A customer needs to have arrays installed and configured with ActiveCluster and ETH replication. The installation document contains 3 IP addresses…

An ActiveCluster configuration requires dedicated IP addresses for synchronous replication and management of the stretched pod. The requirement is as follows:

Replication Network IPs: Each of the two arrays in the cluster requires two IP addresses for replication, one for each controller. This totals four IP addresses (2 arrays x 2 controllers/array).

Stretched Pod Virtual IP (VIP): A single management VIP is required for the stretched pod. This VIP is used to manage the pod as a single entity.

Therefore, the total number of IP addresses required specifically for the ActiveCluster functionality is 4 (replication) + 1 (pod VIP) = 5. This assumes the use of the Pure Cloud Mediator, which is the standard, recommended deployment and does not require a customer-provisioned IP address. The three IP addresses mentioned in the question typically refer to the standard management IPs for a single array (ct0, ct1, and array VIP) and are distinct from the IPs needed to enable ActiveCluster.

A. 4: This option incorrectly omits the mandatory virtual IP address required for managing the stretched pod, accounting only for the controller replication IPs.

C. 6: This number would be correct only if an on-premises mediator is deployed, as it requires its own dedicated IP address. However, the default configuration uses the Pure Cloud Mediator.

1. Pure Storage, "Purity ActiveCluster™ Uniform Block Storage Access Architecture and Best Practices," Technical Report (2020).

In the "Network Configuration" section, it states: "For ActiveCluster, a total of five IP addresses are required for the replication network: one for each of the four controllers, and one virtual IP address for the stretched pod." This document also clarifies that the on-premises mediator requires an additional IP, while the Pure Cloud Mediator does not.

2. Pure Storage, "FlashArray™ Installation Guide," Document P/N: 81-0031-01-REV-A (2021).

The "Network Configuration Worksheet" section details the standard IP requirements for a single array, which include a virtual management IP and one management IP for each controller, confirming that the "3 IP addresses" mentioned in the question refer to the base management configuration of one of the arrays.