cover that the Data Storage Associate (FAA) does not?

FAIS is the implementation-specialist exam, so it goes beyond conceptual FlashArray knowledge into hands-on tasks: pre-install site survey, FC zoning and IP design, rack and stack, initial Purity setup, host integration on Linux/Windows/VMware, replication (ActiveCluster/ActiveDR/CloudSnap), Pure1 Cloud Assist, NDU upgrades, and field troubleshooting (RX_OPN, slow drain, queue depth, cache hit ratio).

How long is a Pure Storage FAIS certification valid?

Pure Storage certifications, including FAIS, are valid for 3 years from the date of issue. To stay current you either re-pass the latest version of the exam or pass a successor implementation-specialist exam before your existing certification lapses.

What hands-on knowledge is most important for FAIS?

Spend the most time on: FlashArray HA-pair architecture and DFMs, single-initiator FC zoning, ESXi best-practice values (PSP Round-Robin with IOPS=1 and Disk.MaxIOSize=512KB), Linux multipath.conf for FlashArray, Purity host personalities and Connections, Protection Group schedules, ActiveCluster mediator and POD failover, Pure1 Cloud Assist registration, and reading link-error / slow-drain counters.