NCA-6.10 Nutanix Certified Associate NCA v6.10 Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

The correct answer isA. It customizes alert thresholds.

User-defined Alert PoliciesinPrism Centralallow administrators to definecustom alert conditionsandthresholdstailored to specific workload behaviors and operational requirements. This helps fine-tune monitoring by settingalert criteria for metrics such as CPU usage, memory utilization, IOPS, latency, etc., beyond the default system-generated alerts.

Key Capabilities Include:

Define conditions usingpredefined metrics.

Set thresholds andseverity levels.

Associate alerts withspecific entitieslike VMs, hosts, or clusters.

Integrate withemail, SNMP, or third-party tools.

Prism Central UI Navigation Path:

Alerts & Monitoring > Alert Policies > Create Alert Policy

Official Reference:

Nutanix Administration Guide – Alerts and Monitoring

Excerpt: “User-defined alert policies in Prism Central allow administrators to define custom thresholds for system metrics, enabling more granular and proactive monitoring.”

Nutanix Prism Central Guide – Alert Policies Section

Conclusion:Custom alert policies donotautomate VM migrations (C), limit access (B), or control update frequency (D). Only optionAreflects the actual function.

Answer: A

To enableSelf Service Restore (SSR)on a Nutanix-hosted VM, the VM must haveNutanix Guest Tools (NGT)installed. NGT provides integration between the VM and the Nutanix cluster, allowing features like file-level restore, application-consistent snapshots, and SSR. Administrators can use Prism Central or Element to manage SSR after enabling NGT on the VM.

A. A Storage Container:Incorrect, as a storage container is required for storing snapshots but is not specific to SSR.

B. Nutanix Guest Tools:Correct, as NGT is essential for enabling SSR functionality.

C. Prism Central:Incorrect, as Prism Central helps manage SSR but is not directly required to enable it.

D. VMWare Tools:Incorrect, as this is specific to VMware environments and not Nutanix AHV.

The correct answer isC. Perform an inventory.

To ensure theLCM Frameworkand its associated component metadata are updated, the administrator must perform afresh LCM inventory. This process:

Retrieves the latest metadata and framework version from the Nutanix support portal (if the cluster is connected).

Detects current component versions and identifies available updates.

Clarifications:

A (Upgrade AOS):LCM is independent of AOS version updates.

B (Restart genesis):Unnecessary and not relevant to LCM framework versioning.

D (NCC):Useful for cluster health, but does not affect LCM updates.

Prism Central UI Navigation Path:

Operations > LCM > Perform Inventory

Official Reference:

Nutanix LCM Guide – Updating the LCM Framework

Excerpt: “To receive the latest framework version and component metadata, perform an LCM inventory on a connected cluster.”

To enable Windows Defender Credential Guard, the VM must be configured withUEFI(Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) instead of Legacy BIOS. UEFI provides the necessary support for Secure Boot and Virtualization-Based Security (VBS), both of which are prerequisites for Credential Guard.

Steps:

When creating or editing the VM, selectUEFIas the firmware type.

Ensure Secure Boot and VBS are enabled in the OS configuration.

Nutanix Distributed Storage Fabric (DSF) provides storage access to an ESXi hypervisor using theNFS (Network File System)protocol. DSF abstracts the underlying storage hardware and exposes storage as an NFS datastore to ESXi hosts. This integration enables high performance, data protection, and scalability while simplifying storage management.

Other options:

LVM: Not used in Nutanix storage.

iSCSI: Used for specific use cases, not the default protocol for ESXi.

SMB: Not supported for ESXi environments.

Life Cycle Management (LCM) in Nutanix is a feature designed tosimplify software and firmware upgradesacross the entire cluster. LCM automates and orchestrates upgrades for components like BIOS, hypervisors, firmware, and Nutanix software, ensuring that the cluster remains up-to-date with minimal manual intervention.

A. To optimize server performance:Incorrect, as LCM focuses on updates, not performance optimization.

B. To manage network configurations:Incorrect, as LCM is unrelated to network configuration management.

C. To simplify software and firmware upgrades:Correct, as LCM is specifically designed for this purpose.

D. To automate application deployment:Incorrect, as LCM does not handle application deployment.

To license a new AOS-based cluster with no add-on packages, the appropriate license type isNutanix Cloud Infrastructure (NCI). The NCI license provides the fundamental capabilities required for Nutanix clusters, including:

Storage and data management.

Core virtualization features.

Compute resources for workloads.

NCI is designed for organizations that need the essential features of the Nutanix platform without additional add-ons such as database services (NDB) or advanced storage options (NUS).

Other options:

A. Nutanix Cloud Manager (NCM):Focuses on management capabilities for multi-cloud and operational tasks, not core infrastructure licensing.

C. Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS):Specifically provides unified file and object storage capabilities, not relevant for a base AOS cluster.

D. Nutanix Database Service (NDB):A dedicated licensing tier for database management features.

When using ESXi as the hypervisor in a Nutanix cluster, the supported storage protocol for a datastore isNFS (Network File System). Nutanix exposes its distributed storage to ESXi hosts using NFS for VM storage. This protocol is simple to configure and provides high performance and reliability through Nutanix’s data services.

Other options:

iSCSI: Not typically used for ESXi datastores but can be utilized for specific use cases like external storage connectivity.

SMB: Not supported for ESXi datastores.

LVM: Logical Volume Management is not used in this context.

When configuring dual encryption in Nutanix, anExternal Key Manager(EKM) is required. This allows the cluster to use an external hardware-based or software-based key management system to securely store and manage encryption keys. The combination of external and native encryption ensures compliance with high security standards.

A. Trusted Platform Module:Incorrect, as TPM is not used for managing dual encryption keys.

B. External Key Manager:Correct, as dual encryption relies on an external system to manage keys.

C. Native Key Manager:Incorrect, as native key management alone does not support dual encryption.

D. Lockdown Mode Enabled:Incorrect, as Lockdown Mode relates to cluster security, not encryption key management.

Nutanix Cloud Clusters (NC2)enables extending on-premises datacenters into public cloud environments, such as AWS or Azure. This solution allows administrators to seamlessly migrate workloads, scale operations, and manage resources across hybrid cloud environments using a unified control plane.

A. Nutanix Cloud Security:Incorrect, as this focuses on securing workloads in the cloud, not extending datacenters.

B. Nutanix Cloud Clusters:Correct, as NC2 enables hybrid cloud functionality by extending on-prem clusters into the public cloud.

C. Nutanix Kubernetes Engine:Incorrect, as this is used for container orchestration, not hybrid cloud extension.

D. Nutanix Data Services:Incorrect, as this refers to storage and data management capabilities.

TheRecycle Binin Nutanix clusters temporarily stores deleted VMs for 24 hours, allowing administrators to recover them if needed. This feature helps protect against accidental deletions by providing a grace period for recovery before permanent deletion occurs.

A. Stores the OpLog's most recent deleted data in case of a CVM failure:Incorrect, as the OpLog pertains to write operations, not VM deletion.

B. Keeps deleted VMs for 24 hours for recovery:Correct, as the Recycle Bin's purpose is temporary VM recovery.

C. Allows administrators to undo the last five actions:Incorrect, as there is no such feature for undoing multiple actions in Prism.

D. Centralizes the deleted data from the different VMs in the cluster:Incorrect, as the Recycle Bin is specifically for deleted VMs, not generalized data centralization.

The correct answer isB. Create an RF1 storage container.

In Nutanix architecture,Replication Factor (RF)is set at thestorage container levelto optimize redundancy and performance for specific workloads. When an application hasits own internal redundancy, such as database clustering or distributed file systems, the administrator may choose toreduce Nutanix’s redundancy to RF1, which stores onlyone copy of datain the cluster. This reduces overhead and maximizes usable capacity, but isnot fault-tolerantat the Nutanix level.

Key clarifications:

RF1 is not enabled by default.Nutanix clusters default toRF2 or RF3depending on the configuration and number of nodes.

RF1 must beexplicitly setwhen creating a storage container.

There isno separate "enable RF1"setting outside of selecting RF1 at container creation; once selected, it applies directly.

Prism UI Navigation Path:

Storage > Storage Containers > Create Storage Container > Data Redundancy Level → Select "RF1"

Official Reference:

Nutanix Bible – Storage Layer and RF Explanation

Nutanix Storage Administration Guide – "Creating Containers with Specific Replication Factor"

Excerpt: "RF1 is typically used for workloads with native redundancy. It must be selected explicitly during container creation."

Conclusion:Onlyoption Baccurately reflects this process.

Answer: B

The correct answer isB. From the My Nutanix Licensing Summary page, click Manage Licenses and follow the specified process.

WithNutanix Cloud Platform (NCP) Package Licensing, licensing is centrally managed through theMy Nutanix Portal, where customers can:

View license entitlements.

Allocate or assign licenses to clusters.

Download license files for upload via Prism Central or Prism Element.

The entry point for license assignment begins at theLicensing Summary page on the My Nutanix Portal.

Clarification of Other Options:

A and D:Prism Central and Prism Element are used touploadlicenses, not assign or generate them.

C:“Nutanix Portal” is a vague reference; the correct term is “My Nutanix”.

Official Reference:

Nutanix Licensing Guide – Cloud Platform Licensing

Excerpt: “Log in to My Nutanix > Licensing Summary > Manage Licenses to assign and manage licenses for your clusters.”

Answer: B

The correct answer isB. Disabled.

When creating a new storage container in Prism Element or Prism Central,compression is disabled by default. The administrator mustexplicitly enableone of the available compression options:

Inline Compression

Post-process Compression

If no compression type is selected, the container remains uncompressed.

UI Navigation Path:

Storage > Storage Containers > Create Container > Compression Settings

Clarifications:

A (60 mins)andC (15 mins): Not standard default post-process intervals.

D (Inline): Must be manually selected.

Official Reference:

Nutanix Storage Administration Guide – Creating and Configuring Containers

Excerpt: “Compression is disabled by default during container creation. Admins must select inline or post-process if desired.”

Answer: B

To remove old VM snapshots, the task should be completed from theVM dashboardin Prism Element. This dashboard allows administrators to manage virtual machine-related operations, including snapshot creation, deletion, and restoration. Steps include:

Navigate toPrism Element > VM.

Select the VM for which snapshots need to be deleted.

Click onSnapshots, then delete the selected snapshots.

The correct answer isC. Large-scale, read heavy workloads.

NFS on Objectsis a Nutanix feature allowingNFS clients to interact with Nutanix Objects (S3-compatible object storage)by exposing object buckets viaNFS v3 protocol. This is ideal for workloads that require:

Large-scale access to unstructured data

High read concurrency

Cost-effective storage for infrequently changed files

Best Use Case:

Backup archives, analytics workloads, image repositories, or video streaming systems withread-heavy profiles.

Clarifications:

A (EUC workloads):Typically require fast, low-latency block storage (e.g., vDisks).

B (Transitory FS):Better suited for file services like Nutanix Files.

D (Frequent updates):Not ideal for object storage via NFS; performance will degrade under frequent write operations.

Official Reference:

Nutanix Objects with NFS Gateway – Best Practices

Nutanix Documentation Portal – Objects and NFS

Excerpt: “NFS on Objects is best suited for large-scale, read-heavy use cases where file system semantics are needed on top of object-based storage.”

On a newly deployed AHV cluster, the default uplink bond type for the virtual switch (vs0) isBalance-SLB (Source Load Balancing). This configuration balances traffic across the uplink interfaces based on the source of the traffic, ensuring optimal usage of available network bandwidth without requiring LACP configuration on the physical switches.

TheReserved Capacityoption in a storage container explicitly reserves a portion of cluster storage for that container. This reservation reduces the amount of storage available for other containers. Reserved Capacity ensures that specific workloads have guaranteed storage resources, preventing resource contention or overcommitment.

Other options:

Advertised Capacity: Defines the storage limit displayed to users but does not reserve storage.

Erasure Coding: Optimizes storage efficiency but does not reduce available capacity.

Capacity Deduplication: Reduces space consumption by eliminating duplicate data but does not affect other containers' storage.

Applying tags to licenses to streamline future renewals is a task that can be completed inPrism Central Licensing. Prism Central provides centralized license management for clusters, enabling administrators to apply and manage license tags, which simplifies tracking and renewal tasks across multiple clusters. Here's how it works:

Prism Central Licensing Overview:Prism Central includes a dedicated licensing interface that provides a consolidated view of all licenses associated with your clusters. From this interface, administrators can categorize licenses using tags such as "Renewal-2025" or "Production," making it easier to identify and manage renewals or assignments.

Steps to Apply Tags in Prism Central:

Navigate toPrism Central > Settings > Licensing.

Select the desired license(s) from the list.

Use the "Tags" option to create or apply predefined tags to categorize these licenses.

Why Not Other Options?:

A. Clusters in the Support Portal: The Support Portal is primarily used for support-related tasks, such as managing cases or accessing documentation, and does not include license tagging capabilities.

B. License Inventory in the Support Portal: While the Support Portal allows you to view license inventory, it does not support operational tasks like tagging.

D. Prism Element Licensing: Prism Element is focused on managing licensing for individual clusters and lacks the centralized management and tagging functionality available in Prism Central.