NCA-6.10 Nutanix Certified Associate NCA v6.10 Questions and Answers

To prevent password access to the CVM for both thenutanixandadminuser accounts,Cluster Lockdownshould be enabled. Cluster Lockdown restricts SSH access to the Controller VM (CVM), effectively disabling password-based logins for enhanced security. Access is then managed through more secure means, such as console access or specific tools like Nutanix Support.

A. Cluster Lockdown:Correct, as this prevents SSH-based access to the CVM.

B. STIG:Incorrect, as STIG (Security Technical Implementation Guide) focuses on broader compliance measures.

C. RBAC Policy on PC:Incorrect, as RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) controls Prism Central permissions, not CVM access.

D. Data-at-Rest Encryption:Incorrect, as this secures stored data, not access credentials.

To remove old VM snapshots, the task should be completed from theVM dashboardin Prism Element. This dashboard allows administrators to manage virtual machine-related operations, including snapshot creation, deletion, and restoration. Steps include:

Navigate toPrism Element > VM.

Select the VM for which snapshots need to be deleted.

Click onSnapshots, then delete the selected snapshots.

Life Cycle Management (LCM) in Nutanix is a feature designed tosimplify software and firmware upgradesacross the entire cluster. LCM automates and orchestrates upgrades for components like BIOS, hypervisors, firmware, and Nutanix software, ensuring that the cluster remains up-to-date with minimal manual intervention.

A. To optimize server performance:Incorrect, as LCM focuses on updates, not performance optimization.

B. To manage network configurations:Incorrect, as LCM is unrelated to network configuration management.

C. To simplify software and firmware upgrades:Correct, as LCM is specifically designed for this purpose.

D. To automate application deployment:Incorrect, as LCM does not handle application deployment.

For a Veeam Backup appliance using iSCSI to connect to an AHV-based Nutanix cluster, aData Services IP (DSIP)must be configured. The DSIP is a virtual IP that allows external systems to communicate with Nutanix storage using protocols such as iSCSI. This ensures seamless connectivity between Veeam and the Nutanix cluster.

A. Network Segmentation:While network segmentation is important for security, it is not specifically required for iSCSI connectivity.

B. Nutanix Objects:Nutanix Objects is used for object storage, not iSCSI connectivity.

C. Prism Central:Prism Central is used for multi-cluster management but is not involved in configuring iSCSI.

D. Data Services IP:Correct, as it enables external systems to connect via iSCSI.

TheRecycle Binin Nutanix clusters temporarily stores deleted VMs for 24 hours, allowing administrators to recover them if needed. This feature helps protect against accidental deletions by providing a grace period for recovery before permanent deletion occurs.

A. Stores the OpLog's most recent deleted data in case of a CVM failure:Incorrect, as the OpLog pertains to write operations, not VM deletion.

B. Keeps deleted VMs for 24 hours for recovery:Correct, as the Recycle Bin's purpose is temporary VM recovery.

C. Allows administrators to undo the last five actions:Incorrect, as there is no such feature for undoing multiple actions in Prism.

D. Centralizes the deleted data from the different VMs in the cluster:Incorrect, as the Recycle Bin is specifically for deleted VMs, not generalized data centralization.

For a cluster withRedundancy Factor 2 (RF2), at least4 nodesare required to configure Erasure Coding. Erasure Coding (EC) distributes data and parity across nodes to improve storage efficiency while maintaining data protection. RF2 requires a minimum of 4 nodes to ensure sufficient space for data and parity distribution.

Other options:

3 nodes: Insufficient for EC with RF2.

5 and 6 nodes: Can support EC, but the minimum requirement is 4.

To allow Nutanix Support to gather logs automatically without requiring manual intervention, the administrator should enablePulse. Pulse is a telemetry service that collects and sends system health, log, and usage data to Nutanix Support securely.

Steps:

Navigate toPrism Central > Settings > Pulse.

Enable the service and configure as required for your environment.

Other options:

Self-Service: Refers to role-based access for users, unrelated to log collection.

Proxy Server: Used for network communication, not log gathering.

NKP: Refers to Nutanix Cluster Protocol, unrelated to telemetry.

The correct answer isC. Perform an inventory.

To ensure theLCM Frameworkand its associated component metadata are updated, the administrator must perform afresh LCM inventory. This process:

Retrieves the latest metadata and framework version from the Nutanix support portal (if the cluster is connected).

Detects current component versions and identifies available updates.

Clarifications:

A (Upgrade AOS):LCM is independent of AOS version updates.

B (Restart genesis):Unnecessary and not relevant to LCM framework versioning.

D (NCC):Useful for cluster health, but does not affect LCM updates.

Prism Central UI Navigation Path:

Operations > LCM > Perform Inventory

Official Reference:

Nutanix LCM Guide – Updating the LCM Framework

Excerpt: “To receive the latest framework version and component metadata, perform an LCM inventory on a connected cluster.”

TheNutanix Moveutility is specifically designed for migrating VMs between hypervisors, including from ESXi to AHV. It automates the migration process while ensuring minimal downtime. Nutanix Move supports pre-migration assessments and automates data transfer and VM configuration for AHV.

A. Move:Correct, as it is the Nutanix tool for hypervisor migrations.

B. acli:Incorrect, as acli is used for command-line configuration and management within AHV, not migration.

C. Flow:Incorrect, as Nutanix Flow focuses on network security and micro-segmentation.

D. Ncli:Incorrect, as Ncli is a command-line utility for cluster management, not migration.

Fordark site clusters, theNutanix Compatibility Bundlemust be downloaded prior to running LCM Inventory or updates. This bundle contains the necessary metadata and software binaries to perform inventory collection and upgrades in environments without internet connectivity.

A. Nutanix Foundation:Incorrect, as Foundation is used for initial deployments, not for LCM updates.

B. Nutanix Compatibility Bundle:Correct, as it contains the necessary files for offline LCM operations.

C. Nutanix Prism Central:Incorrect, as this does not pertain to offline updates.

D. Nutanix Foundation Platform:Incorrect, as this is not required for LCM Inventory or updates.

The correct answer isD. Select Escalate within the existing ticket.

When working with Nutanix Support, the mosteffective and structuredway to request a callback or faster response is touse the "Escalate" functionavailable in the Support Portal for the specific support case. This formally flags the case forpriority handling, prompting action such as:

A direct call back from support.

Assignment of a higher-tier engineer.

Accelerated SLA response.

Clarifications:

A. Emailing the technicianmay go unnoticed or be delayed.

B. Opening a new ticketintroduces duplication and delays.

C. Replying within the casedoes not prompt immediate re-evaluation unless escalation is used.

Official Reference:

My Nutanix Support Portal Guide – Case Management

Excerpt: “Use the ‘Escalate’ option within an open case to notify Nutanix Support that a higher level of engagement is required.”

The default admin session logout time in Nutanix is15 minutes. If no activity is detected within this time, the session is automatically logged out for security reasons. This timeout can be adjusted in the system settings if needed, depending on organizational requirements.

Applying tags to licenses to streamline future renewals is a task that can be completed inPrism Central Licensing. Prism Central provides centralized license management for clusters, enabling administrators to apply and manage license tags, which simplifies tracking and renewal tasks across multiple clusters. Here's how it works:

Prism Central Licensing Overview:Prism Central includes a dedicated licensing interface that provides a consolidated view of all licenses associated with your clusters. From this interface, administrators can categorize licenses using tags such as "Renewal-2025" or "Production," making it easier to identify and manage renewals or assignments.

Steps to Apply Tags in Prism Central:

Navigate toPrism Central > Settings > Licensing.

Select the desired license(s) from the list.

Use the "Tags" option to create or apply predefined tags to categorize these licenses.

Why Not Other Options?:

A. Clusters in the Support Portal: The Support Portal is primarily used for support-related tasks, such as managing cases or accessing documentation, and does not include license tagging capabilities.

B. License Inventory in the Support Portal: While the Support Portal allows you to view license inventory, it does not support operational tasks like tagging.

D. Prism Element Licensing: Prism Element is focused on managing licensing for individual clusters and lacks the centralized management and tagging functionality available in Prism Central.

In a cluster configured with Redundancy Factor 3 (RF3), the system ensures that data is replicated across at least three nodes to tolerate the failure of two nodes. During an AHV upgrade, Nutanix only placesone node at a timeinto maintenance mode, even in an RF3 configuration, to minimize the impact on data redundancy and cluster operations.

A. 1:Correct, as AHV upgrades proceed node by node in RF3.

B. 2, C. 3, D. 4:These options are incorrect, as only one node is upgraded at a time regardless of RF3.

The OpLog (Operational Log) in Nutanix serves as apersistent write bufferfor incoming I/O operations. It temporarily stores write requests to ensure fast acknowledgment to clients and better performance. The data is later coalesced and written to the Extent Store for long-term storage.

A. Persistent write buffer:Correct, as the OpLog optimizes write performance by buffering writes temporarily.

B. Persistent data storage:Incorrect, as this describes the Extent Store, not the OpLog.

C. Global metadata:Incorrect, as metadata operations are handled by the Metadata Store.

D. Dynamic read cache:Incorrect, as read caching is managed separately, often involving SSD-based caches.

The Controller VM (CVM) uses thevs0bridge by default to communicate with the AHV host it runs on. Thevs0bridge is a virtual switch configured on the AHV host, providing connectivity between the CVM, virtual machines, and external networks. This setup ensures efficient network communication within the Nutanix cluster.

Other options:

virbro: Typically used in standalone KVM configurations, not in Nutanix AHV.

broandbridge0: Incorrect references to Nutanix networking structures.

The correct answer isC. It must have the same hypervisor as the other nodes in the cluster.

When adding astorage-only (SO) nodeto a Nutanix cluster:

It mustrun the same hypervisoras the existing nodes.

The SO node doesnot host VMsbut participates in thestorage layerto increase capacity and performance.

Nutanix currentlydoes not support mixed hypervisors(e.g., combining AHV with ESXi) within the same cluster, even for storage-only nodes.

Clarifications:

A & B:Neither Nutanix Files nor Objects are required for adding storage-only nodes.

D:Cross-hypervisor configuration is unsupported at the cluster level.

Official Reference:

Nutanix Hardware Administration Guide – Storage-Only Node Requirements

Excerpt: “All nodes in a cluster, including storage-only nodes, must run the same hypervisor type.”

Answer: C

Nutanix Metro Availability provides the best Recovery Time Objective (RTO) because it enables synchronous replication between two sites. In the event of a failure at one site, VMs can be instantly restarted on the other site with minimal disruption. This setup ensures zero data loss and near-instantaneous recovery.

A. Async:Provides high RPO (Recovery Point Objective) but has a longer RTO compared to synchronous replication methods.

B. Availability Zone:This term refers to a general site setup, not specific to recovery objectives.

C. Metro Availability:Correct, as it uses synchronous replication for near-zero RTO.

D. NearSync:Provides better RPO than Async but does not match the RTO of Metro Availability.

Shared storage for Windows Server Failover Clustering (WSFC) is a use case for NutanixVolumes. Nutanix Volumes provides block storage (via iSCSI) to external systems, such as WSFC nodes, allowing them to share storage for failover clustering. This configuration is essential for high availability in Windows environments.

Other options:

Files: Provides file-based storage (NFS/SMB), not suited for WSFC shared block storage.

FT1 and RF2: Refer to Fault Tolerance and Redundancy Factor, not storage solutions.