Microsoft Support Matrix
- Supported Microsoft Product Versions
- Microsoft Features and Roles
- FlashArray Integrations
- Pure Storage® FlashArray Management Extension for SQL Server Management Studio
- Pure Storage® FlashArray Management Extension for Windows Admin Center
- Pure Storage® FlashArray Management Pack for System Center Operations Manager
- Pure Storage® PowerShell Software Development Kit
- Pure Storage® Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) Hardware Provider
- System Center Virtual Machine Manager
Supported Microsoft Product Versions
- Versions of Microsoft Windows Server and other Microsoft server products such as Microsoft SQL Server are fully supported with Pure integrations up to the Extended End Date listed in the Microsoft Lifecycle documentation. For Windows Server, the OS you are deploying should be certified with the FlashArray storage you are using. See the bullet point below for more details.
- Pure Storage FlashArray Purity Operating Environment versions are supported until they reach end of life as documented in Purity//FA End of Life Annoucnements.
- Microsoft's Windows Server Catalog has details on Windows Server versions that are certified with Pure Storage FlashArray products. This link takes you to a list of all FlashArray products in the Windows Server Catalog. Here are direct links for FlashArray//C, FlashArray//X, and FlashArray//XL. Ensure that the array is certified for the OS version you are deploying.
Microsoft Features and Roles
Click to jump to the specific topic
File Systems
Disks can be formatted with one of two different file systems in Windows Server: New Technology File System (NTFS) and Resilient File System (ReFS). Pure Storage recommends the use of NTFS. As noted below, ReFS is fully supported but has caveats. For more information, see the article Windows Server File Systems FAQ for FlashArray.
File System | Notes |
---|---|
NTFS | Fully Supported with no caveats on all versions of Windows currently supported. |
ReFS |
Fully Supported. Check the Application best practices for configuration recommendations. Caveats:
|
Hyper-V
Hyper-V is Microsoft's is hypervisor for virtualizing workloads. For more topics related to Hyper-V and FlashArray, see this section in the Microsoft Platform Guide.
Hyper-V Variant | Notes |
---|---|
Hyper-V Server | This is the standalone Hyper-V product and is fully supported with no caveats on all versions of Hyper-V Server currently supported. Note that Microsoft's last version of Hyper-V Server is 2019. |
Hyper-V Server Role in Windows Server | Fully supported with no caveats on all versions of Windows Server currently supported. |
Offloaded Data Transfer
Introduced in Windows Server 2012, Offloaded Data Transfer (ODX) provides direct data transfer within or between storage arrays by bypassing the host system. ODX support was introduced in Purity 4.10. ODX is supported for Windows Server for:
- Purity versions that are not end-of-life
- Any supported version of Windows Server, including Core and Desktop Experience
For more information on ODX and FlashArray, see the ODX topic in the Microsoft Platform Guide.
ODX is not supported with PODs in ActiveCluster and ActiveDR.
FlashArray Integrations
Click to jump to the specific integration:
- Pure Storage® FlashArray Management Extension for Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio
- Pure Storage® FlashArray Management Extension for Windows Admin Center
- Pure Storage® FlashArray Management Pack for System Center Operations Manager
- Pure Storage® FlashArray PowerShell Software Development Kit
- Pure Storage® Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) Hardware Provider
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FlashArray Integrations support information changes frequently based on updates to operating systems and features. Please refer back to this article for the latest information. Older, unsupported versions may still be listed for informational purposes only.
Pure Storage® FlashArray Management Extension for SQL Server Management Studio
Pure Storage integrates with the main administration tool for SQL Server, SQL Server Management Studio. For more information, see the topic Pure Storage FlashArray Management Extension for SQL Server Management Studio in the Microsoft Platform Guide.
Note: Versions older than 1.1.96.0 are end-of-life and no longer supported.
Versions / Features | 2.5.521.0 (Sep 2022) |
2.5.510.0 (Dec 2021) |
2.0.433.0 (Nov 2021) |
1.1.100.0 (Oct 2021) |
---|---|---|---|---|
vSphere & ESXi 7.0+ that is not end of life | Supported | Supported | Supported | Supported |
Windows Server 2022 (Core and Desktop Experience) | Supported(1) | Supported(1) | Supported(1) | Supported(1) |
Windows Server 2019 (Core & Desktop Experience) | Supported(1) | Supported(1) | Supported(1) | Not Tested(1) |
Windows Server 2016 (Core & Desktop Experience) | Not Tested(1) | Supported(1) | Supported(1) | Not Tested(1) |
Windows Server 2012 R2 (Core & Desktop Experience) | Not Tested(1) | Not Tested(1) | Not Tested(1) | Not Tested(1) |
Windows Server 2012 (Core & Desktop Experience) | Not Tested(1) | Not Tested(1) | Not Tested(1) | Not Tested(1) |
Windows 10 | Supported(2) | Supported(2) | Not Implemented | Not Implemented |
vVol | Supported | Supported | Not Implemented | Not Implemented |
vSphere Physical Raw Device Mapping (pRDM) disk | Supported | Supported | Supported | Supported |
FA ActiveCluster | Supported | Supported | Supported | Supported |
FA Protection Groups | Supported(3) | Supported(3) | Supported(3) | Supported |
FA Purity 6.1+ that is not end-of-life | Supported | Supported | Supported | Supported |
Microsoft SQL Server 2014+ that is not end-of-life | Supported | Supported | Supported | Supported |
(1) Server Core can run SQL Server but available drive letters cannot be enumerated if VMware Tools is not installed on the VM. See How to Install VMware Tools in Windows Server Core for a step by step walkthrough.
(2) Windows 10 can be the SSMS host where the extension is installed. Since hardware VSS providers are not supported on client operating systems, Windows 10 clients that have SQL Server cannot be backed up with the FA SSMS Extension.
(3) Mounted Snapshots will now be created inside of the POD.
Pure Storage® FlashArray Management Extension for Windows Admin Center
Windows Admin Center (WAC) is a remote management tool for Windows Server-based environments. Pure integrates with WAC via the Pure Storage FlashArray Management Extension for Windows Admin Center. For more information, see the related topic in the Microsoft Platform Guide.
Versions / Features | v1.0.61 (July 2020) |
---|---|
Windows Admin Center 2110.2 (Build 1.3.53858.0)
|
Supported(1)(2)
|
(1) Windows Admin Center (non-preview) releases are supported continuously, based on Microsoft's Modern Lifecycle Policy. This means that only the latest version of Windows Admin Center is serviced and supported, and users must stay current by upgrading to the latest Windows Admin Center release within 30 days of availability to remain supported. See Windows Admin Center support policy for more details.
(2) See Microsoft documentation for supported operating systems.
Pure Storage® FlashArray Management Pack for System Center Operations Manager
System Center Operations Manager (SCOM) is a tool that provides monitoring, alerting, and insights into your environment. Pure Storage has a management pack that integrates with SCOM. For more information, see the related topic in the Microsoft Platform Guide.
Versions |
v2.0.19 |
v1.2.20 (May 2022) |
v1.2.12 (Aug 2021) |
v1.2.9 (Jan 2021) |
---|---|---|---|---|
FlashArray Purity 6.1.0 or later | Supported | Supported | Supported | Supported |
Systems Center Operations Manager 2022 | Supported(1,3) | Supported(1) | Not fully tested | Not fully tested |
Systems Center Operations Manager 2019 | Supported(1,3) | Supported(1) | Supported(1) | Supported(1) |
Systems Center Operations Manager 2016 | Supported(1,3) | Supported(1) | Supported(1) | Supported(1) |
Systems Center Operations Manager 2012 R2 (End of Microsoft extended support is July 2022) | Not Supported(2) | Supported(1)(2) | Supported(1)(2) | Supported(1)(2) |
(1) SCOM Cumulative Rollup (CU) releases are best-effort supported within 90 days of release from Microsoft.
(2) This version is no longer tested with new releases. End of extended support is July 2022.
(3) This version is only tested on upgrade from v1.2.9, v1.2.12, and v1.2.20.
Pure Storage® PowerShell Software Development Kit
For more information on the SDK, see the topic Pure Storage FlashArray PowerShell SDK in the Microsoft Platform Guide.
Version 1
Note: The PowerShell SDK v1 is dependent on the version of PowerShell and .Net Framework, not specifically the Windows operating system version. The only requirements for the operating system is that it be 64-bit and support TLS protocol versions 1.1 or later.
Versions / Features | 1.19.49 (May 2022) |
1.19.37 (Jan 2022) |
1.17.16 (Jan 2021) |
---|---|---|---|
FlashArray Purity API 1.7 to 1.19 | Supported (1) | Supported (1) | Supported (1) |
.Net Framework 4.5 | Supported | Supported | Supported |
PowerShell 3.0 to 5.1.x | Supported (2) | Supported (2) | Supported (2) |
Windows OS 64-bit | Supported | Supported | Supported |
(1) Some cmdlets may be restricted or limited by the REST API version that was implemented with a specific Purity version. The online cmdlet Help will designate any such limitations or restrictions. For a cross-reference of Purity versions to API versions, please reference this article.
(2) Requires Windows Management Framework 5.1 or later. See this document for more information on WMF versions and compatibility.
Version 2
Note: The PowerShell SDK v2 is dependent on the version of PowerShell and .Net Core, not specifically the Windows, Linux, or MacOS operating system version. The only requirements for the operating system is that it be 64-bit and support TLS protocol versions 1.1 or later.
Versions / Features | 2.2.276 (May 2022) |
2.2.272 (Aug 2020) |
|
---|---|---|---|
FlashArray Purity API 2.0 through 2.16 | Supported (1)(2) | Supported (1)(2) | Supported (1)(2) |
PowerShell 7.1.x or later (.net Core) | Supported | Supported | Supported |
PowerShell 6.x Core (.net Core) | Supported | Not Implemented | Not Implemented |
PowerShell 5.1.x (.Net Framework 4.7.2 or later) | Supported | Supported | Supported |
Windows OS 64-bit | Supported | Supported | Supported |
(1) Some cmdlets may be restricted or limited by the REST API version that was implemented with a specific Purity version. The online cmdlet Help will designate any such limitations or restrictions.For a cross-reference of Purity versions to API versions, please reference this article.
(2) Purity API version 2.0, initially released in Purity 5.3.0, is the minimum version required to be present on the array for the SDK v2.
Pure Storage® Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) Hardware Provider
For more information and to download the Pure Storage® VSS Hardware provider, see the topic Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) Hardware Provider in the Microsoft Platform Guide.
Note: Versions older than 1.6.0 are end-of-life and no longer supported.
Versions / Features | 2.5.251.0 (Sep 2022) |
1.8.96.0 (Sep 2021) |
---|---|---|
Windows Server 2022 Server (Core & Desktop Experience) | Supported | Supported |
Windows Server 2019 Server (Core & Desktop Experience) | Supported | Supported |
Windows Server 2016 Server (Core & Desktop Experience) | Not Tested | Not Tested |
Windows Server 2012 R2 (Core & Desktop Experience) | Not Tested | Not Tested |
Windows Server 2012 (Core & Desktop Experience) | Not Tested | Not Tested |
Windows Client (11, 10, 8, 7, etc) | Not Implemented by Microsoft | Not Implemented by Microsoft |
Cluster Shared Volume (CSV) | Supported | Supported |
VMware RDM/vVol, Hyper-V Pass-Through Disk | Unsupported | Unsupported |
FA ActiveCluster | Supported | Supported |
FA Protection Groups | Supported | Supported |
FA Purity 6.1+ that is not end-of-life | Supported | Supported |
System Center Virtual Machine Manager
Pure Storage® integrates with System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) through the use of the Storage Management Initiative Specification (SMI-S). SMI-S allows for connectivity to the FlashArray through SMI-S CIMXML. For more information and how to configure this integration, see the topic System Center Virtual Machine Manager in the Microsoft Platform Guide.
The table below shows the different versions of SCVMM and the version(s) of Purity//FA required.
SCVMM Version | Purity//FA Support |
---|---|
2022 | Only non-EOL versions of Purity//FA are supported. Refer to the document Purity //FA End of Life Announcements to see if your Purity version is end of life. |