Questions for the D-MSS-DS-23 were updated on : Nov 21 ,2025
A customer has a PowerStore 3200T system with only base enclosure consisting of 15 SSD 1920 GB
drives and wants to expand the available capacity. What is the most cost-effective drive addition
from a raw and usable capacity perspective to achieve the result wanted by the customer?
B
Explanation:
Adding 6 x 3840 GB NVMe SSD drives is the most cost-effective way to expand the capacity of a
PowerStore 3200T system. This addition provides a significant increase in both raw and usable
capacity, offering a better balance of performance and cost compared to smaller or more expensive
drive options.
Reference:
Dell EMC PowerStore Specification Sheet.
Dell EMC PowerStore Configuration Guide.
Which sizer option supports configuration of a Midrange solution with hybrid dynamic pools?
B
Explanation:
The "Quick Configuration" sizer option supports the configuration of a midrange solution with hybrid
dynamic pools. This option allows for a streamlined setup process, making it easier to configure
storage pools that combine both SSDs and HDDs for optimized performance and capacity.
Reference:
Dell EMC Unity Sizing Guide.
Dell Technologies documentation on storage pool configuration.
What are differences between the Dell Unity XT 380F array and the Dell Unity XT 880F array?
A
Explanation:
The Dell Unity XT 380F array is equipped with converged network adapter (CNA) ports, while the Dell
Unity XT 880F array features embedded mezzanine ports. These differences in port configurations
reflect the varied performance and connectivity options available in different models of the Unity XT
series.
Reference:
Dell EMC Unity XT Specification Sheet.
Dell EMC Unity XT Configuration Guide.
What initiates an automatic NAS server failover to the peer SP?
C
Explanation:
An automatic NAS server failover to the peer Storage Processor (SP) is initiated by an SP hardware
fault. This failover mechanism ensures high availability and continuous access to data by moving the
NAS server's operations to the functioning SP when a hardware fault is detected in the primary SP.
Reference:
Dell EMC Unity NAS Server High Availability Guide.
Dell Technologies documentation on NAS server failover.
Which Dell Unity XT DPE front-end port connectivity can support up to 30,000 IOPS/port and up to
1,700 MB/s?
B
Explanation:
16 Gb Fibre Channel (FC) front-end port connectivity on Dell Unity XT DPE can support up to 30,000
IOPS per port and up to 1,700 MB/s. This level of performance makes it suitable for high-demand
enterprise applications that require robust and fast storage networking.
Reference:
Dell EMC Unity XT Specification Sheet.
Dell EMC Unity XT Performance Guide.
Which backend port are required to expand the PowerStore x200 models to have NVMe Expansions?
B
Explanation:
To expand the PowerStore x200 models with NVMe expansions, the required backend port is the 25
GbE 4-Port Mezz Card. This card provides the necessary connectivity and bandwidth to support
NVMe expansions, ensuring high-speed data transfer and low latency, which are critical for NVMe
performance. Reference:
Dell PowerStore Expansion Guide
What result is obtained by multiplying the VM count by the Capacity per VM in a PowerStore
system?
A
Explanation:
In a PowerStore system, multiplying the VM count by the Capacity per VM gives the Usable Capacity.
Usable Capacity represents the actual storage capacity available for use by the virtual machines,
taking into account any overheads, data protection mechanisms, and efficiency features such as
deduplication and compression. Reference:
Dell PowerStore Capacity Planning Guide
A technical architect is designing a Dell Unity XT 480 using the System Designer option of Sizer. What
is the recommended minimum amount of Flash that they should specify?
C
Explanation:
When designing a Dell Unity XT 480 using the System Designer option of Sizer, the recommended
minimum amount of Flash to specify is 15%. This ensures that there is sufficient flash capacity to
handle performance-intensive workloads and provides a good balance between performance and
cost. Flash storage is crucial for achieving high IOPS and low latency in the storage system. Reference:
Dell Unity XT Sizing Guide
What action is performed in the "Create a file import session" during a PowerStore file import?
C
Explanation:
During the "Create a file import session" in a PowerStore file import, options for import are specified.
This step involves configuring various settings and parameters for the import session, such as the
source and destination details, data migration policies, and any specific options that need to be
applied during the import process. This ensures a smooth and controlled data migration. Reference:
Dell PowerStore File Import Guide
What is skew?
D
Explanation:
Skew refers to the non-uniform distribution of I/O over storage capacity. In storage systems, skew is
an important factor to consider as it indicates that certain areas of the storage receive more I/O
operations than others. This can lead to performance hotspots and affect the overall efficiency of the
storage system. Managing skew is essential to ensure balanced performance across the storage array.
Reference:
Dell Midrange Storage Performance Guide
A systems administrator has deployed a Dell Unity XT 380F system with 15x 1.92 TB SSD drives, in a
RAID 5 dynamic pool. Shortly after deployment, the administrator wants to expand the capacity of
the system and use larger drives to increase the density. What will happen if the administrator adds
4x 3.84 TB SSD drives?
A
Explanation:
When the administrator adds 4x 3.84 TB SSD drives to a RAID 5 dynamic pool in a Dell Unity XT 380F
system, the full capacity of the new drives will be available. Dell Unity XT systems support mixing
different drive sizes within a dynamic pool, allowing administrators to expand the storage capacity
seamlessly.
Reference:
Dell EMC Unity Dynamic Pools Overview.
Dell EMC Unity XT Storage System Configuration Guide.
What is the minimum number of drives in a RAID 5 dynamic pool?
C
Explanation:
The minimum number of drives in a RAID 5 dynamic pool is 5. RAID 5 requires at least 3 drives for
data striping with parity, but Dell's implementation in Unity systems requires a minimum of 5 drives
to ensure optimal performance and reliability.
Reference:
Dell EMC Unity RAID Configuration Guide.
Dell EMC Unity Best Practices Guide.
Which two statements are correct in reference to an NVMe Expansion Enclosure attached to a
PowerStore? (Select 2)
AD
Explanation:
The NVMe Expansion Enclosure attached to a PowerStore system includes slots for 25 2.5-inch NVMe
drives and supports the use of NVMe Storage Class Memory (SCM) drives. These features allow for
high-performance storage expansion with low latency and improved efficiency.
Reference:
Dell PowerStore NVMe Expansion Enclosure Specification Sheet.
Dell Technologies documentation on NVMe SCM drive support.
Which two options are minimum requirements for PowerSizer Block workloads? (Select 2)
AE
Explanation:
The minimum requirements for PowerSizer Block workloads include Capacity Growth and
Performance. These parameters are essential to ensure that the PowerSizer tool can accurately size
and configure the storage system to meet the anticipated data growth and performance demands of
the workload.
Reference:
Dell PowerSizer User Guide.
Dell Technologies documentation on workload sizing and planning.
Which CPU family is used on a Dell Unity XT 480?
C
Explanation:
The Dell Unity XT 480 storage system uses the Broadwell CPU family. Broadwell processors are
known for their efficiency and performance, making them suitable for storage systems like the Unity
XT 480 that require reliable processing power for managing storage tasks.
Reference:
Dell Unity XT 480 Specification Sheet.
Dell Technologies documentation on Unity XT hardware configurations.