When configuring the network topology for a new Pure Storage FlashArray//XR4 deployment, the physical Ethernet ports on the rear of the controllers are rigidly mapped to default services by the Purity//FA operating system. This standardized mapping ensures that Implementation Engineers can reliably configure out-of-band management access before any advanced routing or high-speed data fabrics are established.
Across the entire FlashArray product line-including the modern //XR4 and //CR4 architectures-the first onboard 1GbE Base-T copper port, explicitly labeled eth0 , is always enabled and dedicated strictly to the management service by default.
This interface (eth0, along with its highly available partner eth1) is responsible for all non-disruptive administrative access. It handles the web-based GUI traffic (HTTPS), SSH terminal sessions, REST API calls, and the secure outbound tunnel to the Pure1 cloud for Call Home telemetry and Remote Assist. High-speed ports like eth2, eth4, or eth6 (which utilize SFP28 or QSFP optical transceivers) are defaulted to Replication or left unconfigured for frontend host I/O (iSCSI/NVMe-oF). An Implementation Engineer relies on eth0 being the default management port to connect their laptop during the initial serial console setup (puresetup) and validate network reachability.