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

The correct answer isB. Create an RF1 storage container.

In Nutanix architecture,Replication Factor (RF)is set at thestorage container levelto optimize redundancy and performance for specific workloads. When an application hasits own internal redundancy, such as database clustering or distributed file systems, the administrator may choose toreduce Nutanix’s redundancy to RF1, which stores onlyone copy of datain the cluster. This reduces overhead and maximizes usable capacity, but isnot fault-tolerantat the Nutanix level.

Key clarifications:

RF1 is not enabled by default.Nutanix clusters default toRF2 or RF3depending on the configuration and number of nodes.

RF1 must beexplicitly setwhen creating a storage container.

There isno separate "enable RF1"setting outside of selecting RF1 at container creation; once selected, it applies directly.

Prism UI Navigation Path:

Storage > Storage Containers > Create Storage Container > Data Redundancy Level → Select "RF1"

Official Reference:

Nutanix Bible – Storage Layer and RF Explanation

Nutanix Storage Administration Guide – "Creating Containers with Specific Replication Factor"

Excerpt: "RF1 is typically used for workloads with native redundancy. It must be selected explicitly during container creation."

Conclusion:Onlyoption Baccurately reflects this process.

Answer: B

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 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.”

When configuring a physical network switch in Prism Element,SNMP Configurationis required to enable monitoring and communication between the Nutanix cluster and the network switch. SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is used to gather metrics and detect issues such as link failures or performance bottlenecks, ensuring the cluster operates efficiently with the physical network infrastructure.

When using ESXi as the hypervisor in a Nutanix cluster, the supported storage protocol for a datastore isNFS (Network File System). Nutanix exposes its distributed storage to ESXi hosts using NFS for VM storage. This protocol is simple to configure and provides high performance and reliability through Nutanix’s data services.

Other options:

iSCSI: Not typically used for ESXi datastores but can be utilized for specific use cases like external storage connectivity.

SMB: Not supported for ESXi datastores.

LVM: Logical Volume Management is not used in this context.

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.

Nutanix Distributed Storage Fabric (DSF) provides storage access to an ESXi hypervisor using theNFS (Network File System)protocol. DSF abstracts the underlying storage hardware and exposes storage as an NFS datastore to ESXi hosts. This integration enables high performance, data protection, and scalability while simplifying storage management.

Other options:

LVM: Not used in Nutanix storage.

iSCSI: Used for specific use cases, not the default protocol for ESXi.

SMB: Not supported for ESXi environments.

Log files requested by Nutanix Support can be collected from theSettingsdashboard in Prism Element. Within Settings, administrators can access the "Export Logs" or "Support" section to collect and upload diagnostic data directly to Nutanix Support.

A. Settings:Correct, as logs are collected and uploaded via the Settings dashboard.

B. Alerts:Incorrect, as Alerts display system issues but do not provide log collection options.

C. Health:Incorrect, as the Health dashboard focuses on system checks and cluster status.

D. Analysis:Incorrect, as the Analysis dashboard provides performance monitoring, not log collection.

The correct answer isB. From the My Nutanix Licensing Summary page, click Manage Licenses and follow the specified process.

WithNutanix Cloud Platform (NCP) Package Licensing, licensing is centrally managed through theMy Nutanix Portal, where customers can:

View license entitlements.

Allocate or assign licenses to clusters.

Download license files for upload via Prism Central or Prism Element.

The entry point for license assignment begins at theLicensing Summary page on the My Nutanix Portal.

Clarification of Other Options:

A and D:Prism Central and Prism Element are used touploadlicenses, not assign or generate them.

C:“Nutanix Portal” is a vague reference; the correct term is “My Nutanix”.

Official Reference:

Nutanix Licensing Guide – Cloud Platform Licensing

Excerpt: “Log in to My Nutanix > Licensing Summary > Manage Licenses to assign and manage licenses for your clusters.”

Answer: B

The correct answer isA. Select the Auto resolve alerts checkbox and click Save.

When an alert policy is configured based on astatic threshold, it will generate an alert each time the condition is met unless it has beenauto-resolvedor manually acknowledged. By enablingAuto resolve alerts, the system willautomatically clear the alertonce the metric falls back within the acceptable range. This preventsduplicate alertswhen the threshold is exceeded repeatedly within a short timeframe (e.g., multiple times over 48 hours).

Explanation of Incorrect Options:

B (Disable policy):Not scalable or operationally sound.

C (Ignore anomalies):Applies only to behavioral anomalies, not static thresholds.

D (Trigger duration):Increases delay before alerting but does not suppress repeated alerts.

UI Location in Image:

✔“Auto resolve alerts” is visible just below "Impact Type."

Official Reference:

Nutanix Prism Central Guide – Alert Policies

Excerpt: “Enable ‘Auto resolve alerts’ to ensure alerts are cleared automatically once conditions normalize, avoiding duplicate alerts.”

To create a VM template from an existing VM in Nutanix, the VM must be powered off. This ensures that the template is consistent and does not include any transient data or activity from the VM. Once the VM is powered off, the administrator can use the Prism UI to take a snapshot and designate it as a template.

A. Sysprep or Cloud-init script:These are optional for post-deployment configuration, not mandatory for creating a template.

B. The VM is powered on:This is incorrect, as the VM must be powered off.

C. Windows OS is installed:The OS type is irrelevant for creating a template.

D. The VM is powered off:Correct, as creating a template requires the VM to be in a powered-off state.

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.

The correct answer isC. Large-scale, read heavy workloads.

NFS on Objectsis a Nutanix feature allowingNFS clients to interact with Nutanix Objects (S3-compatible object storage)by exposing object buckets viaNFS v3 protocol. This is ideal for workloads that require:

Large-scale access to unstructured data

High read concurrency

Cost-effective storage for infrequently changed files

Best Use Case:

Backup archives, analytics workloads, image repositories, or video streaming systems withread-heavy profiles.

Clarifications:

A (EUC workloads):Typically require fast, low-latency block storage (e.g., vDisks).

B (Transitory FS):Better suited for file services like Nutanix Files.

D (Frequent updates):Not ideal for object storage via NFS; performance will degrade under frequent write operations.

Official Reference:

Nutanix Objects with NFS Gateway – Best Practices

Nutanix Documentation Portal – Objects and NFS

Excerpt: “NFS on Objects is best suited for large-scale, read-heavy use cases where file system semantics are needed on top of object-based storage.”

The correct answer isD. Flow Virtual Networking (FVN).

Flow Virtual Networking (FVN)is a Nutanix solution that enablesadvanced network virtualization, including:

VPCs (Virtual Private Clouds)

Overlapping IP address spaces

Self-service network provisioning

Multi-tenancy support

Microsegmentation

FVN abstracts physical networking and allows tenants to manageisolated logical networks, providing cloud-like networking capabilities directly integrated with AHV.

Clarifications:

A. Nutanix Kubernetes Platform (NKP):Orchestrates containers; does not provide virtualized network infrastructure.

B. Flow Network Security:Focuses onmicrosegmentationandpolicy enforcement, not on VPC or L3 abstraction.

C. Nutanix Database Service (NDB):Manages DBaaS; not related to networking.

Official Reference:

Nutanix Flow Virtual Networking Tech Note

Nutanix Documentation Portal – Flow Virtual Networking

Excerpt: “Flow Virtual Networking provides VPCs, overlapping IPs, and self-service networking capabilities for secure multi-tenancy in Nutanix AHV clusters.”

Answer: D

The feature that ensures VMs automatically power on in a specific order at the DR site during a disaster is aRecovery Plan. Recovery Plans are part of Nutanix’s DR functionality and allow administrators to define startup sequences, dependencies, and priorities for VMs during failover scenarios.

Steps:

Create a Recovery Plan in Prism Central under the DR section.

Configure the VM power-on sequence and dependency rules.

Test the Recovery Plan to ensure it operates as intended.

The correct answer isC. Pulse.

Pulseis Nutanix's integrated telemetry and support communication service. WhenPulse is enabled, it provides automatic delivery and updates of Nutanix software tools, including theNutanix Cluster Check (NCC)utility. This allows the system toautomatically download and apply newer versions of NCCwithout requiring manual intervention.

Clarifications:

A (LCM HTTPS):Refers to LCM transport protocol, unrelated to NCC updates.

B (Daily Digest):A reporting feature, not an update mechanism.

D (LCM Auto Inventory):Related to firmware/software inventory, not to NCC or system utilities.

Prism UI Navigation Path:

Settings > Pulse > Enable Pulse

Official Reference:

Nutanix NCC Administration Guide

Nutanix Support FAQ

Excerpt: “NCC auto-update is available when Pulse is enabled, allowing Nutanix to deliver updated NCC versions directly to the cluster.”

Answer: C

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.

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.

The correct answer isA. br0.

InAHV (Acropolis Hypervisor),br0is thedefault native Linux bridgecreated on each hypervisor host. It is used for VM traffic and external communication. AHV leveragesOpen vSwitch (OVS)to manage virtual networking, but the bridge is exposed as br0 in the host's network configuration.

Key points:

br0connects VM virtual NICs (vNICs) to the physical network via the host's uplinks.

It is pre-configured during Foundation or cluster deployment.

virbr0is typical in KVM environments but isnot usedin AHV.

Official Reference:

Nutanix AHV Networking Guide

Nutanix KB #2027 – AHV Host Networking

Excerpt: “AHV uses br0 as the default bridge on the host, configured by Open vSwitch for guest VM networking.”

Answer: A