Identify methods for managing a Nutanix Enterprise Cloud
Interfaces HTML5 UI, REST API, CLI, PowerShell CMDlets, etc. Management Policy definition and compliance, service design and status, analytics and monitoring
Describe some of the primary AOS services running on the CVM
An Acropolis Slave runs on every CVM with an elected Acropolis Master which is responsible for task scheduling, execution, IPAM, etc. Similar to other components which have a Master, if the Acropolis Master fails, a new one will be elected. The role breakdown for each can be seen below: Acropolis Master Task scheduling & execution…
Differentiate between physical and logical cluster components
Cassandra Distributed metadata store, based on heavily modified Apache Cassandra Stores/manages all metadata in ring-like manner Metadata describes where and how data is stored on a filesystem Let’s system know which node/disk and in what form the data resides Runs on every node in the cluster Accessed via Medusa RF used to maintain availability/redundancy Upon…
Recognize the benefits of a Nutanix hyperconverged infrastructure solution
Hyperconverged Infrastructure converges the entire datacenter stack, including compute, storage, storage networking, and virtualization. Complex and expensive legacy infrastructure is replaced by a platform running on turnkey, industry-standard servers that enable enterprises to start small and scale one node at a time. Software running on each server node distributes all operating functions across the cluster…
Explain the relationship between nodes, blocks and clusters
Node A physical server contained in a Nutanix block Model Comparison: 2 Node (6000/7000) 4 Node (1000/2000/3000/3050) Each node runs a hypervisor (ESXi/HV/KVM) + Nutanix CVM (Controller VM) Block A set of Nutanix nodes contained in a single enclosure Uniform populated blocks recommended Prevents storage skew Ensures if block fails/maintenance needed, system can run without…
Define and differentiate features and technologies present in Acropolis, Prism and Calm
Acropolis Acropolis is a distributed multi-resource manager, orchestration platform and data plane. It is broken down into the following three main components: Distributed Storage Fabric (DSF) This is at the core and birth of the Nutanix platform and expands upon the Nutanix Distributed Filesystem (NDFS). NDFS has now evolved from a distributed system pooling storage…
Unofficial Nutanix NCP Study Guide
I have always been a fan of leveraging community resources when studying for certification exams. The VCAP study guides here, and here were invaluable when I was studying for those exams. When I began preparing for the Nutanix NCP, I was a little bummed out when I couldn’t find any community resources like these. I…
Eject a node from a Nutanix Cluster
Hardware components (nodes and disks) can be removed from a cluster or reconfigured in other ways when conditions warrant it. Note: If the Data-at-Rest Encryption is enabled then before removing a drive or node from a cluster, test the certificates again by clicking Test all nodes and ensure that testing is successful and the status is Verified. In…