NCP-DB Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB v6.10) Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

To add Time Machine data access to a Nutanix cluster, the first step is to register the cluster in NDB. This will allow NDB to discover and manage the databases and snapshots on the cluster. You can register multiple Nutanix clusters in NDB using the Add Cluster option in the NDB settings page. You can also specify the cluster role, such as source, target, or both, depending on the data access and replication needs. Enabling or disabling multi-cluster in NDB is not the first step, as this is a global setting that affects the entire NDB instance. Deleting the TM data from the source database is not the first step, as this will remove the data protection and availability of the database. References:

Nutanix Database Management & Automation Training Course, Module 6: Managing NDB Multi-Cluster, Lesson 1: NDB Multi-Cluster Overview, Slide 5: Registering Nutanix Clusters

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) 5 Exam, Section 6: Administer an NDB Environment, Objective 6.4: Apply procedural concepts to add Nutanix clusters to NDB

For restoring a database provisioned on Storage Spaces, especially when virtual disks are shared among multiple databases, the supported method is a copy-based restore via the NDB GUI. This method allows for a precise and controlled restoration process suitable for shared storage environments.References: Nutanix Database Automation documentation, specifically in the section on database restoration methods and storage spaces.

According to the Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB) course, a Software Profile is a template that defines the configuration of the database engine, such as the version, edition, features, and parameters1. It also specifies the disk layout for the database installation, such as the size, type, and mount point of each disk1. However, the System Page File disk is omitted from the Software Profile, as it is automatically created by the NDB service based on the memory size of the database server VM1. The other options are included in the Software Profile, as they are essential for the database operation and performance1. References:

1: Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB) course, Module 2: Database Provisioning, Lesson 2.3: Software Profiles, slide 5

Time Machine is a feature of Nutanix Era that allows you to create and manage snapshots of your databases. You can use Time Machine to create clones from any snapshot, either manually or automatically. You can also configure Time Machine to create clones from snapshots based on a schedule, such as daily, weekly, or monthly. This way, you can ensure that your clones are always up to date with the latest data from your production databases. In this scenario, the most efficient way to meet the developer’s requirement is to configure Time Machine to create a clone from a daily snapshot at 7:00am. This will save the developer’s time and effort, as well as reduce the storage consumption by using the existing snapshots. References:

Nutanix Database Management & Automation Training Course

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation datasheet

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) 5 Exam

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

According to the NDB documentation, the NDB patching process for MongoDB Server Cluster follows these steps1:

NDB identifies the primary member of the MongoDB Server Cluster and patches it first.

NDB triggers a failover to elect a new primary member from the remaining secondary members.

NDB patches the former primary member, which becomes a secondary member after the failover.

NDB patches the remaining secondary members one by one.

NDB verifies the patching status and the cluster health.

This process ensures that the MongoDB Server Cluster always has a primary member available to handle write operations, while minimizing the downtime and the impact on the cluster performance.

References: Nutanix Support & Insights, section “Patching a MongoDB Server Cluster”

NDB High Availability (HA) is a feature that ensures the availability and reliability of the NDB management plane components, such as the API Server, the Repository VMs, and the NDB Agents. To enable NDB HA, you need to deploy at least three HA Proxy VMs on the same L2 network as the NDB Server VM. The HA Proxy VMs act as load balancers and health monitors for the NDB management plane components, and they also provide a single endpoint for accessing the NDB APIs and UI. References:

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB), Section 2 - Deploy and Configure an NDB Solution

Database (NCP-DB) Exam Blueprint Guide - Nutanix, Page 7, Objective 2.3

Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) course, Module 2, Lesson 2.3 - NDB High Availability

To configure and begin taking advantage of the Data Access Management feature of Time Machine, the administrator must first enable NDB multi-cluster and register the required Nutanix cluster(s). Data Access Management allows controlled access to data (e.g., snapshots, clones) across multiple clusters, requiring a multi-cluster setup. This involves enabling multi-cluster support in NDB and registering remote clusters to facilitate data replication and access policies.

Other actions are prerequisites or subsequent steps:

A. Enable NDB HA to protect the metadata associated with the configuration: HA is beneficial but not the first step for Data Access Management.

C. Take an application consistent snapshot of the source database: This is a later step after multi-cluster setup.

D. Ensure that the source database has been provisioned on the remote Nutanix cluster: Provisioning follows multi-cluster registration.

Thus, the verified answer is B, establishing the multi-cluster foundation.

Official Nutanix Database Automation References

Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) course, Module 5: Data Protection and Recovery, Lesson 5.3: Configuring Data Access Management.

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Knowledge Objectives, Section 5: Protect Databases Using NDB, Objective 5.3: Configure Data Access (applicable to v6.10).

Nutanix NDB Administration Guide: "Data Access Management Setup" section.

The Era One-Click Provisioning service in Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB) simplifies and automates database administration. It brings one-click simplicity to database provisioning and life-cycle management. This service enables database administrators to provision, clone, and refresh the database clones to any point in time1. Specifically, it enables the creation of space-efficient clones and zero-byte database clones1. This is part of Era’s copy data management service, which includes components like Time Machine, one-click cloning and refresh, and one-click backup21.

For an NDB offline upgrade, you need to download the upgrade bundle from the Nutanix Support Portal and copy it to the NDB server. Then, you need to use the NDB CLI command upload upgrade_bundle with the path parameter to specify the location of the upgrade bundle file. This command will upload the upgrade bundle to the NDB server and verify its integrity. After uploading the upgrade bundle, you can use the upgrade command to perform the upgrade. References: Nutanix Support & Insights, Cisco Nexus Data Broker Deployment Guide, Release 3.10.x

The Nutanix Era Time Machine provides various capabilities depending on the Service Level Agreement (SLA) selected during database registration1. For a database with a Bronze SLA, the Time Machine supports both “Log Catch up” and "Snapshots"2. “Log Catch up” allows the Time Machine to keep up with the latest changes in the database by capturing log data2. “Snapshots” are point-in-time copies of the database that can be used for recovery or cloning2.

When an administrator needs to scale the size of an Oracle database running on Nutanix NDB and originally configured using ASMLib (Automatic Storage Management Library), the most efficient approach is to use NDB’s built-in scaling ability to resize existing vDisks. NDB supports dynamic resizing of virtual disks (vDisks) associated with database VMs, allowing the administrator to increase storage capacity without disrupting the database or requiring complex migrations. This method leverages Nutanix’s storage integration, resizing the underlying vDisks and updating the ASMLib configuration to reflect the new size, ensuring seamless operation.

Option A (Leverage the scaling ability built into NDB to resize existing vDisks) is correct as it is the most efficient, native NDB feature for scaling storage.

Option B (Extend the size by adding new vDisks) is incorrect because adding new vDisks requires additional configuration (e.g., ASM disk group adjustments), making it less efficient than resizing.

Option C (Create a new, larger database and migrate) is incorrect because migration is time-consuming and unnecessary when resizing is supported.

Option D (Mount an iSCSI LUN and extend the database onto the new LUN) is incorrect because iSCSI LUNs are not the preferred method in NDB, and resizing vDisks is more integrated.

This approach minimizes downtime and complexity.

References

Nutanix Database Service (NDB) User Guide, Chapter 4: Managing Database Servers, Section: Scaling Storage for Databases

Nutanix Support & Insights, Knowledge Base Article: "Resizing vDisks for Oracle Databases in NDB"

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Blueprint, Section 4: Manage Database Servers

When cloning an SQL database with Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) enabled in NDB, the target server must handle the encryption keys to ensure the cloned database remains functional and secure. TDE uses a keystore (e.g., a bundle file containing the master key and certificate) to encrypt data. Two steps are required: (1) The administrator must back up the keystore bundle file from the source database server VM and transfer it to the target server, ensuring the clone can decrypt the data. (2) After the clone is created, the administrator must run the post-clone command script, which configures the TDE keys on the target server, completes the encryption setup, and activates the cloned database.

Option A (Backup the .cer and .pvk files from the source database server VM) is incorrect because TDE in SQL Server typically uses a keystore bundle, not separate .cer and .pvk files.

Option B (Backup the keystore bundle file from the source database server VM) is correct as it ensures the encryption keys are available on the target.

Option C (Run the pre-clone command script) is incorrect because pre-clone scripts are for preparation, not TDE-specific post-clone setup.

Option D (Run the post-clone command script) is correct as it finalizes the TDE configuration on the target server.

These steps ensure a successful TDE-enabled clone.

References

Nutanix Database Service (NDB) User Guide, Chapter 5: Configuring Time Machines, Section: Cloning TDE-Enabled Databases

Nutanix Support & Insights, Knowledge Base Article: "Cloning SQL Server with TDE in NDB"

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

Nutanix Era enables you to clone your source databases and refresh the database clones by using snapshots or transaction logs1. For an online retail application that requires data to be synchronized between multiple SQL Server databases, having all the databases present in the same Database Virtual Machine (DBVM) and registering them in Era with Multiple Databases as a Group with one Time Machine would be the most efficient way to fulfill this requirement1. This approach allows for clearer reporting from multiple databases at the same time for consistency at the end of each business day1.

To create a software profile version for a newly-released Oracle ISc patch, an administrator should follow these steps:

Download the required patch from MyOracle Support1. This is because Oracle patches are typically available from MyOracle Support, not Microsoft Support.

Apply the patch to the Oracle Home/Grid Home on a cloned VM of the gold image using OPatchAuto1. OPatchAuto is a utility provided by Oracle that automates the process of applying patches to a database.

Ensure success of patch application1. It’s important to verify that the patch has been applied successfully to avoid any issues down the line.

Create a new software profile version from the original software profile using the cloned VM where OPatchAuto was run successfully using Era GUI1. This step is necessary to ensure that the new patch is included in the software profile.

Mark the original patch profile as hidden1. This step is optional but can be useful for keeping the software profile clean and organized.

Please note that these answers are based on the information available as of my last update in 2021 and may need to be verified with the most recent Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB) documentation or resources.