About the Exam

This is a qualifying exam for the Specialist - Systems Administrator, PowerProtect DD (DCS-SA) certification. It tests knowledge and skills for configuring and managing PowerProtect DD systems, including concepts, features, administration, and integration with other products. Dell's official transformation notice says the DES-DD33 exam was retired on November 20, 2023 and replaced by Dell PowerProtect DD Operate 2023 (D-PDD-OE-23).

Exam Topics

  • PowerProtect DD Concepts and Features20%
  • Cloud Tier Administration15%
  • PowerProtect DD Implementation in Backup Environments and Integration with Application Software15%
  • PowerProtect DD System Administration50%

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Last updated April 3, 2025 at 9:32 PM

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QuestionQ1

Cloud Tier Administration

What is the largest capacity a cloud unit can support with DD9900?

  • A 64 TB
  • B 576 TB
  • C 1,536 TB
  • D 2,016 TB
Explanation

For the DD9900 configuration with Cloud Tier, the specified maximum usable Cloud Tier capacity is 2,016 TBu; 1,536 TBu applies to the Active Tier configuration.

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QuestionQ2

PowerProtect DD System Administration

A backup administrator must monitor PowerProtect DD capacity metrics. The administrator backs up 2 ТВ of data each day at a 5x reduction rate. After data reduction, subsequent full backups compress to 100 GB.

The initial backup needs 400 GB, with data increasing by 10 percent each day. Each incremental backup is 200 GB and, after data reduction, each incremental backup is 20 GB.

What is the weekly burn rate, in GB, after six daily incremental backups and one weekly backup?

  • A 200
  • B 220
  • C 400
  • D 440
Explanation

Six reduced incremental backups require 120 GB total, and the reduced weekly full backup requires 100 GB. Their combined weekly capacity consumption is 220 GB.

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QuestionQ3

PowerProtect DD Concepts and Features

Which method is preferred for protecting backups from deletion or corruption?

  • A Dell EMC Cloud Tier
  • B Encryption
  • C Retention Lock
  • D Data Invulnerability Architecture
Explanation

Retention Lock makes protected backup files read-only for a defined retention period, preventing their alteration or deletion before that period expires.

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QuestionQ4

Cloud Tier Administration

Which protocol does Dell EMC Cloud Tier use to transfer data between a PowerProtect DD appliance and the cloud?

  • A FTP
  • B SFTP
  • C HTTPS
  • D NFS
Explanation

Dell EMC Cloud Tier transfers data between the PowerProtect DD appliance and cloud storage by using HTTPS, which provides HTTP communication secured with TLS.

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QuestionQ5

PowerProtect DD System Administration

What is required to use the PowerProtect DD HA feature?

  • A A single set of shared storage
  • B Dual set of shared storage configuration
  • C Head units and notes require an active/active configuration
  • D Each head unit requires its own FS25 shelf
Explanation

PowerProtect DD HA is an active-standby configuration of two identical controllers using a single shared set of storage. This shared-storage architecture enables failover between the active and standby controllers.

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Topics covered
PowerProtect DD Concepts and FeaturesCloud Tier AdministrationPowerProtect DD Implementation in Backup Environments and Integration with Application SoftwarePowerProtect DD System Administration
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