Nutanix NCA Exam Dumps & Practice Test Questions

Question 1:

Within Nutanix Prism Element, to which component are settings like replication factor and storage optimization policies specifically applied?

A. Container
B. Virtual Machine
C. Storage Pool
D. vBlock

Answer: A

Explanation:

In the Nutanix environment, Prism Element serves as the primary interface for managing individual clusters. One of its central features is how it governs storage through the use of Containers, which are essential logical units that dictate how data is stored and managed.

A Container in Nutanix acts like a virtual volume that spans across multiple nodes in the cluster. It’s at this container level that important data policies—such as replication factor and storage efficiency settings—are defined and enforced.

The replication factor (RF) controls how many copies of data are distributed across different cluster nodes. For example, setting an RF of 2 ensures that two complete copies of the data are kept, safeguarding against hardware failure. This policy ensures data redundancy and availability and is implemented directly within a container’s configuration.

Likewise, storage efficiency features like compression and deduplication are also container-level settings. These techniques help reduce storage consumption by minimizing duplicate data and shrinking file sizes, which allows for better storage optimization without compromising performance.

Although Virtual Machines (VMs) are housed within containers and depend on them for storage, VMs do not control how replication or efficiency settings are applied. VMs manage compute resources, not storage-level redundancy or optimization.

Storage Pools, on the other hand, aggregate raw storage capacity from multiple disks across nodes, but they are not the target for replication or efficiency policies. Instead, they serve as the foundation upon which containers are built.

Lastly, vBlock is a pre-engineered converged infrastructure solution from a different vendor (VCE/EMC), and is unrelated to Nutanix’s architecture. It does not exist in the context of Prism Element.

Hence, among all the components, Containers are the correct entities to which these critical data policies are applied in Prism Element.

Question 2:

What type of IP address should be used to directly log in to Prism Element on a Nutanix cluster?

A. The IP address of the Foundation VM
B. The IP address of any Controller VM (CVM)
C. The IP address of a Prism Central VM
D. The br0 interface IP of an AHV host

Answer: B

Explanation:

To access the Prism Element interface in a Nutanix cluster, the correct IP to use is that of any Controller Virtual Machine (CVM). Each node in the cluster has a CVM, and these VMs collectively handle core services, including cluster management, data replication, and storage I/O.

Each CVM runs a copy of Prism Element, allowing users to connect to the cluster's management portal via a web browser using a CVM's IP address. This ensures redundant access—if one CVM is unreachable, another can still be used to log in.

Looking at the incorrect choices:

• Option A (Foundation VM IP) refers to the temporary VM used during initial deployment to discover and configure the cluster. Once the cluster is operational, the Foundation VM is no longer needed for day-to-day management, and its IP cannot be used to reach Prism Element.

• Option C (Prism Central VM IP) pertains to Prism Central, a separate management tool that enables centralized control over multiple Nutanix clusters. While it offers a global management interface, it does not provide direct access to the local Prism Element instance of a specific cluster. Thus, its IP is not valid for accessing Prism Element directly.

• Option D (AHV host br0 IP) involves the IP address of the hypervisor host's network bridge interface. Although essential for virtual machine traffic and networking, the br0 interface is not tied to cluster management and cannot be used to reach Prism Element.

Because CVMs are directly responsible for running the cluster's management services, including Prism Element, connecting through a CVM IP address is the only valid method for accessing the cluster’s local management interface. Therefore, Option B is correct.

Question 3:

In a Nutanix environment, where should an administrator go to access in-depth data about the Cluster Runway, which forecasts how long the cluster will remain healthy based on resource availability?

A. Prism Element Home Page
B. Prism Element Analysis
C. Prism Central Main Dashboard
D. Prism Central Analysis

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:

The Cluster Runway is a critical metric in Nutanix environments, providing administrators with an estimate of how much time remains before a cluster potentially runs into performance problems due to limited resources such as CPU, memory, or storage. It is a forward-looking indicator that uses current usage patterns and historical trends to predict resource depletion.

To view detailed and centralized Cluster Runway information, administrators should use the Prism Central Analysis section. Prism Central is a multi-cluster management platform that provides a comprehensive view of the health, performance, and resource utilization across all managed Nutanix clusters. Its Analysis feature delivers deep insights into operational metrics, including projections on cluster capacity.

By navigating to Prism Central Analysis, administrators gain access to advanced analytics that combine machine learning and predictive modeling to calculate how long a cluster can operate effectively with its current resource usage patterns. This empowers IT teams to make data-driven decisions—such as adding nodes, balancing workloads, or optimizing resources—before bottlenecks occur.

The other options are less suitable for this purpose. Prism Element Home Page and Prism Element Analysis provide insights and performance data, but they are scoped to a single cluster and lack the cross-cluster visibility and depth of forecasting offered by Prism Central. Similarly, Prism Central Main Dashboard gives a general overview of cluster health and performance but doesn’t offer the detailed analytics required for runway projections.

Thus, Prism Central Analysis is the most appropriate place for administrators seeking proactive resource planning and forecasting through the Cluster Runway feature. It helps ensure the continued performance and scalability of Nutanix clusters through early identification of potential capacity shortfalls.

Question 4:

What is the main role of the "Discoveries" tool within the Nutanix Support Portal?

A. To detect clusters impacted by known issues
B. To track user logins on clusters
C. To identify VMs needing OS patches or updates
D. To predict future resource usage in clusters

Correct Answer: A

Explanation:

The "Discoveries" feature in the Nutanix Support Portal is designed to assist IT teams in maintaining healthy and stable cluster environments by identifying clusters that are affected by known issues. These issues might include software bugs, configuration problems, or known vulnerabilities that could disrupt system performance or stability.

By analyzing system data and correlating it with Nutanix’s extensive internal database of known problems, the Discoveries tool provides proactive alerts to administrators. This enables timely remediation actions—such as applying patches, adjusting configurations, or consulting Nutanix support—before minor issues escalate into outages or performance degradation.

Option A is correct because it directly captures the tool's purpose: detecting and flagging clusters that match criteria linked to existing or previously resolved issues. This preemptive identification helps administrators stay ahead of potential threats and maintain operational efficiency.

Option B, concerning audit trails of logins, is related to security auditing and is typically managed through logs and monitoring tools, not through Discoveries.

Option C, which deals with OS updates for virtual machines, falls under patch management strategies and tools, often handled in Prism or with third-party platforms, rather than being the focus of Discoveries.

Option D involves resource forecasting, which is an important element of capacity planning. However, Nutanix provides this capability through separate performance analytics and monitoring tools, such as Prism Central Analysis, not via the Discoveries feature.

In summary, the Discoveries function provides actionable insights based on known technical risks. It enhances preventive maintenance efforts, ensures faster incident response, and supports a more stable IT environment by aligning clusters with the latest available intelligence on system health issues. This makes it an essential resource for Nutanix administrators focused on proactive system management.

Question 5:

What is the most direct method for an administrator to access a specific cluster in Nutanix Prism Central?

A. Use the VM Summary view
B. Use the cluster quick access from the main dashboard widget
C. Use the cluster quick access from the Settings page
D. Use the Cluster Summary view

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

In Nutanix Prism Central, the most efficient way for administrators to access individual clusters is through the cluster quick access link on the main dashboard widget. This widget is designed to streamline cluster management by offering immediate access points without needing to browse through nested menus or configurations.

The main dashboard widget prominently displays key performance indicators and a summary of all connected clusters. From here, an administrator can click directly on a cluster's name or access link, which then opens up detailed management capabilities for that specific cluster. This method supports real-time operations such as health monitoring, capacity analysis, and performance tracking with minimal navigation.

Let's review why the other options are less ideal:

• A. VM Summary view focuses exclusively on virtual machines. While helpful for tracking VM health and performance, it does not offer a pathway to manage or navigate to specific clusters. It's intended for virtual machine-level visibility rather than infrastructure-level access.

• C. Settings page provides administrative and configuration tools for global platform settings. This includes things like authentication, alerts, and system preferences. It’s not designed for quick access to clusters, and finding a cluster from here would be inefficient.

• D. Cluster Summary view gives detailed information about a selected cluster, such as metrics and resource usage. However, you must already be inside that cluster to view its summary. It does not serve as an access point but rather as a detailed view post-navigation.

Therefore, the cluster quick access from the main dashboard remains the fastest and most user-friendly method for accessing clusters in Prism Central. It allows administrators to rapidly shift between clusters and manage them efficiently, which is essential in large-scale or multi-cluster environments.

Question 6:

Which Nutanix interface allows administrators to configure Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)?

A. Self-Service Restore
B. Prism Element
C. Foundation
D. Prism Central

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:

In a Nutanix environment, Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is configured through Prism Element, which serves as the management interface for individual Nutanix clusters. RBAC is an essential security feature that assigns permissions to users based on their roles within the organization, ensuring that each user has access only to the functionalities they are authorized to use.

With Prism Element, administrators can define granular roles—such as administrator, read-only, or custom-defined roles—and apply them to users or user groups. This level of access control helps ensure that sensitive cluster operations are restricted to qualified personnel, reducing the risk of misconfigurations or security breaches.

Here's why the other options do not provide RBAC functionality:

• A. Self-Service Restore allows end users to recover virtual machines from snapshots. While useful for backup and recovery operations, it does not handle administrative access control or user role assignment. It is geared toward user convenience, not security configuration.

• C. Foundation is a deployment tool used to provision and configure new Nutanix clusters. Its purpose is to set up the hardware and initial software environment, not to manage ongoing access control. RBAC is not a component of this initial setup tool.

• D. Prism Central provides a centralized view and management layer across multiple clusters. Although it supports user management functions, it does not fully replace the RBAC configuration capabilities available in Prism Element. Prism Central can view or replicate certain policies, but actual RBAC setup is handled at the cluster level within Prism Element.

To summarize, Prism Element is the designated place for setting up RBAC in a Nutanix environment. It provides the necessary tools to assign appropriate permissions, safeguard system operations, and enforce organizational security policies across individual clusters.

Question 7:

Which functionality in Prism Central enables the automated assignment of virtual machine images to designated clusters based on specific categorization rules?

A. Image Replication Policies
B. Image Placement Policies
C. Protection Domain Policies
D. Storage Policies

Answer: B

Explanation:

In Nutanix Prism Central, administrators have access to a feature known as Image Placement Policies, which is designed to streamline how virtual machine (VM) images are allocated across different clusters. This functionality is particularly helpful in multi-cluster environments where managing resources efficiently is key to maintaining performance and scalability. Image Placement Policies use predefined categories to determine the most suitable cluster for a given image. These categories can represent various operational requirements such as workload type, performance criteria, or resource availability.

When these policies are configured, Prism Central automatically matches VM images to the clusters that meet the criteria set forth in the policy. This not only simplifies operational workflows but also minimizes the risk of human error during deployment. For example, an organization may define a category for latency-sensitive applications, and Prism Central will ensure that any VM image marked with this category is placed on clusters capable of delivering low-latency performance.

This level of automation and control is critical in large-scale environments where manual image placement would be time-consuming and error-prone. It also allows IT teams to better align infrastructure behavior with business needs by ensuring that workloads are always deployed in the optimal location.

To contrast, Image Replication Policies are used for creating image copies across clusters to support disaster recovery strategies and high availability, but they do not influence where images are initially deployed. Protection Domain Policies are designed to manage backup and restore operations for VMs and volumes, and Storage Policies govern storage attributes such as performance or redundancy, not placement.

Ultimately, Image Placement Policies are uniquely suited for automating the process of mapping VM images to clusters based on category-driven logic, making them essential for dynamic, policy-based resource management in Nutanix environments.

Question 8:

What type of network configuration enables automatic IP address assignment for virtual machines within a cloud environment?

A. Floating IP Network
B. Management Traffic Network
C. Virtual Network with IP Address Management (IPAM)
D. Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Networks

Answer: C

Explanation:

Cloud infrastructures often need to scale quickly, hosting hundreds or even thousands of virtual machines (VMs) at any time. To maintain orderly communication between these VMs and with external systems, each one requires a unique IP address. Manually managing these addresses would be inefficient and error-prone. This is where IP Address Management (IPAM) integrated within a Virtual Network becomes essential. This combination allows for the automated assignment of IP addresses to VMs, significantly simplifying network operations.

With Virtual Network with IPAM, administrators can configure address pools and define ranges from which IP addresses are automatically assigned. This ensures that each VM receives a unique IP address without manual input, helping to avoid conflicts and maintain network integrity. This automated process is particularly beneficial in dynamic environments where VMs are frequently spun up and decommissioned.

Option A, Floating IP Network, refers to IP addresses that can be dynamically moved between VMs. While useful for failover or high-availability configurations, they are not used for automatic assignment during initial provisioning. B, Management Traffic Network, is reserved for monitoring and administrative traffic, and does not handle general IP address distribution. Lastly, D, VPC Networks, provide an isolated and secure networking environment in the cloud, but do not automatically assign IP addresses unless paired with an IPAM system.

The key distinction is that while other network types may offer specific benefits—such as mobility, isolation, or administrative visibility—only a Virtual Network with IPAM directly supports automated and dynamic IP assignment. This capability is fundamental for the operational efficiency of cloud platforms, ensuring that VMs are correctly configured with valid IPs as they are deployed. This makes option C the most accurate and comprehensive choice for scenarios involving scalable and automated network provisioning.

Question 9:

In a dark site setup, which directory should you use to extract the LCM Framework Bundle to ensure a successful framework update?

A. release
B. upgrade
C. software
D. install

Answer: B

Explanation:

When working within a dark site environment—an isolated system that does not have internet connectivity—updating components like the LCM (Lifecycle Management) Framework requires careful adherence to offline procedures. The LCM Framework Bundle, which contains the necessary files for upgrading the framework, must be manually transferred and extracted into a specific directory on the dark site web server.

The correct destination for this bundle is the upgrade directory. This folder is specifically intended for processing framework upgrades. When the LCM system detects new content in the upgrade folder, it knows to initiate the logic that applies the update while preserving the existing configurations and data. This directory serves as a controlled zone where newer framework versions are staged and validated before being adopted into the running environment.

To understand why upgrade is the appropriate location, it’s important to differentiate it from the other directories:

• The release directory is typically reserved for stable software versions or complete base releases, not updates.

• The software directory may store a variety of software-related files or components, but it is not intended for direct framework updates.

• The install directory is generally used during the initial setup or deployment of the LCM framework and isn't designed for managing subsequent updates.

By placing the update bundle in the upgrade directory, the LCM framework can validate and apply the update properly. This process usually includes steps like version checking, data migration (if needed), and configuration adjustments to ensure smooth operation after the upgrade is complete.

In summary, using the upgrade directory allows the dark site environment to process framework changes in a secure, organized manner without disrupting the existing system. Thus, the correct answer is B.

Question 10:

Which Nutanix component is responsible for abstracting and pooling storage resources across a Nutanix cluster?

A. AHV
B. Prism
C. Acropolis Distributed Storage Fabric (ADSF)
D. Foundation

Answer: C

Explanation:

The correct answer is C. Acropolis Distributed Storage Fabric (ADSF).

In Nutanix environments, ADSF (Acropolis Distributed Storage Fabric) plays a critical role in virtualized infrastructure. It is the foundational storage layer that abstracts local storage (HDDs, SSDs, or NVMe drives) across all nodes in a Nutanix cluster and presents it as a unified, shared pool. This software-defined storage platform is at the heart of Nutanix’s hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI).

Here's how it works: each node in a Nutanix cluster contributes its local storage, and ADSF aggregates these into a distributed pool. Data is automatically distributed, replicated, and balanced across nodes to ensure resilience, availability, and performance. This design removes the traditional dependency on external SAN or NAS storage and allows for linear scaling as new nodes are added.

Let’s look at the other options for comparison:

• A. AHV (Acropolis Hypervisor) is Nutanix’s native virtualization solution. It manages virtual machines (VMs) but is not directly responsible for the storage layer.

• B. Prism is the web-based management interface used for monitoring and managing Nutanix clusters, including VMs, storage, and resources—but it does not handle the actual storage abstraction.

• D. Foundation is a tool used during the initial deployment of a Nutanix cluster, allowing administrators to image nodes and form clusters. It is not involved in storage operations.

Understanding ADSF is essential for the NCA exam because it underpins much of the Nutanix platform's capabilities. Mastery of this concept demonstrates foundational knowledge of how Nutanix simplifies infrastructure management while enhancing performance and scalability.