NCP-US-6.5 Nutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US) v6.5 Questions and Answers

Nutanix Data Lens, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), provides data governance, analytics, and ransomware protection for Nutanix Files. Enabling Data Lens involves setting up access to the Data Lens service, which is a cloud-based service hosted by Nutanix, and integrating it with the on-premises file server.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (In Prism, enable Pulse health monitoring): Incorrect. Pulse is a Nutanix feature that collects telemetry data for health monitoring and support, sending it to Nutanix Insights. While Pulse is recommended for overall cluster health, it is not a required step for enabling Data Lens. Data Lens operates independently of Pulse and focuses on file server analytics, not cluster health monitoring.

Option B (Configure a MyNutanix account to access the Data Lens console): Correct. Data Lens is a cloud-based service, and accessing its console requires a MyNutanix account. The administrator must configure the MyNutanix account credentials in Prism Central to enable Data Lens and access its features, such as the Data Lens dashboard for monitoring file server activity. This is a mandatory step to integrate with the cloud service.

Option C (Configure the Data Services IP in Prism Central): Incorrect. The Data Services IP is used for iSCSI traffic in Nutanix Volumes (as noted in Questions 25 and 31), not for Data Lens. Data Lens communicates with the Nutanix cloud (insights.nutanix.com) over the internet and does not require a Data Services IP configuration.

Option D (Add File Services VM admin credentials to a MyNutanix account): Correct. To enable Data Lens for a file server, the administrator must provide the File Services VM (FSVM) admin credentials, which are used to authenticate and integrate the file server with the Data Lens service. These credentials are added via the MyNutanix account configuration in Prism Central, allowing Data Lens to access the file server for monitoring and analytics.

Selected Steps:

B: Configuring a MyNutanix account is required to access the Data Lens console and enable the service.

D: Adding FSVM admin credentials to the MyNutanix account ensures that Data Lens can authenticate and monitor the file server.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:From the Nutanix Data Lens Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“To enable Data Lens, configure a MyNutanix account in Prism Central to access the Data Lens console. Additionally, add the File Services VM admin credentials to the MyNutanix account to allow Data Lens to authenticate with the file server and enable monitoring and analytics features.”

The tool that can be used to report on a specific user’s activity within a Files environment is Data Lens Audit Trails. Data Lens Audit Trails is a feature that provides detailed logs of all file operations performed by users on Files shares and exports, such as create, read, write, delete, rename, move, copy, etc. Data Lens Audit Trails can help administrators track and audit user actions and identify any unauthorized or malicious activities. The administrator can use Data Lens Audit Trails to filter and search for a specific user’s activity based on various criteria, such as file name, file type, file size, file path, file share, file server, operation type, operation time, operation status, and so on. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 98; Nutanix Data Lens User Guide

Nutanix Files, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), supports monitoring and reporting on user activities to track file access, modifications, and other operations. To report on a specific user’s activity, a tool that provides detailed audit trails at the file level is required.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (Prism Element Alerts menu): Incorrect. The Alerts menu in Prism Element provides cluster-level alerts (e.g., hardware failures, storage issues), but it does not offer detailed user activity reports for Files shares.

Option B (Files Console Usage): Incorrect. The Files Console provides usage statistics for shares (e.g., storage consumption, share-level metrics), but it does not provide granular user activity reports or audit trails for specific users.

Option C (Data Lens Audit Trails): Correct. Nutanix Data Lens, a service integrated with Nutanix Files, provides audit trails that track user activities at the file level. This includes details such as file access, modifications, deletions, and permission changes, allowing administrators to report on a specific user’s actions within the Files environment.

Option D (Prism Central Activity menu): Incorrect. The Activity menu in Prism Central provides high-level activity logs for cluster operations (e.g., VM creation, policy updates), but it does not provide detailed file-level user activity reports for Nutanix Files.

Why Data Lens Audit Trails?

Nutanix Data Lens is designed for data governance and security, offering features like audit trails, anomaly detection, and ransomware protection. The Audit Trails feature specifically allows administrators to filter and report on user activities, such as which files a user accessed, modified, or deleted, making it the ideal tool for this task.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Data Lens Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“Data Lens Audit Trails provide detailed tracking of user activities within Nutanix Files shares. Administrators can view and filter audit logs to report on specific user actions, including file access, modifications, deletions, and permission changes. This feature is accessible via the Data Lens dashboard.”

Nutanix Objects, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), provides S3-compatible object storage and is deployed as a set of Object Store Service VMs on a Nutanix cluster running AHV (or ESXi). The minimum number of nodes required for an Objects deployment ensures high availability and fault tolerance.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (1): Incorrect. A single-node cluster does not meet the minimum requirements for Nutanix Objects, as it cannot provide the necessary fault tolerance and high availability. Objects requires at least three nodes to distribute Object Store Service VMs and ensure data redundancy.

Option B (2): Incorrect. A two-node cluster also does not meet the minimum requirements for Objects. Nutanix requires at least three nodes to ensure that the Object Store Service VMs can be distributed across nodes and maintain availability in case of a node failure.

Option C (3): Correct. Nutanix Objects requires a minimum of three AHV nodes in a cluster to deploy and operate. This ensures that the Object Store Service VMs (typically three or more) can be distributed across nodes, providing high availability and fault tolerance. A three-node cluster is the minimum configuration for Objects to ensure data redundancy and resilience.

Option D (5): Incorrect. While a five-node cluster can certainly support Objects, it exceeds the minimum requirement. Nutanix specifies that three nodes are sufficient for a basic Objects deployment, making five nodes unnecessary for the minimum requirement.

Why Option C?

Nutanix Objects requires at least three nodes to ensure high availability, fault tolerance, and data redundancy. This allows the Object Store Service VMs to be distributed across nodes, ensuring that the service remains available even if a node fails. Three nodes is the minimum cluster size specified by Nutanix for deploying Objects.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Objects Deployment Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“Nutanix Objects requires a minimum of three AHV nodes in a cluster to ensure high availability and fault tolerance. This allows the Object Store Service VMs to be distributed across nodes, providing redundancy and ensuring service availability in case of a node failure.”

Nutanix Files instances are deployed using File Server Virtual Machines (FSVMs) that run on the Nutanix cluster’s hypervisor (AHV, ESXi, or Hyper-V). The minimum resource requirements for deploying FSVMs are specified in the Nutanix Files documentation to ensure proper performance. These requirements are typically defined per FSVM, not per host, as FSVMs are virtual machines distributed across the cluster’s hosts.

According to the official Nutanix documentation:

vCPUs: Each FSVM requires a minimum of 4 vCPUs to operate effectively.

Memory: Each FSVM requires a minimum of 12 GiB of memory (RAM).

The question asks for the “minimum resources” required for deploying Files instances, and the options are framed as “per host.” However, in the context of Nutanix Files, resource requirements are specified per FSVM, as FSVMs are the entities consuming these resources. The options likely reflect a misunderstanding in the original question phrasing, but based on the standard Nutanix Files deployment requirements:

4 vCPUs per FSVM (option D) is correct, as this is the minimum vCPU requirement.

12 GiB of memory per FSVM (option C) is correct, as this is the minimum memory requirement.

Options A (8 vCPUs per host) and B (8 GiB of memory per host) do not align with the documented minimum requirements for FSVMs:

8 vCPUs is higher than the minimum requirement of 4 vCPUs per FSVM.

8 GiB of memory is lower than the minimum requirement of 12 GiB per FSVM.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

“For a Nutanix Files deployment, each File Server Virtual Machine (FSVM) requires the following minimum resources:

4 vCPUs

12 GiB of RAMThese resources ensure that the FSVM can handle file service operations efficiently.”— Nutanix Files Deployment Guide, Version 4.0, Section: “System Requirements for Nutanix Files”

Smart DR in Nutanix Files, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), is a disaster recovery (DR) solution that simplifies the setup of replication policies between file servers (e.g., using NearSync, as seen in Question 24). After configuring a Smart DR policy, the administrator expects to see it in the Policies tab in Prism Central, but it is not visible despite confirmed connectivity between FSVMs and Prism Central via port 9440 (used for Prism communication, as noted in Question 21). This indicates a potential mismatch or configuration issue.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (The primary and recovery file servers do not have the same version): Correct. Smart DR requires that the primary and recovery file servers (source and target) run the same version of Nutanix Files to ensure compatibility. If the versions differ (e.g., primary on Files 4.0, recovery on Files 3.8), the Smart DR policy may fail to register properly in Prism Central, resulting in it not appearing in the Policies tab. This is a common issue in mixed-version environments, as Smart DR relies on consistent features and APIs across both file servers.

Option B (Port 7515 should be open for all External/Client IPs of FSVMs on the Source and Target cluster): Incorrect. Port 7515 is not a standard port for Nutanix Files or Smart DR communication. The External/Client network of FSVMs (used for SMB/NFS traffic) communicates with clients, not between FSVMs or with Prism Central for policy management. Smart DR communication between FSVMs and Prism Central uses port 9440 (already confirmed open), and replication traffic between FSVMs typically uses other ports (e.g., 2009, 2020), but not 7515.

Option C (The primary and recovery file servers do not have the same protocols): Incorrect. Nutanix Files shares can support multiple protocols (e.g., SMB, NFS), but Smart DR operates at the file server level, not the protocol level. The replication policy in Smart DR replicates share data regardless of the protocol, and a protocol mismatch would not prevent the policy from appearing in the Policies tab—it might affect client access, but not policy visibility.

Option D (Port 7515 should be open for all Internal/Storage IPs of FSVMs on the Source and Target cluster): Incorrect. Similar to option B, port 7515 is not relevant for Smart DR or Nutanix Files communication. The Internal/Storage network of FSVMs is used for communication with the Nutanix cluster’s storage pool, but Smart DR policy management and replication traffic do not rely on port 7515. The key ports for replication (e.g., 2009, 2020) are typically already open, and the issue here is policy visibility, not replication traffic.

Why Option A?

Smart DR requires compatibility between the primary and recovery file servers, including running the same version of Nutanix Files. A version mismatch can cause the Smart DR policy to fail registration in Prism Central, preventing it from appearing in the Policies tab. Since port 9440 connectivity is already confirmed, the most likely issue is a version mismatch, which is a common cause of such problems in Nutanix Files DR setups.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Files Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“Smart DR requires that the primary and recovery file servers run the same version of Nutanix Files to ensure compatibility. A version mismatch between the source and target file servers can prevent the Smart DR policy from registering properly in Prism Central, resulting in the policy not appearing in the Policies tab.”

The service that the administrator should investigate for this issue is Minerva-nvm. Minerva-nvm is a service that runs on each CVM and provides communication between Prism Central and Files services. Minerva-nvm also monitors the health of Files services and reports any failures or alerts to Prism Central. If Minerva-nvm is down on any CVM, it can affect the availability and functionality of Files services on that cluster. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 23; Nutanix Files Troubleshooting Guide

The minerva_nvm service is the core service on FSVMs that manages Nutanix Files operations. If File server services are down, this service is the most likely culprit, as it handles all file system activities (e.g., share access, data I/O). Investigating minerva_nvm (e.g., checking its status, logs, or restarting it) is the first step to diagnose and resolve the issue.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Files Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“The minerva_nvm service is a critical component of Nutanix Files, running on each FSVM. It manages file system operations, including share access and data management. If File server services are down on a cluster, investigate the minerva_nvm service on the FSVMs, as its failure will cause shares to become inaccessible.”

Anti-affinity rules ensure FSVMs are distributed across hosts for HA, but during a one-click hypervisor upgrade, these rules can prevent FSVMs from being migrated to other hosts when a host enters maintenance mode. Disabling the anti-affinity rules temporarily allows the upgrade to proceed by permitting FSVMs to reside on the same host during the migration process, ensuring a smooth and non-disruptive upgrade.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Files Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“When performing a one-click hypervisor upgrade on ESXi hosts hosting Nutanix Files, temporarily disable the anti-affinity rules for FSVMs. This allows FSVMs to be migrated to other hosts during the upgrade process without violating placement constraints, ensuring a non-disruptive upgrade. Re-enable the anti-affinity rules after the upgrade is complete.”

Data Lens is a feature that provides insights into the data stored in Files, such as file types, sizes, owners, permissions, and access patterns. Data Lens allows administrators to create reports on various aspects of their data and schedule them to run automatically on a weekly basis. References: Nutanix Data Lens Administration Guide

The user that is authorized to deploy File Analytics is Prism Central administrator. Prism Central is a web-based user interface that allows administrators to manage multiple Nutanix clusters and services, including Files and File Analytics. Prism Central administrator is a user role that has full access and control over all Prism Central features and functions. To deploy File Analytics, the user must log in to Prism Central as a Prism Central administrator and follow the steps in the File Analytics Deployment wizard. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 93; Nutanix File Analytics Deployment Guide

Nutanix File Analytics, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), is a tool for monitoring and analyzing file data within Nutanix Files deployments. It is deployed as a virtual machine (VM) on the Nutanix cluster and requires network connectivity to communicate with the File Server Virtual Machines (FSVMs) and other components.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (Must use the CVM network): Incorrect. The CVM (Controller VM) network is typically an internal network used for communication between CVMs and storage components (e.g., the Distributed Storage Fabric). File Analytics does not specifically require the CVM network; it needs to communicate with FSVMs over a network accessible to clients and management.

Option B (Must use the Client-side network): Correct. File Analytics requires connectivity to the FSVMs to collect and analyze file data. The Client-side network (also called the external network) is the network used by FSVMs for client communication (e.g., SMB, NFS) and management traffic. File Analytics must be deployed on this network to access the FSVMs, as well as to allow administrators to access its UI.

Option C (Must use the Backplane network): Incorrect. The Backplane network is an internal network used for high-speed communication between nodes in a Nutanix cluster (e.g., for data replication, cluster services). File Analytics does not use the Backplane network, as it needs to communicate externally with FSVMs and users.

Option D (Must use the Storage-side network): Incorrect. The Storage-side network is used for internal communication between FSVMs and the Nutanix cluster’s storage pool. File Analytics does not directly interact with the storage pool; it communicates with FSVMs over the Client-side network to collect analytics data.

Why Option B?

File Analytics needs to communicate with FSVMs to collect file metadata and user activity data, and it also needs to be accessible by administrators for monitoring. The Client-side network (used by FSVMs for client access and management) is the appropriate network for File Analytics deployment, as it ensures connectivity to the FSVMs and allows external access to the File Analytics UI.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix File Analytics Deployment Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“File Analytics must be deployed on the Client-side network, which is the external network used by FSVMs for client communication (e.g., SMB, NFS) and management traffic. This ensures that File Analytics can communicate with the FSVMs to collect analytics data and that administrators can access the File Analytics UI.”

Nutanix Volumes, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), provides block storage services via iSCSI to external hosts, such as physical servers. The iSCSI traffic is managed by the Controller VMs (CVMs) in the Nutanix cluster, and a virtual IP address called the Data Services IP is used for iSCSI communication. To isolate iSCSI traffic on a dedicated network, the administrator must ensure that this traffic is routed over the isolated network.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (Create a new network interface on the CVMs via ncli): Incorrect. While it’s possible to create additional network interfaces on CVMs using the ncli command-line tool, this is not the recommended or standard method for isolating iSCSI traffic. The Data Services IP is the primary mechanism for managing iSCSI traffic, and it can be assigned to an isolated network without creating new interfaces on each CVM.

Option B (Configure the Data Services IP on an isolated network): Correct. The Data Services IP (also known as the iSCSI Data Services IP) is a cluster-wide virtual IP used for iSCSI traffic. By configuring the Data Services IP to use an IP address on the isolated network (e.g., a specific VLAN or subnet dedicated to iSCSI), the administrator ensures that all iSCSI traffic is routed over that network, meeting the requirement for isolation. This configuration is done in Prism Element under the cluster’s iSCSI settings.

Option C (Configure network segmentation for Volumes): Incorrect. Network segmentation in Nutanix typically refers to isolating traffic using VLANs or separate subnets, which is indirectly achieved by configuring the Data Services IP (option B). However, “network segmentation for Volumes” is not a specific feature or configuration step in Nutanix; the correct approach is to assign the Data Services IP to the isolated network, which inherently segments the traffic.

Option D (Create a Volumes network in Prism Central): Incorrect. Prism Central is used for centralized management of multiple clusters, but the configuration of iSCSI traffic (e.g., the Data Services IP) is performed at the cluster level in Prism Element, not Prism Central. There is no concept of a “Volumes network” in Prism Central for this purpose.

Why Option B?

The Data Services IP is the key configuration for iSCSI traffic in a Nutanix cluster. By assigning this IP to an isolated network (e.g., a dedicated VLAN or subnet), the administrator ensures that all iSCSI traffic is routed over that network, achieving the required isolation. This is a standard and recommended approach in Nutanix for isolating iSCSI traffic.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Volumes Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“To isolate iSCSI traffic on a dedicated network, configure the Data Services IP with an IP address on the isolated network. This ensures that all iSCSI traffic between external hosts and the Nutanix cluster is routed over the specified network, providing network isolation as required.”

Volumes is a feature that allows users to create and manage block storage devices (volume groups) on a Nutanix cluster. Volume groups can be accessed by external hosts using the iSCSI protocol. To ensure maximum performance, throughput, and redundancy for Oracle RAC on Linux implementation, while using the native method for securing workloads, the recommended configuration is to use Volumes with MPIO (Multipath I/O) and a single vDisk (virtual disk). MPIO is a technique that allows multiple paths between an iSCSI initiator and an iSCSI target, which improves performance and availability. A single vDisk is a logical unit number (LUN) that can be assigned to multiple hosts in a volume group, which simplifies management and reduces overhead. References: Nutanix Volumes Administration Guide, page 13; Nutanix Volumes Best Practices Guide

Nutanix Files, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), is being used for user home directories, and users are experiencing delays or access denied errors when accessing large audio and video files. The issue is related to the integration with an ICAP (Internet Content Adaptation Protocol) server, which Nutanix Files uses to scan files for security (e.g., antivirus, malware detection). The delays and errors suggest that the ICAP server is struggling to scan these large files, causing timeouts or access issues.

Understanding the Issue:

ICAP Integration: Nutanix Files can integrate with an ICAP server to scan files for threats. By default, files are scanned on read and write operations, and if a scan cannot be completed (e.g., due to timeouts), access may be blocked.

Large Audio/Video Files: These files are typically very large (e.g., GBs in size), and scanning them can take significant time, especially if the ICAP server is under-resourced or the network latency is high.

Four-Minute Timeout: The “access denied” error after four minutes suggests a timeout in the ICAP scan process, likely because the ICAP server cannot complete the scan within the default timeout period (often 240 seconds or 4 minutes).

Long Wait Times: The wait times before opening files indicate that the ICAP server is scanning the files on read, causing delays for users.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (Add the extensions of the affected file types to the ICAP's Exclude File Types field in the ICAP settings for the Files cluster): Correct. Nutanix Files allows administrators to exclude certain file types from ICAP scanning by adding their extensions (e.g., .mp4, .wav) to the “Exclude File Types” field in the ICAP settings. Large audio and video files are often safe and do not need to be scanned (e.g., they are less likely to contain malware), and excluding them prevents the ICAP server from attempting to scan them, eliminating delays and timeout errors.

Option B (Uncheck the "Block access to files if scan cannot be completed (recommended)" option in the ICAP settings for the Files cluster): Correct. By default, Nutanix Files blocks access to files if the ICAP scan cannot be completed within the timeout period (e.g., 4 minutes), resulting in the “access denied” error. Unchecking this option allows access to files even if the scan fails or times out, mitigating the access denied issue for large files while still attempting to scan them. This is a recommended mitigation when scans are causing access issues, though it slightly reduces security by allowing access to un-scanned files.

Option C (Enable the "Scan on Write" option and increase resources for the ICAP server): Incorrect. The “Scan on Write” option is already enabled by default in Nutanix Files ICAP settings, as it ensures files are scanned when written to the share. Increasing resources for the ICAP server might help with scanning performance, but it does not directly address the issue of large files causing timeouts on read operations, and it requires additional infrastructure changes that may not be feasible. The issue is primarily with read access delays, not write operations.

Option D (Enable the "Scan on Read" option and decrease resources for the ICAP server): Incorrect. The “Scan on Read” option is also enabled by default in Nutanix Files ICAP settings, and it is the root cause of the delays—scanning large files on read causes long wait times. Decreasing resources for the ICAP server would exacerbate the issue by further slowing down scans, leading to more timeouts and errors.

Selected Actions:

A: Excluding audio and video file extensions from ICAP scanning prevents the server from attempting to scan large files, eliminating delays and timeouts for these file types.

B: Disabling the “Block access” option ensures that users can access files even if the ICAP scan times out, mitigating the “access denied” error after four minutes.

Why These Actions?

Excluding File Types (A): Large audio and video files are often safe and do not need scanning, and excluding them avoids the performance bottleneck caused by the ICAP server, directly addressing the long wait times.

Disabling Block Access (B): The four-minute timeout leading to “access denied” errors is due to the ICAP scan failing to complete. Allowing access despite scan failures ensures users can still open files, though it requires careful consideration of security risks (e.g., ensuring excluded file types are safe).

Combining these actions provides a comprehensive solution: excluding file types prevents unnecessary scans, and disabling the block ensures access during edge cases where scans might still occur.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Files Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“To mitigate performance issues with ICAP scanning for large files (e.g., audio, video), add the extensions of affected file types to the ‘Exclude File Types’ field in the ICAP settings for the Files cluster. Additionally, to prevent ‘access denied’ errors due to scan timeouts, uncheck the ‘Block access to files if scan cannot be completed (recommended)’ option, allowing access to files even if the scan fails.”

The organization is deploying a Nutanix cluster to provide block storage services (via iSCSI), CIFS shares, and NFS exports (via Nutanix Files). Nutanix Volumes, part of Nutanix UnifiedILON Storage (NUS), is used to provide block storage to physical servers via iSCSI. The security policy requires separate networks:

Management traffic on VLAN 500 (10.10.50.0/24).

iSCSI traffic on VLAN 510 (10.10.51.0/24).

Files traffic on VLAN 520 (10.10.52.0/24).

To ensure iSCSI traffic uses VLAN 510 and is accessible by physical servers, the cluster must be configured to route iSCSI traffic over the correct network.

The Data Services IP is the key configuration for iSCSI traffic in a Nutanix cluster. By setting this IP to an address on VLAN 510 (e.g., 10.10.51.x), the administrator ensures that iSCSI traffic is routed over the correct network. Physical servers can then connect to this IP to access block storage via iSCSI. This configuration is done in Prism Element under the cluster’s iSCSI settings.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Volumes Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“To enable iSCSI traffic for Nutanix Volumes, configure the Data Services IP in Prism Element. This IP address is used by external hosts (e.g., physical servers) to connect to the cluster for block storage access. Assign the Data Services IP to the appropriate VLAN for iSCSI traffic (e.g., VLAN 510) to ensure network isolation and accessibility.”

The two steps that the administrator should perform to resolve the connectivity issues with the domain controller servers are:

Verify the DNS settings in Prism Element: DNS (Domain Name System) is a system that translates domain names into IP addresses. DNS settings are configurations that specify which DNS servers to use for resolving domain names. Verifying the DNS settings in Prism Element is a step that the administrator should perform, because it can help identify and correct any incorrect or outdated DNS server addresses or domain names that may cause connectivity issues with the domain controller servers.

Verify the DNS entries for the given domain name: DNS entries are records that map domain names to IP addresses or other information. Verifying the DNS entries for the given domain name is another step that the administrator should perform, because it can help check and update any incorrect or outdated IP addresses or other information that may cause connectivity issues with the domain controller servers. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 32; Nutanix Files Troubleshooting Guide

Before upgrading Objects Manager, the administrator must upgrade AOS to the latest version. AOS is the core operating system that runs on each node in a Nutanix cluster and provides the foundation for Objects Manager and Objects service. Upgrading AOS will ensure compatibility and stability for Objects components. References: Nutanix Objects Administration Guide, Acropolis Operating System Upgrade Guide

Nutanix Files, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), can be installed or upgraded using Life Cycle Manager (LCM), a tool in Prism Central or Prism Element for managing software updates. Before installing or upgrading Files, LCM must ensure that the underlying components are compatible to avoid issues during the process.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (Nutanix Cluster Check): Correct. Nutanix Cluster Check (NCC) is a health and compatibility checking tool integrated with LCM. LCM requires a compatible version of NCC to perform pre-upgrade checks and validate the cluster’s readiness for a Files installation or upgrade. NCC ensures that the cluster environment (e.g., hardware, firmware, software) is compatible with the Files version being installed or upgraded.

Option B (Active Directory Services): Incorrect. Active Directory (AD) Services are used by Nutanix Files for user authentication (e.g., for SMB shares or multiprotocol access, as in Question 60), but AD is not a component managed by LCM, nor is it a prerequisite for LCM compatibility. AD configuration is a separate requirement for Files functionality, not LCM operations.

Option C (File Server Module): Incorrect. There is no “File Server Module” component in Nutanix terminology. Nutanix Files itself consists of File Server Virtual Machines (FSVMs), but this is the component being upgraded, not a prerequisite for LCM. LCM manages the Files upgrade directly and does not require a separate “module” compatibility.

Option D (Acropolis Operating System): Correct. The Acropolis Operating System (AOS) is the core operating system of the Nutanix cluster, managing storage, compute, and virtualization. LCM requires a compatible AOS version to install or upgrade Files, as Files relies on AOS features (e.g., storage, networking) and APIs. LCM checks the AOS version to ensure it meets the minimum requirements for the target Files version.

Selected Components:

A: NCC ensures cluster compatibility and readiness, which LCM relies on for Files installation or upgrades.

D: AOS provides the underlying platform for Files, and LCM must ensure its version is compatible with the Files version being deployed.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Files Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“Before installing or upgrading Nutanix Files using Life Cycle Manager (LCM), ensure that LCM has compatible versions of Nutanix Cluster Check (NCC) and Acropolis Operating System (AOS). NCC performs pre-upgrade checks to validate cluster readiness, while AOS must meet the minimum version requirements for the target Files version.”

Smart DR in Nutanix Files, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), automates disaster recovery (DR) by replicating shares between primary and recovery file servers (e.g., using NearSync, as in Question 24). The administrator is using Smart DR to protect a Files share and needs seamless client redirection in the event of a failure, meaning clients should automatically connect to the recovery site without manual intervention.

Understanding the Requirement:

Smart DR Protection: Smart DR replicates the Files share from the primary site to the recovery site, typically with the primary site in read-write (RW) mode and the recovery site in read-only (RO) mode (as seen in the exhibit for Question 24).

Seamless Client Redirection: In a failure scenario (e.g., primary site down), clients should automatically redirect to the recovery site without needing to reconfigure their connections (e.g., changing the share path or IP address).

Files Share Context: Clients typically access Files shares via SMB or NFS, using a hostname or IP address (e.g., \fileserver\share for SMB or fileserver:/share for NFS).

Analysis of Options:

Option A (Create a reverse replication policy): Incorrect. A reverse replication policy would replicate data from the recovery site back to the primary site, typically used after failover to prepare for failback. This does not address seamless client redirection during a failure—it focuses on data replication direction, not client connectivity.

Option B (Enable redirection in the protection policy): Incorrect. Smart DR protection policies define replication settings (e.g., RPO, schedule), but there is no “redirection” setting in the policy itself. Client redirection in Nutanix Files DR scenarios is managed through external mechanisms like DNS, not within the protection policy.

Option C (Update the AD and DNS entries): Correct. Seamless client redirection in Nutanix Files DR scenarios requires that clients can automatically connect to the recovery site without changing their share paths. This is achieved by updating Active Directory (AD) and DNS entries:

DNS Update: The hostname of the file server (e.g., fileserver.company.com) should resolve to the IP address of the primary site’s File Server under normal conditions. During a failure, DNS is updated to point to the recovery site’s File Server IP address (e.g., the Client network IP of the recovery FSVMs). This ensures clients automatically connect to the recovery site without changing the share path (e.g., \fileserver.company.com\share continues to work).

AD Update: For SMB shares, the Service Principal Name (SPN) in AD must be updated to reflect the recovery site’s File Server, ensuring Kerberos authentication works seamlessly after failover.This approach ensures clients are redirected without manual intervention, meeting the “seamless” requirement.

Option D (Activate protected shares on the recovery site): Incorrect. Activating protected shares on the recovery site (e.g., making them RW during failover) is a necessary step for failover, but it does not ensure seamless client redirection. Without updating DNS/AD, clients will not know to connect to the recovery site—they will continue trying to access the primary site’s IP address, requiring manual reconfiguration (e.g., changing the share path), which is not seamless.

Why Option C?

Seamless client redirection in a Nutanix Files DR scenario requires that clients can connect to the recovery site without changing their share paths. Updating AD and DNS entries ensures that the file server’s hostname resolves to the recovery site’s IP address after failover, and AD authentication (e.g., Kerberos for SMB) continues to work. This allows clients to automatically redirect to the recovery site without manual intervention, fulfilling the requirement for seamlessness.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Files Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“To ensure seamless client redirection during a Smart DR failover, update Active Directory (AD) and DNS entries. Configure DNS to resolve the file server’s hostname to the recovery site’s File Server IP address after failover, and update the Service Principal Name (SPN) in AD to ensure Kerberos authentication works for SMB clients. This allows clients to automatically connect to the recovery site without manual reconfiguration.”

The “X” on the icon represents a distributed shared file, which is a file that belongs to a distributed share or export. A distributed share or export is a type of SMB share or NFS export that distributes the hosting of top-level directories across multiple FSVMs. The “X” indicates that the file is not hosted by the current FSVM, but by another FSVM in the cluster. The “X” also helps to identify which files are eligible for migration when using the Nutanix Files Migration Tool. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 34; Nutanix Files Migration Tool User Guide, page 10

Nutanix Files, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), supports WORM (Write Once, Read Many) shares to enforce immutability for compliance and data retention. A WORM share prevents files from being modified or deleted for a specified retention period. The “cool-off interval” (or cool-off period) is the time after a file is written to a WORM share during which it can still be modified or deleted before becoming immutable. The default cool-off interval is typically 1 minute, and the administrator wants to update it to 5 minutes.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (Delete and re-create the WORM share): Incorrect. Deleting and re-creating the WORM share would remove the existing share and its data, which is disruptive and unnecessary. The cool-off interval can be updated without deleting the share, making this an inefficient and incorrect approach.

Option B (Update the worm_cooloff_interval parameter using CLI): Correct. The worm_cooloff_interval parameter controls the cool-off period for WORM shares in Nutanix Files. This parameter can be updated using the Nutanix CLI (e.g., ncli or afs commands) on the file server. The administrator can log into an FSVM, use the CLI to set the worm_cooloff_interval to 5 minutes (300 seconds), and apply the change without disrupting the share. This is the most direct and efficient method to update the cool-off interval.

Option C (Contact support to update the WORM share): Incorrect. Contacting Nutanix support is unnecessary for this task, as updating the cool-off interval is a standard administrative action that can be performed using the CLI. Support is typically needed for complex issues, not for configurable parameters like this.

Option D (Use FSM to update the worm_cooloff_interval parameter): Incorrect. FSM (File Server Manager) is not a standard Nutanix tool or interface for managing Files configurations. The correct method is to use the CLI (option B) to update the worm_cooloff_interval parameter. While the Files Console (FSM-like interface) can manage some share settings, the cool-off interval requires CLI access.

Why Option B?

The worm_cooloff_interval parameter is a configurable setting in Nutanix Files that controls the cool-off period for WORM shares. Updating this parameter via the CLI (e.g., using ncli or afs commands on an FSVM) allows the administrator to change the cool-off interval from the default (1 minute) to 5 minutes without disrupting the existing share. This is the recommended and most efficient method per Nutanix documentation.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Files Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“The cool-off interval for a WORM share, which determines the time after a file is written during which it can still be modified, is controlled by the worm_cooloff_interval parameter. To update this interval, use the CLI on an FSVM to set the parameter (e.g., to 300 seconds for 5 minutes) using commands like ncli or afs, then apply the change.”

Nutanix Files, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), requires pre-upgrade checks to ensure a successful upgrade (e.g., from version 3.7 to 4.1). The error “Sub task poll timed out” indicates that a subtask during the pre-upgrade check did not complete within the expected time, likely due to communication or resource issues among the File Server Virtual Machines (FSVMs).

Analysis of Options:

Option A (Increase upgrades timeout from ecli): Incorrect. The ecli (Entity CLI) is not a standard Nutanix command-line tool for managing upgrades, and “upgrades timeout” is not a configurable parameter in this context. While timeouts can sometimes be adjusted, this is not the initial troubleshooting step, and the error suggests a deeper issue (e.g., communication failure) rather than a timeout setting.

Option B (Check there is enough disk space on FSVMs): Incorrect. While insufficient disk space on FSVMs can cause upgrade issues (e.g., during the upgrade process itself), the “Sub task poll timed out” error during pre-upgrade checks is more likely related to communication or task execution issues between FSVMs, not disk space. Disk space checks are typically part of the pre-upgrade validation, and a separate error would be logged if space was the issue.

Option C (Examine the failed tasks on the FSVMs): Incorrect. Examining failed tasks on the FSVMs (e.g., by checking logs) is a valid troubleshooting step, but it is not the initial step. The “Sub task poll timed out” error suggests a communication issue, so verifying connectivity should come first. Once connectivity is confirmed, examining logs for specific task failures would be a logical next step.

Option D (Verify connectivity between the FSVMs): Correct. The “Sub task poll timed out” error indicates that the pre-upgrade check could not complete a subtask, likely because FSVMs were unable to communicate with each other or with the cluster. Nutanix Files upgrades require FSVMs to coordinate tasks, and this coordination depends on network connectivity (e.g., over the Storage and Client networks). Verifying connectivity between FSVMs (e.g., checking network status, VLAN configuration, or firewall rules in a highly secured environment) is the initial troubleshooting step to identify and resolve the root cause of the timeout.

Why Option D?

In a highly secured environment, network restrictions (e.g., firewalls, VLAN misconfigurations) are common causes of communication issues between FSVMs. The “Sub task poll timed out” error suggests that the pre-upgrade check failed because a task could not complete, likely due to FSVMs being unable to communicate. Verifying connectivity between FSVMs is the first step to diagnose and resolve this issue, ensuring that subsequent pre-upgrade checks can proceed.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Files Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“If the pre-upgrade check fails with a ‘Sub task poll timed out’ error, this typically indicates a communication issue between FSVMs. As an initial troubleshooting step, verify connectivity between the FSVMs, ensuring that the Storage and Client networks are properly configured and that there are no network restrictions (e.g., firewalls) preventing communication.”

The administrator can meet this requirement by configuring data protection policies in the Files view in Prism Central. Data protection policies are policies that define how file data is protected by taking snapshots, replicating them to another site, or tiering them to cloud storage. Data protection policies can be configured for each share or export in a file server in the Files view in Prism Central. The administrator can create different data protection policies for different shares or exports based on their protection needs and requirements. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 79; Nutanix Files Solution Guide, page 9

Nutanix Files, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), can protect against ransomware using integrated tools like File Analytics and Data Lens, or through integration with third-party solutions. In Question 56, we established that a third-party solution is best for signature-based ransomware prevention with a large list of malicious file signatures (300+). The administrator now needs to add a new signature to the ransomware block list, which refers to the list of malicious file signatures used for blocking.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (Open a support ticket to have the new signature added. Nutanix support will provide an updated Block List file): Correct. Nutanix Files does not natively manage a signature-based ransomware block list within its own tools (e.g., File Analytics, Data Lens), as these focus on behavioral detection (as noted in Question 56). For signature-based blocking, Nutanix integrates with third-party solutions, and the block list (signature database) is typically managed by Nutanix or the third-party provider. To add a new signature, the administrator must open a support ticket with Nutanix, who will coordinate with the third-party provider (if applicable) to update the Block List file and provide it to the customer.

Option B (Add the file signature to the Blocked Files Type in the Files Console): Incorrect. The “Blocked Files Type” in the Files Console allows administrators to blacklist specific file extensions (e.g., .exe, .bat) to prevent them from being stored on shares. This is not a ransomware block list based on signatures—it’s a simple extension-based blacklist, and file signatures (e.g., hashes or patterns used for ransomware detection) cannot be added this way.

Option C (Search the Block List for the file signature to be added, click Add to Block List when the signature is not found in File Analytics): Incorrect. File Analytics provides ransomware detection through behavioral analysis (e.g., anomaly detection, as in Question 7), not signature-based blocking. There is no “Block List” in File Analytics for managing ransomware signatures, and it does not have an “Add to Block List” option for signatures.

Option D (Download the Block List CSV file, add the new signature, then upload the CSV): Incorrect. Nutanix Files does not provide a user-editable Block List CSV file for ransomware signatures. The block list for signature-based blocking is managed by Nutanix or a third-party integration, and updates are handled through support (option A), not by manually editing a CSV file.

Why Option A?

Signature-based ransomware prevention in Nutanix Files relies on third-party integrations, as established in Question 56. The block list of malicious file signatures is not user-editable within Nutanix tools like the Files Console or File Analytics. To add a new signature, the administrator must open a support ticket with Nutanix, who will provide an updated Block List file, ensuring the new signature is properly integrated with the third-party solution.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Files Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“For signature-based ransomware prevention, Nutanix Files integrates with third-party solutions that maintain a block list of malicious file signatures. To add a new signature to the block list, open a support ticket with Nutanix. Support will coordinate with the third-party provider (if applicable) and provide an updated Block List file to include the new signature.”

Nutanix Objects, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), is an S3-compatible object storage solution that can be deployed on AHV or ESXi hypervisors. Deploying Objects has specific prerequisites to ensure successful installation and operation.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (Prism Central version is 5.17.1 or later): Incorrect. While Nutanix Objects requires Prism Central for deployment and management, the minimum version for Objects deployment is typically lower (e.g., Prism Central 5.15 or later, depending on the Objects version). Version 5.17.1 is not a specific requirement for Objects deployment on AHV or ESXi.

Option B (Port 9440 is accessible on both PE and PC): Correct. Port 9440 is used for communication between Prism Element (PE) and Prism Central (PC), as well as for internal Nutanix services. When deploying Objects, Prism Central communicates with the cluster (via Prism Element) to deploy Object Store Service VMs. This communication requires port 9440 to be open between PE and PC, making it a key prerequisite.

Option C (Valid SSL Certificate): Incorrect. While a valid SSL certificate is recommended for secure communication (e.g., for S3 API access), it is not a strict prerequisite for deploying Objects. Objects can be deployed with self-signed certificates, though Nutanix recommends replacing them with valid certificates for production use.

Option D (Nutanix STARTER License): Incorrect. The Nutanix STARTER license is an entry-level license for basic cluster functionality (e.g., VMs, storage). However, Nutanix Objects requires a separate license (e.g., Objects license or a higher-tier AOS license like Pro or Ultimate). The STARTER license alone does not support Objects deployment.

Why Option B?

Port 9440 is critical for communication between Prism Element and Prism Central during the deployment of Objects. If this port is blocked, the deployment will fail, as Prism Central cannot communicate with the cluster to deploy the Object Store Service VMs.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Objects Deployment Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“Before deploying Nutanix Objects on AHV or ESXi, ensure that port 9440 is accessible between Prism Element (PE) and Prism Central (PC). This port is required for communication during the deployment process, as Prism Central manages the deployment of Object Store Service VMs on the cluster.”

The administrator can monitor their Files environment for suspicious activities, such as mass deletion or access denials, by deploying the File Analytics VM and configuring anomaly rules. File Analytics is a feature that provides insights into the usage and activity of file data stored on Files. File Analytics consists of a File Analytics VM (FAVM) that runs on a Nutanix cluster and communicates with the File Server VMs (FSVMs) that host the file shares. File Analytics can alert the administrator when there is an unusual or suspicious activity on file data, such as mass deletion, encryption, permission change, or access denial. The administrator can configure anomaly rules to define the threshold, time window, and notification settings for each type of anomaly. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 93; Nutanix File Analytics User Guide

The configuration that is required for an Objects deployment is to configure NTP servers on both Prism Element and Prism Central. NTP (Network Time Protocol) is a protocol that synchronizes the clocks of devices on a network with a reliable time source. NTP servers are devices that provide accurate time information to other devices on a network. Configuring NTP servers on both Prism Element and Prism Central is required for an Objects deployment, because it ensures that the time settings are consistent and accurate across the Nutanix cluster and the Objects cluster, which can prevent any synchronization issues or errors. References: Nutanix Objects User Guide, page 9; Nutanix Objects Deployment Guide

The administrator should prevent the Files environment and the AD Server from having such a time difference in future by using the same NTP Servers for the File environment and the AD Server. NTP (Network Time Protocol) is a protocol that synchronizes the clocks of devices on a network with a reliable time source. NTP Servers are devices that provide accurate time information to other devices on a network. By using the same NTP Servers for the File environment and the AD Server, the administrator can ensure that they have consistent and accurate time settings and avoid any synchronization issues or errors. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 32; Nutanix Files Troubleshooting Guide

Nutanix Objects supports directory services integration, which allows administrators to configure access keys based on directory and email-based users. This enables granular access control and security for buckets and objects. The administrator can configure directory services under the Access Keys section in Prism Central, and then generate access keys for internal users from the directory service and for the consultant from an email address2. References: Nutanix Objects Administration Guide2

Nutanix Files, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), uses File Server Virtual Machines (FSVMs) to manage file services. High Availability (HA) in Nutanix Files ensures that shares remain accessible even if an FSVM or host fails. HA mechanisms include IP reassignment, FSVM distribution, and integration with hypervisor HA features.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (Files reassigns the IP address of the FSVM to another FSVM): Correct. In a Nutanix Files HA scenario, if an FSVM fails (e.g., due to a host failure), the IP address of the failed FSVM is reassigned to another FSVM in the file server. This ensures that clients can continue accessing shares without disruption, as the share’s endpoint (IP address) remains the same, even though the backend FSVM handling the request has changed.

Option B (Shares availability are not impacted for several minutes): Incorrect. While Nutanix Files HA minimizes downtime, there is typically a brief disruption (seconds to a minute) during an FSVM failure as the IP address is reassigned and the new FSVM takes over. The statement “not impacted for several minutes” implies a longer acceptable downtime, which is not accurate—HA aims to restore availability quickly, typically within a minute.

Option C (Multiple FSVMs can share a single host): Incorrect. Nutanix Files HA requires that FSVMs are distributed across different hosts to ensure fault tolerance. By default, one FSVM runs per host, and Nutanix uses anti-affinity rules to prevent multiple FSVMs from residing on the same host. This ensures that a single host failure does not impact multiple FSVMs, which would defeat the purpose of HA.

Option D (Affinity rules affect HA): Correct. Nutanix Files leverages hypervisor HA features (e.g., AHV HA) and uses affinity/anti-affinity rules to manage FSVM placement. Anti-affinity rules ensure that FSVMs are placed on different hosts, which is critical for HA—if multiple FSVMs were on the same host, a host failure would impact multiple FSVMs, reducing availability. These rules directly affect how HA functions in a Files deployment.

Selected Statements:

A: IP reassignment is a core HA mechanism in Nutanix Files to maintain share accessibility during FSVM failures.

D: Affinity (specifically anti-affinity) rules ensure FSVM distribution across hosts, which is essential for effective HA.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Files Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“High Availability (HA) in Nutanix Files ensures continuous share access during failures. If an FSVM fails, its IP address is reassigned to another FSVM in the file server to maintain client connectivity. Nutanix Files uses anti-affinity rules to distribute FSVMs across different hosts, ensuring that a single host failure does not impact multiple FSVMs, which is critical for HA.”

The component that must first be upgraded to a compatible version before upgrading Files or creating a file server is Prism Central. Prism Central is a web-based user interface that allows administrators to manage multiple Nutanix clusters and services, including Files. Prism Central must be upgraded to a compatible version with Files before upgrading an existing file server or creating a new file server. Otherwise, the upgrade or creation process may fail or cause unexpected errors. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 21; Nutanix Files Upgrade Guide

A distributed share is a type of SMB share or NFS export that distributes the hosting of top-level directories across multiple FSVMs, which improves load balancing and performance. A distributed share cannot be created on a single-node cluster, because there is only one FSVM available. A distributed share requires at least two nodes in the cluster to distribute the directories. Therefore, the task of creating a distributed share on a single-node cluster will fail. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 33; Nutanix Files Solution Guide, page 8

A distributed share in Nutanix Files, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), is a share that spans multiple File Server Virtual Machines (FSVMs) to provide scalability and high availability. Distributed shares are designed to handle large-scale workloads by distributing file operations across FSVMs.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (File server version should be greater than 3.8.0): Incorrect. While Nutanix Files has version-specific features, distributed shares have been supported since earlier versions (e.g., Files 3.5). The failure to create a distributed share on a single-node cluster is not due to the Files version.

Option B (Distributed shares require multiple nodes): Correct. Distributed shares in Nutanix Files require a minimum of three FSVMs for high availability and load balancing, which in turn requires a cluster with at least three nodes. A single-node cluster cannot support a distributed share because it lacks the necessary nodes to host multiple FSVMs, which are required for the distributed architecture.

Option C (AOS version should be greater than 6.0): Incorrect. Nutanix AOS (Acropolis Operating System) version 6.0 or later is not a specific requirement for distributed shares. Distributed shares have been supported in earlier AOS versions (e.g., AOS 5.15 and later with compatible Files versions). The issue is related to the cluster’s node count, not the AOS version.

Option D (Number of distributed shares limit reached): Incorrect. The question does not indicate that the administrator has reached a limit on the number of distributed shares. The failure is due to the single-node cluster limitation, not a share count limit.

Why Option B?

A single-node cluster cannot support a distributed share because Nutanix Files requires at least three FSVMs for a distributed share, and each FSVM typically runs on a separate node for high availability. A single-node cluster can support a non-distributed (standard) share, but not a distributed share, which is designed for scalability across multiple nodes.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Files Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“Distributed shares in Nutanix Files require a minimum of three FSVMs to ensure scalability and high availability. This requires a cluster with at least three nodes, as each FSVM is typically hosted on a separate node. Single-node clusters do not support distributed shares due to this requirement.”