Portworx-Enterprise-Professional Pure Certified Portworx Enterprise Professional (PEP) Exam Questions and Answers

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When using shared authentication in Portworx, the Kubernetes secret that contains the authentication token or credentials is stored in the same namespace where the application requesting storage resides. This placement ensures that the application pods have access to the secret needed to authenticate to Portworx for volume provisioning and management. It enables a security boundary aligned with Kubernetes namespaces, restricting credentials to the scope of the application. Storing the secret in the default namespace or the Portworx installation namespace would be less secure or less flexible in multi-tenant clusters. Portworx authentication documentation highlights this design for efficient, secure access management in Kubernetes environments【Pure Storage Portworx Security Guide†source】.

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Using encrypted Persistent Volume Claims (PVCs) with Portworx requires that an administrator first configure a secret provider responsible for managing the encryption keys. The secret provider could be an external Key Management System (KMS) such as AWS KMS, Google Cloud KMS, Hashicorp Vault, or Kubernetes Secrets. This step is critical because encryption keys are essential to securely encrypt and decrypt data on volumes. Although enabling encryption in the StorageClass via parameters like secure: enabled is necessary to activate encryption on volumes, it is insufficient without a properly configured secret provider to manage the keys. The secret provider ensures keys are securely stored, rotated, and accessed, fulfilling compliance and security requirements. Portworx documentation stresses this as a foundational step to enable encrypted PVCs, highlighting that without a configured secret provider, encrypted volumes cannot be provisioned or used effectively【Pure Storage Portworx Encryption Docs†source】.

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The DriveStateChange alert in Portworx indicates that free disk space on a storage device has fallen below the recommended threshold of 10%. This alert warns administrators that storage capacity on a particular disk is critically low and that immediate action may be needed to avoid performance degradation or failures. Monitoring disk space is essential to maintain cluster health and prevent data loss. Portworx automatically generates this alert as part of its proactive monitoring system, providing early warning so operators can add capacity, remove unnecessary data, or re-balance workloads. The alert documentation advises maintaining sufficient free space to ensure optimal performance and data durability in the Portworx cluster【Pure Storage Portworx Alerting Guide†source】.

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To migrate data from an existing PVC backed by another storage provider to a new Portworx PVC, the administrator typically creates a temporary pod (often using a lightweight container like busybox) that mounts both the source and destination PVCs. Within this pod, standard Linux file commands such as cp or rsync are used to transfer data between volumes. This approach leverages Kubernetes volume mounting capabilities and avoids downtime by enabling data migration without removing the source volume immediately. Portworx does not provide a direct pxctl import command, nor does it use a DataExport Cluster Resource for PVC data migration. This manual method is widely documented and recommended for stateful data migration tasks involving Kubernetes PVCs across different storage backends【Pure Storage Portworx Data Migration Guide†source】.

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To ensure Portworx volumes for an ElasticSearch application are created only on specific Kubernetes nodes, the Volume Placement Strategy feature is used. This feature allows administrators to define node affinity or anti-affinity rules that restrict volume provisioning to a subset of nodes. By tagging the six nodes with appropriate labels and configuring the StorageClass or volume parameters to respect these labels, Portworx guarantees that volumes will only be provisioned on those nodes. This targeted volume placement is critical for performance optimization, data locality, and compliance with infrastructure constraints. Autopilot automates scaling and Stork manages storage-aware scheduling but does not directly control volume node placement. The Portworx deployment documentation highlights Volume Placement Strategy as the tool for precise volume-to-node mapping in Kubernetes clusters【Pure Storage Portworx Deployment Guide†source】.

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Labeling Kubernetes nodes with rack information is achieved using the kubectl label nodes command. The syntax would be something like kubectl label nodes px/rack=. This label allows Portworx to understand the physical or logical topology of nodes, enabling placement strategies that optimize data locality, fault tolerance, and availability based on rack awareness. Taints and annotations serve different purposes; taints affect pod scheduling by repelling pods, while annotations provide metadata without influencing scheduling. Portworx uses node labels extensively for topology-aware volume placement and disaster recovery planning. Official Portworx documentation recommends labeling nodes with topology identifiers like rack or zone to enable advanced placement strategies and maintain application resiliency in distributed environments【Pure Storage Portworx Placement Guide†source】.

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The Portworx diagnostics bundle, known as “diags,” aggregates comprehensive diagnostic data for troubleshooting. This includes Portworx journal logs, which record detailed system and service events essential for identifying errors or malfunctions. Additionally, the bundle contains outputs from key CLI commands such as pxctl status and pxctl volume list that provide snapshots of the cluster’s health, volume states, and configuration at the time of collection. Basic operating system information, including kernel version, disk hardware details, and network interfaces, is also captured to understand the underlying environment. Together, these components equip Portworx support and administrators with the contextual data needed for effective root cause analysis and faster issue resolution. The official Portworx support documentation recommends collecting and submitting this bundle for all significant troubleshooting cases as it expedites problem diagnosis and resolution【Pure Storage Portworx Support Guide†source】.

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Skinny Snapshots are a space-efficient snapshot technique used by Portworx for replicated volumes (Repl 2 or 3) when storage capacity is limited and no external Object Store is configured. Unlike full snapshots that duplicate data blocks, skinny snapshots capture only the differences (deltas) since the last snapshot, minimizing space consumption. This method allows administrators to take frequent snapshots without significantly impacting storage availability. Skinny Snapshots are particularly useful for on-premises environments or clusters without access to cloud object storage, balancing snapshot granularity with resource constraints. Official Portworx snapshot documentation explains how skinny snapshots work internally, improving backup and recovery capabilities under tight storage conditions without requiring cloud integration【Pure Storage Portworx Snapshot Guide†source】.

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When security is enabled in Portworx, all commands, including those issued via the pxctl CLI, require authentication to access the cluster. If pxctl returns an “access denied” error, it means the CLI does not have valid credentials. To regain access, administrators must provide authentication details using the --user and --password flags or configure a context with an authentication token. The username and password are stored securely within the Kubernetes secret px-admin-token. Using these credentials ensures pxctl commands are authorized to perform management operations. Without authentication, Portworx enforces strict access controls to protect sensitive storage operations and data. While creating new contexts via pxctl context create is a valid method, initially supplying credentials is mandatory. Failure to authenticate prevents any management activity, reinforcing Portworx’s security posture. Official security guides outline these steps as fundamental to transitioning from unsecured to secured cluster operation and managing authenticated access effectively【Pure Storage Portworx Security Guide†source】.

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The spec.csi.enabled flag in the Portworx StorageCluster specification dictates whether the Container Storage Interface (CSI) driver is deployed within the Kubernetes environment. Setting this flag to false means that the CSI driver will not be installed or enabled, effectively disabling the CSI functionality. The CSI driver is responsible for dynamic volume provisioning, attachment, and lifecycle management in Kubernetes clusters. Disabling CSI might be necessary in environments relying on legacy volume plugins or specific operational requirements. When CSI is disabled, Portworx will not support dynamic provisioning or other CSI-dependent features, which could limit functionality for Kubernetes storage operations. Portworx operator documentation explicitly states that disabling CSI omits the CSI driver installation, advising users to carefully consider the impact before setting this flag to false, especially in production environments requiring CSI functionality【Pure Storage Portworx Operator Docs†source】.

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Stork version 2.3 is the minimum version required to support Application Backup features in Portworx. Application Backup allows for consistent snapshots and restores of complex, multi-volume, and multi-pod stateful applications. This capability depends on enhancements introduced in Stork 2.3 that enable application-aware backup orchestration, coordination between Kubernetes and storage layers, and integration with backup policies. Earlier Stork versions lack these features, making them unsuitable for application-level backups. Portworx release notes and Stork documentation confirm that version 2.3 introduced key functionalities that underpin the reliable backup and restore workflows for stateful workloads, making it a baseline requirement for disaster recovery and business continuity implementations involving application backups【Pure Storage Portworx Backup Docs†source】.

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In Portworx, a volume is considered “Public” when guest access is enabled. Guest access allows users and applications without explicit Portworx authentication credentials to access the volume. This setting is typically used in less restrictive environments where access control is relaxed, but it reduces security by exposing data to potentially unauthorized entities. Public volumes can be accessed by any entity with network connectivity and basic permissions, which is why enabling guest access is carefully controlled in secure deployments. Portworx documentation on security models and access controls stresses that public volumes should be used sparingly and monitored closely due to the elevated risk of data exposure and compliance violations【Pure Storage Portworx Security Guide†source】.

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Adding a new drive to an existing Portworx storage cluster involves bringing the physical device online for Portworx management. The correct command for this is pxctl service drive add -drive /dev/dm-1 -operation start. This command instructs Portworx to recognize and incorporate the new drive specified by the device path (e.g., /dev/dm-1) into its storage pool. After this operation, Portworx can use the drive for provisioning volumes or expanding capacity. The -operation start flag signals Portworx to initialize and prepare the drive for use. This method is part of Portworx’s dynamic storage management capabilities, allowing flexible scaling of storage resources without downtime. Official CLI documentation outlines this command as the supported approach to adding drives to running clusters safely and efficiently【Pure Storage Portworx CLI Guide†source】.

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Portworx provides a mechanism to control KVDB pod placement through the kvdb.selector.matchNodeName field in the StorageCluster Custom Resource Definition (CRD). This allows administrators to explicitly specify node names where KVDB pods will be deployed. By setting this selector to include NODE01, NODE03, and NODE05, KVDB pods will run exclusively on these nodes, ensuring better control of quorum, fault tolerance, and performance. Node labeling alone is insufficient unless the labels are properly referenced in the spec, making direct node name matching the most straightforward and reliable method. This configuration must be done prior to cluster installation to ensure proper pod placement. Official Portworx documentation on cluster deployment and KVDB configuration confirms this method as the recommended best practice for managing KVDB nodes, critical for maintaining database availability and consistency within the Portworx cluster【Pure Storage Portworx Install Guide†source】.

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To perform an ApplicationBackup in Portworx, two Kubernetes Custom Resource Definitions (CRDs) are essential: BackupLocation and ApplicationBackup. The BackupLocation CRD defines the target backup storage, such as an S3 bucket or NFS share, including credentials and endpoints. ApplicationBackup defines the specifics of the backup operation, including which application volumes to back up, schedules, and retention policies. Together, they enable declarative backup management within Kubernetes, allowing administrators to configure, automate, and monitor backups of stateful applications using Portworx. These CRDs provide flexibility and integration with Kubernetes-native tools, improving disaster recovery capabilities. Portworx backup documentation describes these CRDs as the foundation of its application-aware backup and restore system【Pure Storage Portworx Backup Docs†source】.

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The recommended approach to managing Portworx snapshots is to configure retention policies that automatically govern the lifecycle of snapshots, including their expiration and deletion. These policies ensure that snapshots are retained only as long as needed, preventing uncontrolled accumulation that can consume excessive storage and degrade performance. By setting retention rules, administrators can automate snapshot cleanup, enforce compliance requirements, and optimize resource usage. Manual deletion is error-prone and inefficient at scale, and retaining all snapshots indefinitely can lead to capacity exhaustion and management challenges. Portworx documentation provides detailed guidance on defining snapshot retention schedules, including time-based expiration and count limits, enabling administrators to maintain a balance between data protection and storage efficiency【Pure Storage Portworx Snapshot Management Guide†source】.

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Autopilot is a key feature in Portworx designed to automate operational tasks such as capacity management and volume resizing. One of its primary benefits is automating the expansion of storage volumes based on predefined rules and thresholds. This means that when a volume approaches its storage limit, Autopilot can automatically trigger volume expansion without manual intervention, ensuring applications have uninterrupted access to storage resources. This automation reduces operational overhead, eliminates manual errors, and helps maintain application performance and availability. While Autopilot doesn’t directly handle container migration or security enhancements, its dynamic volume management capabilities play a critical role in operational efficiency and business continuity. The Portworx documentation highlights Autopilot as a tool for intelligent, policy-driven storage management that adapts to workload demands in real time【Pure Storage Portworx Autopilot Guide†source】.

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To verify a Portworx upgrade on Kubernetes, administrators use the pxctl get storagenodes command. This Portworx CLI command lists all storage nodes with detailed information including version, status, and health. By inspecting the version column, administrators can confirm whether all nodes have been successfully upgraded to the desired Portworx release. This command specifically queries Portworx daemons for accurate cluster version details, unlike kubectl get nodes which shows Kubernetes node info but not Portworx versioning. Portworx upgrade best practices stress using pxctl commands for detailed verification after an upgrade to ensure consistent cluster software versions and successful upgrade completion【Pure Storage Portworx Upgrade Guide†source】.

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If Portworx logs indicate that a node is not in quorum, the administrator’s first step is to verify the status of each storage node in the cluster using the command pxctl status. This command provides detailed information about node connectivity, quorum status, and cluster health. The quorum is critical for distributed consensus and cluster consistency. Checking each node’s status helps identify network partitions, node failures, or communication issues causing quorum loss. Simply running pxctl service status provides service-level info but not the comprehensive node quorum details needed. The Portworx troubleshooting documentation stresses using pxctl status as the primary diagnostic tool when encountering quorum-related alerts to ensure cluster stability and resolve issues promptly【Pure Storage Portworx Troubleshooting Guide†source】.