To achieve 100 Gbps of consistent raw network throughput between the FlashArray and the dedicated SAN switches, while ensuring resiliency, the customer must connect a sufficient number of Ethernet ports from the FlashArray to the SAN switches.
Given that the dedicated SAN switches support up to 25 Gbps connectivity per port, the calculation is as follows:
Throughput Requirement:
The customer requires 100 Gbps of raw throughput.
Each Ethernet port provides 25 Gbps of bandwidth.
Number of Ports Needed:
To meet the 100 Gbps requirement:
Resiliency Requirement:
Resiliency ensures that the solution can tolerate failures (e.g., switch or link failures). To achieve this, the customer must double the number of ports to provide redundant paths.
Therefore, the total number of ports required is:4×2=8ports.
Why Not the Other Options?
B).2:
Two ports would only provide 50 Gbps of raw throughput (2 × 25 Gbps), which does not meet the 100 Gbps requirement. Additionally, there would be no redundancy, violating the resiliency requirement.
C).4:
Four ports would meet the 100 Gbps throughput requirement but would lack redundancy, making the solution vulnerable to failures.
D).16:
Sixteen ports would exceed the required throughput and redundancy, resulting in unnecessary costs and complexity.
Key Points:
Throughput Calculation: Ensure the total bandwidth meets the 100 Gbps requirement.
Resiliency: Double the number of ports to provide redundant paths for high availability.
Optimization: Use the minimum number of ports that satisfy both throughput and resiliency requirements.
Reference: Pure Storage FlashArray Documentation: "Network Design and Configuration Best Practices" Pure Storage Whitepaper: "NVMe-TCP Connectivity and Performance Optimization" Pure Storage Knowledge Base: "Calculating Required Network Ports for FlashArray"