Nutanix NCS-Core Dumps

When a NearSync Replication window is missed due to high write volume during nightly backups, the expected behavior of the system is to adjust the replication schedule temporarily and continuously attempt to return to the configured NearSync schedule. The correct answers are:

Option B, "Protection Domain transitions back to the hourly schedule." If the NearSync cannot maintain the 15-minute schedule due to excessive write volume, it may temporarily fall back to a less frequent schedule, such as hourly, to stabilize.

Option D, "The system continuously tries to get to the NearSync schedule." NearSync is designed to handle transient high-load situations by trying to catch up and revert to the pre-set NearSync schedule as conditions allow.

References:These behaviors are outlined in the Nutanix documentation for NearSync, which describes how the system manages periods of high I/O and missed replication windows.

The Nutanix Field Installation Guide primarily provides instructions for using Foundation. Foundation is the tool used for deploying, imaging, and configuring Nutanix nodes in a new installation or when expanding existing clusters. This tool is essential for setting up the Nutanix environment correctly and efficiently.References:

• Nutanix University - NCS-Core 6.8 Learning Path
• The Nutanix Bible, Foundation chapter (https://www.nutanixbible.com/)

Given the constraint of a 16-port switch for a 20-node cluster, the consultant cannot physically connect all nodes to the network simultaneously. VLAN tagging allows multiple virtual networks to be carried over the same physical network. However, the challenge here is not about VLANs but the physical limitation of ports. The practical approach would be to manually create the cluster, potentially in stages, as the full network capacity required for all nodes is not available.References:

• Nutanix University - NCS-Core 6.8 Learning Path
• The Nutanix Bible, Networking chapter (https://www.nutanixbible.com/)

ref:

Ref:

The error stating "Prism Central is unreachable" when trying to add a cluster to an existing Prism Central with a proxy setup is likely due to incorrect or missing network routing configurations or firewall rules that do not allow communication between Prism Element and Prism Central. The most likely configuration that is missing and needed to resolve this issue is the whitelist of Prism Central VIP inside of Prism Element and Prism Element VIP inside of Prism Central. Whitelisting these Virtual IP addresses ensures that network traffic between these crucial components of the Nutanix architecture is permitted, thus enabling successful communication and registration of the cluster with Prism Central.References: Nutanix Network Configuration Guide, Nutanix Prism Central Administration.

Ref:

When configuring network settings for a hypervisor or accessing local services hosted on it, the IP address must be reachable from the network configuration you are currently using. Given the generic nature of the options, the correct choice typically depends on the subnet used for management purposes, which often uses a standard private address. "192.168.5.254" is a common choice for local network configurations and is likely set up as the gateway or a primary network interface on the hypervisor.References:

• Nutanix University - NCS-Core 6.8 Learning Path
• The Nutanix Bible, Network Configuration chapter (https://www.nutanixbible.com/)

For high-performance iSCSI workloads, especially in a Nutanix environment using AHV nodes and a 10 GbE interface, enabling Jumbo Frames on both the Host and the Controller Virtual Machine (CVM) is recommended. Jumbo Frames allow for a larger payload per network packet, which reduces the overhead required to send large amounts of data. Enabling Jumbo Frames on both the host and the CVM ensures that both ends of the communication channel can handle larger packets, thereby optimizing throughput and reducing latency for high-performance workloads.

References:

• Nutanix Bible: Networking Best Practices
• Nutanix University: Nutanix Network Optimization

The proper network configuration to solve the described issue involves using tagged VLANs for the CVM (Controller Virtual Machine) and host, allowing these components to correctly interact with the customer's VLAN-configured network. For the IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface), which is used for out-of-band management and does not require connectivity to multiple VLANs, setting it to access mode is appropriate. This configuration ensures that the IPMI only communicates over a single, untagged VLAN, effectively isolating its traffic from the production network.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), particularly the sections on networking and VLAN configurations.
• Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), where VLAN and network settings are covered.

Ref: o-metro-availability-witness-c.html

When deploying Nutanix hardware, it is essential to ensure that all necessary components are included in the Bill of Materials (BOM). In this case, the BOM includes SFP+ modules but lacks the fiber cables needed for connectivity. The SFP+ modules indicate a requirement for fiber optic cables, and it's crucial for the consultant to ensure the client understands their responsibility to procure compatible cables. Nutanix typically does not provide fiber cables as these are considered network infrastructure components, which vary based on specific network requirements and setups.References:

• Nutanix University - NCS-Core 6.8 Learning Path
• The Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com/)
• Nutanix TechTalks and Learning Videos (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAHgaS9IrJecs_AcQT3Y7vSsKT2mjz3Iu)

To deploy the Foundation VM on VMware ESXi or AHV Hypervisors, the two necessary files are:

• foundation_VM-version.tar which contains the complete Foundation VM package.
• foundation_VM-version.vmdk, which is the virtual disk file for VMware environments.

These files are required to create and boot the Foundation VM in these hypervisor environments, facilitating the deployment and configuration of the Nutanix nodes within the cluster.References: Nutanix Bible, Nutanix University NCS-Core 6.8 learning materials

The failure to discover nodes during installation can often be attributed to the lack of IPv6 support on the network, especially if the Foundation process relies on IPv6 for node discovery. If IPv6 is not enabled on the customer’s switch, the discovery packets may not be properly routed, resulting in the nodes not being discovered. Enabling IPv6 on the switch could resolve this discovery issue.

References:

• Nutanix Foundation Troubleshooting Guide: Nutanix Support Portal
• Network Configuration and Troubleshooting Documentation

To separate management and production traffic within a Nutanix AHV cluster, VLAN Tagging is the appropriate feature to configure. VLAN Tagging allows different types of traffic to be segregated onto different network segments over the same physical infrastructure, effectively isolating management traffic from production traffic at the network level. This setup enhances security and performance by reducing the possibility of network congestion affecting critical management operations.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), specifically the sections on networking and VLANs.
• Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), which covers advanced network configurations including VLAN Tagging.

Ref:

ref

If a VM deployed on the storage network cannot access a SMB standard share, the likely issue is that:

• Clients on the same subnet as the storage network cannot access the shares: This scenario typically occurs due to network segmentation policies or firewall rules that restrict access to the storage network from clients within the same subnet, intended to segregate traffic types for security and performance reasons.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), specifically sections on network segmentation and Nutanix Files configurations.
• Nutanix Technical Documentation on Nutanix Files, which covers network configuration and troubleshooting issues related to file access.

Given the reported RX errors on eth2 and the intermittent ping loss as observed from the CVM logs, the best initial troubleshooting step that avoids VM disruption is to inspect the switch port for errors. Option C, "Check the port on the switch side for any errors," is the most direct and non-invasive approach to determining if the issue lies with the network infrastructure rather than the server hardware itself or the configuration.

This action helps identify whether the problem is related to the physical connection (e.g., port issues, switch configuration errors) without altering the current active network setup on the Nutanix node. If errors are found on the switch port, adjustments or repairs can be made accordingly, potentially resolving the RX errors without impacting the running VMs.

References:This recommendation follows Nutanix's best practices for network troubleshooting, focusing first on external network components before altering host configurations.

In the deployment of a two-node cluster at a remote branch office, the presence of a Witness VM is essential to manage the cluster quorum and data integrity in case one of the nodes fails or becomes unreachable. The Witness VM acts as an external arbitrator that helps prevent data unavailability and split-brain scenarios in a situation where the cluster nodes cannot communicate with each other. This configuration is necessary because with only two nodes, there isn't a third node to maintain quorum natively.References: Nutanix Bible, Nutanix University

To ensure that alerts are automatically sent to Nutanix support, the Nutanix feature called Pulse must be enabled. Nutanix Pulse is an automated system intelligence service that collects health information and system alerts from Nutanix clusters and sends them to Nutanix support for proactive monitoring and troubleshooting. Enabling this feature is crucial for maintaining high availability and performance of the Nutanix environment, as it allows Nutanix support to quickly respond to and manage potential issues.References: Nutanix Pulse Documentation, Nutanix Support Services Information.

When a VM is unable to communicate on the network despite having an IP address assigned, one common issue is incorrect network configuration in terms of VLAN assignment. In the Nutanix AHV, VLANs are configured and managed within Prism Element. The consultant should verify that the virtual NIC (vNIC) of the VM is correctly configured to the intended VLAN that corresponds with the rest of the network. This ensures that the VM can communicate with other devices on the same network segment.References:

• Nutanix Bible
• Nutanix University NCS-Core Materials

The document that needs to be completed with the customer to collect configuration items such as IP addresses, Gateway, DNS servers, and NTP Servers is the Technical Checklist. This checklist is designed to ensure all necessary technical information is gathered prior to the installation, enabling a smooth and efficient setup process.References: Nutanix Cluster Deployment Guide, Pre-installation Planning Documentation.

The error during LCM pre-checks in an ESXi-based Nutanix cluster with HA enabled is most likely due to the ESXi cluster admission control being enabled. Admission control is a feature in VMware ESXi that reserves resources for HA purposes to ensure that sufficient resources are available in the event of host failures. When admission control is enabled, it can interfere with Nutanix LCM operations, which may require resource reallocation or reconfiguration that conflicts with the reserved capacities set by admission control. Disabling admission control during LCM updates would typically resolve this issue.References: VMware documentation on HA and Admission Control, Nutanix LCM documentation.

When forecasting infrastructure requirements for a new program in a Nutanix environment where all existing applications will be decommissioned, the most straightforward method is to disregard any workload calculations that include existing applications. This ensures that the analysis focuses solely on the needs of the new program.

Option A, "Check the Disregard Existing Workloads radio button in the Runway scenario," is the correct choice. Nutanix Runway is a tool designed to help administrators forecast and plan infrastructure requirements based on upcoming needs without being skewed by current utilizations that are scheduled to be decommissioned.

This method allows for a cleaner, more accurate projection of resources needed for the new applications, disregarding any resources currently in use that will no longer be relevant.

References:This approach is detailed in Nutanix planning and forecasting documentation, ensuring administrators can plan accurately for infrastructure changes and needs without the interference of outgoing workloads.

For creating a Disaster Recovery Test plan for Nutanix environments, verifying that VMs receive the correct IP address after a failover is critical to validate VM availability across the network. This check is essential to ensure that network configurations and DHCP/Static IP settings are correctly applied post-failover, enabling proper network communications and access to services hosted on the VMs. Ensuring correct IP addressing is fundamental to the successful operation of DR strategies in virtualized environments.References: Nutanix Disaster Recovery Best Practices, Nutanix Network Configuration for DR environments.

To manually create a cluster after the nodes have been successfully imaged but the automated cluster creation fails, the correct command to use is:

cluster create -s IP_CVM_A, IP_CVM_B, IP_CVM_n

This command specifies the -s option to include the IP addresses of the Controller Virtual Machines (CVMs) on the nodes, initiating the manual cluster creation process.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), particularly the sections on manual cluster operations.
• Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), with detailed instructions on manual cluster commands.

To meet the customer's requirements for high availability and the ability to manage up to 12,500 VMs, the consultant should use Prism Central Scale-out deployment. This deployment mode allows Prism Central to be scaled out across multiple instances, significantly enhancing both performance and resilience, ensuring that the management and operations of a large number of VMs can be handled efficiently and without a single point of failure.References: Nutanix Bible, Nutanix University NCS-Core 6.8 learning materials

If one power supply is disconnected from a NX-3235-G9 chassis, the behavior observed will be:

• The hardware status updates to reflect the change in Prism Element, the hosts continues to run, and the Host hardware power status alert is sent: Modern Nutanix hardware like the NX-3235-G9 is designed with redundant power supplies to ensure that the loss of one does not impact the overall operation of the cluster. Prism Element updates the hardware status to notify administrators of the power supply issue, but there is no impact on running workloads.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), particularly the sections on hardware management and monitoring.
• Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), which includes information on responding to hardware alerts and maintaining cluster health.

When looking for documents that identify specific ports such as the Shared IPMI port on nodes, the best location within the Nutanix Support Portal is the Hardware Replacement Documentation. This section specifically deals with physical components and their configurations, making it the most appropriate resource for identifying physical port locations and specifications related to specific Nutanix hardware models.References: Nutanix Support Portal, Nutanix Bible, and NCS-Core 6.8 materials specifically mentioning hardware documentation.

When preparing the laptop and Foundation networking for the installation on customer-indicated HPE/OEM hardware, the consultant should set IP addresses in both the CVM/Host and IPMI subnets (Option C) This ensures that all necessary network interfaces are appropriately configured for management and operational traffic, facilitating seamless communication during the foundation process. Properly setting up IP addresses in both subnets is crucial for ensuring that the Foundation process can access both the CVMs/Hosts and the IPMI for management tasks.References: Nutanix Foundation Guide, Network Preparation for Nutanix Installations.

Ref:

When encountering issues during the Foundation process, such as an imaging failure, consultants need to access detailed logs to diagnose the problem. Two primary locations for these logs include the direct link accessible via the Foundation Imaging Screen, which provides real-time logs during the imaging process, and the Foundation VM directory at /home/nutanix/foundation/logs. These locations offer comprehensive log data essential for troubleshooting and resolving imaging issues. References: Nutanix Foundation documentation and troubleshooting guides from the Nutanix Bible and Nutanix University training resources.

Ref: 168

Increasing the number of vCPUs from 2 to 4 can indeed reduce login times by providing more processing power to handle the login requests. However, this action will have two main impacts on the cluster:

A. Increase CPU utilization%: By increasing the number of vCPUs, you are effectively increasing the demand for CPU resources. This will result in a higher percentage of the CPU being utilized.

B. Increase CPU ready%: CPU Ready is a measure of the amount of time a virtual machine is ready to run against the pCPU, but is waiting to be scheduled on the physical CPU. By increasing the number of vCPUs, you are increasing the number of virtual machines that are ready to run, which can increase the CPU Ready percentage.

Increasing the vCPU count does not directly affect memory utilization, so options C and D are not correct.

References:

• The conclusions above are based on general virtualization principles covered in resources like the Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com/) and the Nutanix University training materials for NCS-Core certification (https://university.nutanix.com/). These sources explain the impact of CPU allocation and utilization in detail, particularly in the context of cluster performance and virtual desktop infrastructure.
• Additionally, practical insights into these dynamics are discussed in various video tutorials from the Nutanix official YouTube playlist for NCS-Core learning (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAHgaS9IrJecs_AcQT3Y7vSsKT2mjz3Iu), which provide visual and step-by-step breakdowns of how CPU resources are managed in a Nutanix environment.

When nodes are mistakenly configured with incorrect IP addresses and are on a different network, the most effective way to address this is to re-run the Foundation process. By using Foundation, the nodes can be completely re-imaged with the correct network settings and then properly integrated into a new cluster. This ensures that all hardware and software configurations align with the intended network and cluster settings, avoiding potential conflicts and issues that might arise from manual adjustments.

References:

• Nutanix Bible: Cluster Initialization and Foundation
• Nutanix University: Using Foundation for Node Deployment

The consultant should be aware that the subnet 192.168.5.0/24 is reserved for internal connectivity within a Nutanix cluster. This subnet is typically used for the internal operations of the Nutanix cluster, including CVM backplane communications. It is critical to ensure that this subnet does not overlap with any external network configurations to avoid networking conflicts that can affect cluster operations and communications.References: Nutanix Networking Best Practices, Nutanix Cluster Configuration Guide.

To execute the command manage_ovs --bridge_name br0 show_uplinks in a Nutanix cluster, the appropriate prompt is:

• A. nutanix@CVM-$: This command is intended for execution within the Controller Virtual Machine (CVM) environment, and "nutanix@CVM-$" is the standard user prompt in the CVM where such network commands are run.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), especially sections on managing virtual bridges and networking commands.
• Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), which includes details on command-line operations within the CVM.

According to Nutanix best practices for ESXi clusters, using a vSphere Standard Switch with "Route based on originating port ID" is recommended for load balancing. This method ensures that the same virtual port ID within a vSwitch uses the same uplink from the vSwitch. This load balancing policy provides an even distribution of traffic and redundancy by utilizing both NICs effectively without requiring any specific physical switch configurations, such as EtherChannel or LACP.References: The Nutanix Bible, NCS-Core 6.8 course content, and VMware’s documentation on vSphere Standard Switch load balancing methods.

When changing VLAN configurations for hosts and Controller Virtual Machines (CVMs) in a Nutanix cluster, doing so while the cluster is running can result in temporary communication losses, leading to alerts such as a node appearing down. To avoid these disruptions and ensure a smooth reconfiguration process, it is advisable to stop the cluster services before making VLAN changes. This prevents the cluster from detecting intermittent connectivity as node failures, thereby avoiding false alerts in Prism Element.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), particularly the sections discussing cluster operations and network reconfiguration.
• Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), which includes best practices for network configuration.

Given that the customer’s security policy prohibits connecting a consultant’s laptop within the corporate datacenter, the consultant can complete the deployment using: A. The Controller VM-based Foundation process, which allows the consultant to configure and deploy the cluster using the software tools provided within the Controller VM itself. This method does not require direct laptop connection to the network. C. Run the Network Crashcart Script to manually configure IP addresses on the hosts and then proceed to create the cluster manually. This approach involves using available scripts and utilities that can be executed from within the data center's management interfaces without needing direct laptop access. Options B and D would typically require direct network connection capabilities not permissible under the security constraints.References: Nutanix Foundation Documentation, Nutanix Deployment Best Practices.

In the As-Built Guide for an AHV cluster deployment with each node configured with four NICs, the consultant should manually update:

• A. Node Port Layout Diagram: To reflect the physical connectivity and usage of each NIC on the nodes.
• B. Network Cabling Diagram: To accurately document how each node is connected to the network infrastructure, ensuring clarity on physical network setup.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), where documentation standards and diagrams are emphasized.
• Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), covering the importance of accurate network and port documentation in deployment guides.

ref: html

Ref:

When managing multiple Nutanix AHV clusters across various locations with a centralized management through Prism Central, it is essential to secure each cluster individually. Integrating Microsoft Active Directory authentication directly on all Prism Element clusters allows each site to independently authenticate users while still being centrally managed. This method aligns with security policies that require network devices to authenticate via AD groups, ensuring that local administrative actions at each site are also secured under the same policy.

References:

• Nutanix Bible: Security and Authentication
• Nutanix University: Security Configuration

Ref: 1/BP-2009_Metro_Availability.pdf

For licensing reasons and to ensure compliance with software license terms, particularly for databases like SQL and Oracle RAC, VM-Host affinity policies are used. These policies help in pinning VMs to specific hosts. In this scenario, SQL Servers must be confined to specific hosts to manage licensing costs effectively, and similarly, Oracle RAC servers must be on separate hosts. The VM-Host affinity policy allows for such configuration by defining rules that keep VMs on specific hosts or separate them as needed.References:

• Nutanix Bible
• Nutanix University NCS-Core Materials

The issue indicated is that the VMs, specifically the CVMs (Controller VMs), do not restart on the remaining nodes after a network cable is removed, demonstrating a failure of HA (High Availability). The setting that should be verified is "Host Monitoring" within the ESXi HA/DRS settings. This setting enables the host to monitor the state of other hosts in the cluster and take necessary actions like VM restarts on other hosts in the event of failures. If it's disabled, the cluster wouldn't automatically manage the failover of VMs upon host disconnection. References: Nutanix Bible ( ), Nutanix Official YouTube Training Series

During the Knowledge Transfer phase, providing the customer with the As-Built Guide, technical slides and checklists, along with links to documentation and resources, is optimal. This set of materials ensures the customer receives both detailed and high-level information, supporting a thorough understanding of the deployment and operational procedures, and it allows for easy reference to official resources for ongoing needs.References: The Nutanix Bible, NCS-Core 6.8 learning documentation, and best practices in IT project documentation.

After an onsite cluster deployment, the As-Built Guide is a crucial document that provides detailed information about the final configuration of the system. However, certain data in the As-Built Guide might require adjustment or might be missing completely.

In this case, the Nutanix Node Port Layout (Option A) and the Physical Rack Layout (Option C) are two data that might require adjustment or might be missing completely. The Nutanix Node Port Layout provides a visual representation of the network connections for each node in the cluster, while the Physical Rack Layout provides a visual representation of the physical arrangement of the nodes in the rack. Both of these data are crucial for understanding the physical and network configuration of the cluster, and any inaccuracies or omissions in these data could lead to confusion or issues in the future.

Therefore, the consultant should ensure that the Nutanix Node Port Layout and the Physical Rack Layout in the As-Built Guide are accurate and complete.

References:

• [Nutanix Support & Insights]
• [Nutanix Community]
• [Nutanix Documentation]
• [Nutanix Certified services - core (NCS-Core) 6.8 - Nutanix University]
• [Nutanix Bible]
• [Nutanix Certified services - core (NCS-Core) 6.8 Playlist - YouTube]

When a customer needs to add storage to an ESXi cluster without incurring additional hypervisor licensing costs, converting the cluster to Nutanix AHV presents a viable solution. AHV allows the incorporation of storage-only nodes, which can extend the cluster's storage capacity without necessitating additional licenses for hypervisor usage.

References:

• Nutanix Solutions for ESXi to AHV Migration: Nutanix Documentation
• Nutanix AHV Licensing and Features Guide: Nutanix Licensing Information

When installing a Nutanix cluster on hardware servers pre-loaded with an existing operating system such as DiscoverOS, the best approach is to re-image the bare metal nodes. This process involves using the Nutanix Foundation tool to install the required Nutanix software (such as AOS and Hypervisor) onto the nodes, replacing any pre-existing software. This ensures that the hardware is properly configured and optimized for the Nutanix environment.References:

• Nutanix University - NCS-Core 6.8 Learning Path
• The Nutanix Bible, Foundation chapter (https://www.nutanixbible.com/)

To address critical alerts about components using default passwords in the Prism Element Web Console:

• C. Check NCC results and review the associated KB: The Nutanix Cluster Check (NCC) tool can identify security vulnerabilities, including default password usage. Reviewing the results and associated knowledge base articles provides specific guidance on changing these passwords to secure the environment.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), specifically sections on cluster health checks and security practices.
• Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), which includes instruction on using NCC for cluster validation and security enhancements.

During the Nutanix Foundation process, if imaging succeeds but cluster creation fails, the foundation.out log is the primary resource for investigating issues related to cluster creation. This log file contains detailed information about the steps undertaken by the Foundation process, including any errors or issues encountered during the cluster creation phase, making it invaluable for diagnosing problems that prevent successful cluster configuration.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), particularly the sections on troubleshooting with logs.
• Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), where log file analysis is discussed in the context of deployment troubleshooting.

4

nutanix-xtract-validation-failed-user-must-belong-in-a-group-with-restore-files-and-directories-security-policy-31303

During the Knowledge Transfer phase, customers typically learn about Nutanix basics and their specific environment at a high level through "Technical Handoff Slides." This part of the training and handover process provides a broad overview of the installed solution, how it operates, and how it interacts with the existing infrastructure, making it essential for foundational understanding.References: Nutanix Bible, Nutanix University NCS-Core 6.8 learning materials

When Foundation VM and a laptop can ping each other but nodes are not being discovered, it suggests a network protocol issue. The consultant should enable IPv6 and multicast on the switch. Multicast is required for node discovery in many environments, especially when using Nutanix Foundation, as it helps in the detection and communication between nodes and the Foundation VM.References:

• Nutanix University - NCS-Core 6.8 Learning Path
• The Nutanix Bible, Foundation chapter (https://www.nutanixbible.com/)

Ref:

Given that the customer is using a Cisco Nexus 9k switch and wants to deploy ESXi with a vSphere Distributed Switch while using LACP, the consultant should ensure that the customer configures:

• D. no lacp suspend-individual: This command ensures that LACP doesn't suspend the individual port if it does not receive LACP PDUs from the other side, which is crucial in environments where continuous connectivity is required for all member links of the port-channel to maintain uninterrupted network services.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), where it discusses ESXi configurations and switch settings.
• Cisco Nexus configuration guides, referred through Nutanix’s training materials, which recommend settings for optimal integration with Nutanix environments.

When migrating an ESXi host to a vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS), it's crucial to correctly configure network adapters, including those for the Controller Virtual Machine (CVM). If the consultant migrated both the CVM backplane and the VM network adapter to the vDS, this could disrupt host-to-CVM connectivity if not configured correctly on the vDS. Such a setup requires precise configuration of network settings and VLAN tags to maintain seamless connectivity and avoid communication alerts in Prism Element.

The correct container advanced setting to configure in order to prevent ISO container images from exceeding a 100GB limit is "Advertised Capacity." This setting allows administrators to set a maximum storage capacity that is visible and available to the user, irrespective of the actual physical capacity available, thereby preventing over-allocation and management issues in environments where strict capacity limits are required.

References:

• Nutanix Certified Services - Core (NCS-Core) Learning Documents
• Nutanix Bible: https://www.nutanixbible.com

During the deployment of a cluster using the Nutanix Foundation, ensuring all IP ranges are correctly configured is crucial for successful connectivity and deployment. "Range Autofill" is a feature in Foundation that automatically populates IP address fields based on the first IP provided, ensuring consistency and correctness across multiple nodes being deployed simultaneously. This feature helps avoid manual entry errors and ensures all nodes are configured with appropriate IP addresses that fall within the specified range. References: Nutanix University ( )

After a failed bare metal Foundation imaging process, the consultant can find relevant logs in two primary locations: on the Foundation VM at "/home/nutanix/foundation/logs" and via the "View Logs" link available on the Foundation Imaging progress screen. These logs are crucial for diagnosing issues during the imaging process as they provide detailed error messages and operational data.References:

• Nutanix University - NCS-Core 6.8 Learning Path
• The Nutanix Bible, Foundation chapter (https://www.nutanixbible.com/)

In preparing for the VMware NSX security project, the administrator should consider the network infrastructure and how the NSX will interact with the existing Nutanix environment. VMware NSX requires the use of VMware Distributed Virtual Switches. In the given scenario, where the CVM (Controller Virtual Machine) network is segmented and storage-only nodes are not present, the key step is to ensure that the network settings are compatible with NSX. Disabling the CVM network segmentation allows for a unified network that supports the requirements of NSX for network virtualization and security, making it the crucial first step before any further NSX-specific configurations are applied.References: Nutanix Bible, Nutanix Community discussions, VMware NSX documentation.

The make and model of the systems should be verified during the Tech Review Call. This step is essential to ensure that all necessary information is collected and verified before any physical interaction with the hardware. Verifying these details during the call helps in preparing adequately for the cluster deployment, allowing the consultant to anticipate and mitigate any compatibility or configuration issues before arriving onsite.References: Nutanix Foundation Guide, Pre-installation Checklist Documents.

For enabling node discovery when using the Foundation VM, the network adapter of the Foundation VM must be set to a Bridged Adapter. This configuration allows the VM to appear as a separate device on the same physical network as the host machine, making it possible for the Foundation VM to communicate directly with the nodes that are also connected to the same network. This is essential for node discovery and subsequent imaging operations performed by the Foundation tool.References: Nutanix Foundation Guide, Nutanix Networking Best Practices.

When upgrading ESXi hosts on a Nutanix cluster using One-Click Upgrade, it is crucial to verify that vSphere HA (High Availability) is enabled. This setting ensures that in the event of host failure during the upgrade process, VMs will be automatically restarted on other hosts in the cluster, maintaining availability and minimizing disruption. Verifying this setting is essential to ensure the resilience of the environment during the upgrade.

References:

• VMware vSphere Upgrade Documentation
• Nutanix Upgrade Guide

Noticing a potential typo or error in the DNS server IP address notation:

• D. New IPs provided should be verified to not conflict with the customer's network: It's crucial to verify the accuracy and validity of the IP addresses provided, ensuring there are no typos and that the IPs do not conflict with existing network configurations. The noted IP '192.1685.20' appears to be incorrectly formatted and should be corrected and validated.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), where network preparation and IP address configuration are covered.
• Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), which discusses network planning and verification in cluster deployments.

If after performing a failover operation the virtual machines have no network access despite the network administrator confirming the correct subnets at both sites, the likely issue is:

• A. Network mappings are not configured for the Remote Site: This configuration oversight means that although the VMs are online, they do not have appropriate network settings that correspond to the network environment at the failover site, resulting in connectivity issues.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), specifically the sections on disaster recovery and network configurations in failover scenarios.
• Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), covering Data Protection and failover operations.

Ref:

Ref:

When VMs on the same node can communicate but fail to connect to other parts of the network following changes made to Top of Rack switches, the issue often stems from a VLAN configuration error on the switches. VMs on the same node communicating successfully indicates that the local switch configuration is intact, but inability to reach external network segments points to an incorrect VLAN setup on the broader network, likely introduced during the recent changes to the Top of Rack switches.References: Nutanix Networking Guide, Troubleshooting Network Connectivity in Nutanix.

When encountering an error related to unsupported ISO media during the imaging process, and the ISO version is not listed in the whitelist file, the consultant should take several steps to resolve the issue. Replacing and saving the whitelist file in Foundation ensures that the latest compatibility data is used. Downloading the iso_whitelist.json from the Support portal provides the most recent and comprehensive list of supported ISO versions. Editing the whitelist file in Foundation allows the consultant to manually add or update entries to include the ISO in question, ensuring the imaging process can proceed.

References:

• Nutanix Bible: Foundation Imaging and Compatibility
• Nutanix University: Handling Foundation Errors

Erasure coding is a method of data protection in which data is broken into fragments, expanded and encoded with redundant data pieces, and stored across a set of different locations or storage media. The goal of erasure coding is to enable data that becomes corrupted at some point in the disk storage process to be reconstructed by using information about the data that’s stored elsewhere in the array1.

In the context of Nutanix, erasure coding increases the usable capacity on a cluster. Instead of replicating data, erasure coding uses parity information to rebuild data in the event of a disk failure1. The capacity savings of erasure coding is in addition to deduplication and compression savings1.

Given the characteristics of the VM in the question (large/sequential writes, data kept for years, data accessed only at the end of the year), Post-Process Compression would be the most suitable feature to utilize to save space. This is because Post-Process Compression, as the name suggests, compresses data after it has been written to the storage, which is suitable for data that is not accessed frequently2.

References:

• Erasure Coding | Nutanix Community
• Nutanix Support & Insights
• Introducing AOS 6.6: Enhanced data services and simplified … - Nutanix

To satisfy the customer's requirements for maximum uptime and throughput in an AHV cluster deployment with link aggregation at the Top-of-Rack (TOR) switches, the consultant should:

• Bonded 2 x 40GbE Adapters with LACP Enabled for Storage Traffic and Guest Traffic using balance-tcp: This configuration leverages Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP) to combine the bandwidth of the two 40GbE adapters, enhancing both redundancy and throughput. The balance-tcp mode ensures effective load balancing of traffic based on TCP session ensuring optimal use of available bandwidth and improved fault tolerance.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), particularly the sections discussing network configurations and LACP.
• Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), which covers advanced network settings for performance optimization.

The most straightforward approach for increasing security by disabling password authentication and moving to key-based SSH on a Nutanix cluster involves:

• C. Enable Cluster Lockdown and provide an RSA key: Cluster Lockdown mode restricts management access to the cluster, ensuring that only key-based SSH authentication is used to access the CVM and AHV hosts, enhancing security by eliminating the use of passwords.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), particularly sections discussing secure access and authentication methods.
• Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), where security features like Cluster Lockdown are covered.

In a Nutanix cluster, when a Controller Virtual Machine (CVM) fails, the iSCSI targets for the volume groups managed by that CVM are not left inoperable. Instead, the volume group's iSCSI targets (vDisks) are automatically redirected to another operational CVM in the cluster. This failover mechanism ensures that there is no interruption in service or data availability. The redirection is seamless and does not require manual intervention, allowing for continuous access to the volume group by the SQL cluster.

References:

• Nutanix Bible: Data Protection and High Availability
• Nutanix University: Resiliency and Disaster Recovery

To increase the Redundancy Factor (RF) from 2 to 3, at least five nodes are required for the cluster to function correctly with RF3, as each data block needs to be replicated to three different nodes. However, the optimal solution that offers both the necessary node count and sufficient storage overhead is:

• Six Compute Nodes with 25% available disk space: This configuration ensures that there are enough nodes to support RF3 while maintaining adequate storage capacity for redundancy without overutilization.

References:

• Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), particularly the sections on redundancy factors and node requirements.
• Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), focusing on cluster scaling and redundancy considerations.

To ensure additional resiliency in a 20-node ESXi deployment capable of surviving the concurrent loss of two nodes, the consultant should configure the system with a storage reservation and HA (High Availability) admission control each set to 5%, combined with a cluster redundancy factor (RF) of 3. RF3 provides the capability to tolerate the failure of up to two nodes without data loss, thus enhancing the cluster's resilience. This configuration is optimal for maintaining cluster availability and integrity during multiple node failures.References: Nutanix Bible, Nutanix University

For a Nutanix cluster configuration that simplifies future deployments and expansions, disabling multicast and broadcast flood optimizations (A) and using a tagged VLAN for the CVM and hypervisor hosts (C) are the best practices. Disabling these optimizations helps in reducing unnecessary network traffic and potential broadcast storms in a growing environment. Using tagged VLANs for CVM and hypervisor hosts ensures proper network segmentation and scalability, allowing for easier management and expansion without reconfiguring the native network setup for each expansion or deployment.References: Nutanix Network Configuration Best Practices, Nutanix Deployment Guide.