Nutanix NCP-DB Practice Test Questions Answers

Nutanix Era is a database management solution that automates and simplifies database administration tasks such as provisioning, patching, cloning, and backup. In the event of a database crash, the most effective way to minimize data loss and reduce restore time is to perform a restore of the source database by selecting the most recent point in time and including the Tail log Backup12.

The Tail log Backup includes all the transactions that have occurred since the last transaction log backup, which helps to minimize data loss. By selecting the most recent point in time for the restore, the administrator ensures that the database is restored to the state it was in just before the crash, thereby reducing the amount of data that needs to be reprocessed or reentered12. This approach aligns with the Nutanix Era’s capabilities and best practices for database recovery12.

When downloading a list of alerts from NDB, the available file format is csv (Comma-Separated Values). NDB provides this format to export alert data (e.g., alert ID, timestamp, severity, description) in a structured, machine-readable way that can be easily imported into spreadsheet applications like Microsoft Excel or analyzed programmatically. This aligns with NDB’s focus on operational efficiency and data portability.

Other options are not supported:

A. xlsx: Excel’s native format is not offered by NDB for alert exports.

C. xml: Not a supported format for alert downloads in NDB.

D. pdf: Used for reports, not alert list exports.

Thus, the verified answer is B, reflecting NDB’s export capabilities.

Official Nutanix Database Automation References

Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) course, Module 6: Monitoring and Alerts, Lesson 6.2: Managing Alerts.

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Knowledge Objectives, Section 6: Optimize NDB Solutions, Objective 6.2: Manage Alerts (applicable to v6.10).

Nutanix NDB Administration Guide: "Exporting Alerts" section, specifying CSV format.

When restoring a PostgreSQL HA instance in NDB, if the standby node fails to restore but the primary node is successfully restored and ready to serve application traffic, NDB considers the database operational from the perspective of the primary node. In this scenario, NDB leaves the database in an "ONLINE" state, reflecting that the primary node is functional and capable of handling requests, even though the HA configuration is not fully intact due to the standby failure. The administrator would need to address the standby node separately (e.g., by re-provisioning or troubleshooting), but the database’s state is determined by the primary node’s readiness.

Option A (PAKFIAL.READY) appears to be a typo and is not a valid NDB state.

Option B (OFFLINE) is incorrect because the primary node is operational, so the database is not offline.

Option C (ONLINE) is correct as it reflects the primary node’s ability to serve traffic.

Option D (RECOVERY PENDING) is incorrect because the primary node has completed recovery and is active, not pending.

This behavior aligns with NDB’s focus on maintaining service availability where possible.

References

Nutanix Database Service (NDB) User Guide, Chapter 5: Configuring Time Machines, Section: Restoring HA Instances

Nutanix Support & Insights, Knowledge Base Article: "Handling Partial Restore Failures in PostgreSQL HA"

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Blueprint, Section 5: Protect Databases Using Time Machine

NDB allows creating and refreshing clones to a point in time using two primary methods:

B. Snapshots: NDB uses storage snapshots (e.g., via Nutanix Volumes or AHV) to capture the database state at a specific point. These snapshots can be used to create or refresh clones, providing a consistent recovery point.

D. Transaction logs: Transaction logs (e.g., PostgreSQL WAL, SQL Server logs) enable point-in-time recovery (PITR) by applying logs to a snapshot, allowing clones to be refreshed to a precise moment.

Other options are not supported for this purpose:

A. Full backups: Full backups are used for complete restores but are not optimized for frequent clone refreshes.

C. VM snapshots: VM-level snapshots (e.g., AHV snapshots) are not managed by NDB for database cloning, as they lack database consistency.

Thus, the verified answers are B and D, reflecting NDB’s clone refresh capabilities.

Official Nutanix Database Automation References

Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) course, Module 5: Data Protection and Recovery, Lesson 5.2: Managing Time Machines and Clones.

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Knowledge Objectives, Section 5: Protect Databases Using NDB, Objective 5.2: Manage Clones (applicable to v6.10).

Nutanix NDB Administration Guide: "Clone Creation and Refresh" section.

When upgrading NDB and the upgrade includes updates to out-of-the-box (OOB) software profiles (e.g., predefined profiles for database software like PostgreSQL, SQL Server, etc.), NDB manages older versions of these profiles based on their usage. If the older OOB software profiles are not actively in use by any database VMs, NDB automatically deletes all versions of those profiles from its metadata and associated protection domains during the upgrade process. This cleanup mechanism helps maintain a lean and efficient system by removing obsolete profiles that are no longer relevant or required.

Option A is incorrect because the condition about Time Machines and snapshots in the last 24 hours is not a documented criterion for profile deletion during an NDB upgrade.

Option B is correct as it reflects NDB’s behavior of removing unused OOB software profiles during upgrades to optimize resource usage and metadata.

Option C is incorrect because shutting down database VMs does not trigger automatic deletion of software profiles; the key factor is whether the profiles are in use.

Option D is incorrect because the concept of a "base version" is not relevant here; deletion depends solely on whether the profiles are unused, not on versioning specifics.

This behavior ensures that only active and necessary profiles persist post-upgrade, streamlining administration.

References

Nutanix Database Service (NDB) User Guide, Chapter 6: Upgrading NDB, Section: Handling Software Profile Updates

Nutanix Support & Insights, Technical Note: "NDB Upgrade Process and Software Profile Management"

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Blueprint, Section 6: Administer an NDB Environment