Nutanix NCP Flashcards

In Nutanix AOS, what does the 'Pithos' service manage?

Answer: vDisk and storage container metadata

Pithos manages vDisk (virtual disk) metadata and is responsible for tracking disk extents, snapshots, and container relationships within the Nutanix storage fabric.

Which Nutanix feature provides object storage with an S3-compatible API for unstructured data such as backups, archives, and media files?

Answer: Nutanix Objects

Nutanix Objects provides S3-compatible object storage natively on Nutanix clusters, enabling applications to store and retrieve unstructured data using standard S3 APIs.

When upgrading Nutanix AOS using the 1-Click Upgrade feature, what is the correct upgrade sequence for cluster components?

Answer: AOS → AHV → Firmware

The recommended Nutanix upgrade order is AOS first, then AHV hypervisor, then node firmware, ensuring compatibility and cluster stability throughout the process.

In Nutanix, what is the primary difference between a 'Volume Group' and a 'Storage Container'?

Answer: Volume Groups provide block storage via iSCSI; Containers provide NFS-based VM storage

Volume Groups expose block storage over iSCSI for external servers or applications requiring raw block access, while Storage Containers provide NFS-based distributed storage for AHV VMs.

Which Nutanix service provides SMB and NFS file shares as a scale-out file server solution running directly on the Nutanix cluster?

Answer: Nutanix Files

Nutanix Files (formerly Acropolis File Services) delivers scale-out SMB and NFS file services natively on Nutanix, eliminating the need for dedicated NAS appliances.

What happens to a Nutanix cluster's ability to serve I/O when the cluster loses quorum due to multiple simultaneous node failures?

Answer: The cluster stops serving I/O to protect data integrity

When a Nutanix cluster loses quorum (more than the tolerable number of node failures), it stops serving I/O to prevent split-brain scenarios and data corruption.

In Nutanix Prism Central, which capability allows administrators to run pre-defined operational procedures—such as adding nodes or resolving alerts—through an automated workflow?

Answer: Playbooks

Nutanix Playbooks in Prism Central allow administrators to define and automate operational workflows triggered by alerts or scheduled events, reducing manual intervention.