NCP-US-6.10 Nutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US) v6.10 Free Practice Exam Questions (2025 Updated)

According to the Nutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA) course, specifically in the module “Deploying and Configuring Nutanix Objects,” theObject Store creationprocess within Prism Central depends on theregistration and access synchronizationbetween Prism Central and Prism Element. The documentation explicitly states:

“When Prism Central is first connected to a Prism Element cluster, there may be a delay of up to 15 minutes for the access control and cluster data to fully synchronize. During this time, certain cluster resources may not appear when attempting to create new object stores.”

This statement confirms that if the access was granted to Prism Elementless than 5 minutes ago, the cluster will not yet be visible in the “Cluster” drop-down list. This delay in synchronization is the reason for the empty cluster list in the interface.

Option Ais incorrect because Prism Central administrators, not just local Prism Element admins, have the authority to create object stores.

Option Bis incorrect because the delay is not tied to the 1-hour registration time, but rather the few minutes required for initial synchronization.

Option Cis incorrect because the Prism Element admin role is not a prerequisite for this task within Prism Central.

According to the NUSA course materials,File Analyticsis designed to be deployed on thesame networkas the Nutanix Filesclient networkbecause:

File Analyticsaccesses file share metadata and analytics datathrough the same SMB/NFS protocolsused by clients accessing the shares.

Using theclient networkensures that File Analytics canconnect to the SMB/NFS endpoints, collect activity logs, and provide visibility without traversing storage-only traffic.

Using thestorage network(as was done with IP 10.1.4.100 in this case) leads to deployment errors because:

“The storage network in Nutanix Files is used exclusively for data replication and cluster-level operations—not for client or analytics traffic. Using this network for File Analytics deployment causes communication failures.”

Thus, the administrator mustredeploy File Analytics on the Files client network (10.1.3.0/24), ensuring proper access and connectivity.

The firewall port configuration (ports 445/139) is relevant for SMB traffic butnotthe root cause of the deployment error in this case.

When deploying Nutanix Files, the storage network requires **one additional IP address than the number of File Server Virtual Machines (FSVMs)**. Nutanix Files is a scale-out file storage solution that uses a distributed architecture, where each FSVM handles file services and communicates with clients and the Nutanix cluster. The IP address requirements include one IP address for each FSVM plus an additional virtual IP address (VIP) that serves as the client-facing endpoint for the file server.

The **Nutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA)** course explains that Nutanix Files deployment involves configuring a file server with a minimum of three FSVMs for high availability and scalability. Each FSVM requires a unique IP address on the storage network to handle internal communication and data operations. Additionally, a single VIP is configured for the file server to provide a unified access point for clients using protocols like SMB or NFS. This VIP is load-balanced across the FSVMs, ensuring seamless failover and scalability.

The **Nutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US)** study guide specifies that “the storage network for Nutanix Files requires one IP address per FSVM plus one additional IP address for the file server VIP.” For example, a Nutanix Files deployment with three FSVMs would require four IP addresses: three for the FSVMs and one for the VIP. This configuration ensures that clients can access the file server through a single IP address, while the FSVMs handle the backend storage operations.

The other options are incorrect:

- **Same number of IP addresses as the number of FSVMs**: This does not account for the additional VIP required for client access, which is a critical component of the Nutanix Files architecture.

- **One less IP address than the number of FSVMs**: This is not feasible, as each FSVM requires its own IP address, and the VIP adds an additional requirement.

- **Twice as many IP addresses as the number of FSVMs**: This overestimates the IP address needs, as only one additional VIP is needed, not double the number of FSVMs.

The NUSA course documentation further clarifies that “the VIP is used to abstract the file server from the individual FSVMs, providing a single point of access for clients and enabling features like load balancing and failover.” The storage network must be configured with sufficient IP addresses to accommodate both the FSVMs and the VIP during deployment.

When hardening a Nutanix Objects bucket that contains sensitive data, the recommended setting is **WORM (Write Once, Read Many)**. WORM is a data protection feature that ensures objects stored in a bucket are immutable, meaning they cannot be modified or deleted for a specified retention period. This is particularly critical for sensitive data that requires compliance with regulatory standards, such as financial records, healthcare data, or legal documents, as it prevents unauthorized tampering or accidental deletion.

According to the **Nutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA)** course materials, Nutanix Objects supports WORM functionality to enhance data security. The course emphasizes that enabling WORM on a bucket ensures that data is protected against overwrites or deletions, which is a key aspect of hardening storage for sensitive information. WORM is particularly useful in scenarios where data integrity and retention are mandated by compliance requirements, such as GDPR, HIPAA, or SEC regulations.

The **Nutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US)** study guide further elaborates that WORM can be configured at the bucket level in Nutanix Objects, allowing administrators to set retention policies that lock objects for a defined period. This makes it an ideal choice for securing sensitive data compared to the other options provided:

- **HTTP**: This refers to the protocol used for accessing objects (e.g., via S3-compatible APIs) and is not a security or hardening mechanism. Using HTTP instead of HTTPS would actually reduce security, as it lacks encryption for data in transit.

- **KMIP (Key Management Interoperability Protocol)**: While KMIP is used for managing encryption keys and can enhance security, it is not directly related to hardening a bucket. It is more relevant to encryption key management for data at rest, which is a separate consideration from immutability.

- **Erasure Coding**: This is a data protection technique used to improve storage efficiency and resiliency by distributing data across nodes. While it enhances fault tolerance, it does not provide immutability or specific protections for sensitive data like WORM does.

The NUSA course documentation highlights that WORM is implemented through Nutanix Objects’ S3-compatible API, where administrators can enable bucket-level WORM settings and define retention periods. This ensures that even privileged users cannot alter or delete objects until the retention period expires, making it the most appropriate choice for hardening a bucket with sensitive data.

Self-Service Restore (SSR)in Nutanix Files is a feature that allows end users or administrators torestore previous file versionsdirectly from share snapshots without requiring direct administrator intervention.

Key details from the NUSA training:

Does not require Nutanix Guest Tools (NGT):

“SSR operates entirely at the file server share level, leveraging share snapshots created by the Nutanix Files service. It does not depend on NGT or VM-level backups, which simplifies deployment and reduces dependencies.”

15-minute snapshots:

“While Nutanix supports snapshot intervals down to 1 hour, the minimum interval is not typically 15 minutes for standard file share snapshots.”

Windows and Linux:

“SSR is primarily supported for Windows SMB shares. NFS/Linux-based shares do not integrate with SSR in the same manner.”

Starter license support:

“SSR is part of advanced Nutanix Files functionality not included in the Starter license tier.”

Thus, the definitive statement:Does not require NGT on the VM.

To configure an SMB share for user profiles in a company using Nutanix Files, the most suitable network share type is a **distributed share**. User profiles typically require a share that can scale with the number of users, provide high availability, and ensure consistent performance across multiple clients. A distributed share in Nutanix Files is designed to meet these needs by distributing data and workload across all File Server Virtual Machines (FSVMs) in the file server, ensuring scalability and load balancing.

The **Nutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA)** course states, “A distributed share in Nutanix Files is ideal for workloads like user profiles, as it leverages all FSVMs to provide scalability, high availability, and consistent performance for large numbers of concurrent users.” Distributed shares are optimized for environments where multiple users access the share simultaneously, such as in user profile scenarios where each user has a profile folder accessed via SMB. This share type ensures that the workload is balanced across FSVMs, preventing any single FSVM from becoming a bottleneck.

The **Nutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US)** study guide further elaborates that “distributed shares are recommended for user profile storage in Nutanix Files, as they provide seamless scalability and fault tolerance by distributing data across all FSVMs in the file server.” This is particularly important for user profiles, which are often accessed during login/logout events, requiring low latency and high concurrency support.

The other options are incorrect:

- **A standard share**: A standard share is hosted on a single FSVM, which can become a performance bottleneck and lacks the scalability needed for user profiles with many concurrent users.

- **A connected share**: There is no such share type as a “connected share” in Nutanix Files; this term is not applicable.

- **A WORM share**: A WORM (Write Once, Read Many) share is designed for immutable data retention (e.g., for compliance), not for user profiles, which require frequent read/write operations.

The NUSA course documentation emphasizes that “distributed shares are the best choice for user profile storage in Nutanix Files, ensuring scalability and performance for enterprise environments with many users.”

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation from Nutanix Unified Storage (NCP-US) and the Nutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA) course documents:

In the Nutanix environment,Volume Groups (VGs)are used to present block storage to guest operating systems via iSCSI targets. These VGs are managed through Prism and can be configured with security features such asCHAP (Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol)to ensure secure connections.

Here’s the detailed breakdown:

Authentication Failure Context:The error message shown in the exhibit—“Authentication Failure”—occurs during the iSCSI target logon phase when the initiator (in this case, the Windows VM) attempts to authenticate to the Nutanix VG target. Nutanix Volume Groups can be configured to require CHAP authentication. If the iSCSI initiator’s CHAP username and secret do not match the target’s configuration, authentication will fail, and the target will reject the login attempt.

Why CHAP is the likely cause:The exhibit clearly shows the authentication failure occurring at theLog On to Targetstep of the iSCSI Initiator Properties. In the NCP-US and NUSA course materials, CHAP authentication is specifically covered as a method to secure iSCSI sessions, and it is the most common cause for anauthentication errorat this stage:

“If CHAP authentication is enabled on the target, the initiator must provide the correct CHAP username and secret. Failure to do so results in an authentication error during the login phase.”

Eliminating other options:

Windows login authentication:This is not related to iSCSI target login. Windows login credentials are separate from iSCSI CHAP authentication.

IP address whitelisting:While Nutanix allows whitelisting of initiator IPs for security, a misconfigured whitelist would typically result in aconnection refusalerror, not anauthentication failureerror.

Already connected VG:Having a VG already connected would result in aresource in useorconnection refusedmessage, not an authentication failure.

Additional Course Details:The NUSA course materials emphasize that CHAP can be configured for Nutanix Volume Groups either at creation or by modifying the VG’s settings. It’s important to ensure that the Windows iSCSI initiator has matching CHAP credentials configured under theAdvancedbutton in the iSCSI Initiator Properties.

Best Practice Reminder:When configuring Volume Groups, the recommended approach is to document the CHAP credentials and validate them in the iSCSI initiator settings to prevent this type of error.

In conclusion, theauthentication failureseen in the exhibit is directly related toCHAP authentication misconfigurationon either the Nutanix VG target or the Windows iSCSI initiator. Verifying and synchronizing the CHAP username and secret will resolve the issue.

Nutanix File Analytics sends anomaly alerts and data to email recipientsas defined in the Anomaly Rules. File Analytics uses anomaly detection to identify unusual activities on the file server, such as permission changes, excessive file access, or potential ransomware behavior. Administrators can configure anomaly rules to specify which activities to monitor and how to handle notifications, including sending emails to designated recipients based on the defined rules.

TheNutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA)course explains that “File Analytics allows administrators to define anomaly rules to detect suspicious activities, with email notifications configured as part of the rule settings to alert recipients when specific conditions are met.” This ensures that emails are sent only when the criteria in the anomaly rules are triggered, allowing for targeted and timely alerts.

TheNutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US)study guide further states that “anomaly rules in File Analytics are customizable, enabling administrators to set thresholds, conditions, and notification preferences, including email alerts, to ensure timely responses to detected anomalies.” The timing and frequency of email notifications depend on the configuration of the anomaly rules, not a fixed schedule or automatic detection.

The other options are incorrect:

Whenever an anomaly is detected: While anomalies trigger alerts, emails are sent only if the anomaly rules are configured to do so. Not every detected anomaly automatically results in an email unless specified in the rules.

Every 15 minutes: File Analytics does not send emails on a fixed 15-minute schedule; notifications are event-driven based on anomaly rule triggers.

When a minimum of anomalies are detected: There is no concept of a “minimum number of anomalies” in File Analytics; alerts are sent based on the specific conditions defined in the anomaly rules.

The NUSA course documentation emphasizes that “File Analytics anomaly rules provide granular control over alert notifications, with email alerts sent to recipients as specified in the rule configuration, ensuring timely communication of critical events.”

Nutanix Files Smart Tiering offers two modes:

Standard Tiering: Tiers data to internal Nutanix Objects (on the same cluster).

Advanced Tiering: Tiers data to external S3-compatible storage (on-premises or public cloud).

The requirement specifies an *on-premise S3 bucket* with no cloud services, making Advanced Tiering the solution.

Option A (Standard): Requires internal Nutanix Objects, not external S3.

Option C (Files Analytics): Provides usage insights but doesn’t tier data.

Option D (Data Lens): A cloud-based governance tool (requires cloud connectivity).

Data Lens classifies files primarily by file extensions (e.g., .pdf, .xlsx) to:

Group files into categories (Documents, Media, Code, etc.).

Track storage usage/access patterns by type.

Other options are invalid:

A/B/D: File size, access time, and ownership are attributes but not classification criteria. Data Lens uses extensions as the default classifier.

Directory services integration (e.g., Active Directory) is mandatory for SMB shares to:

Authenticate users.

Apply access controls (ACLs).

Enable Kerberos-based security.Without this, SMB shares cannot be accessed by domain-joined clients.

Option B: Prism Central registration enables central management but isn't a share prerequisite.

Option C: afs infra.start is an invalid command.

Option D: Password policies are enforced via directory services but not a standalone prerequisite.

The error message indicates that an upgrade of a Nutanix Files instance (referred to as "file server NUTANIX") on an ESXi-based Nutanix cluster failed due to connectivity issues with the ESX hosts. The exhibit likely shows the network configuration details of the cluster, including the IP ranges used for various components such as ESXi hosts, Controller Virtual Machines (CVMs), File Server Virtual Machines (FSVMs), and management interfaces. The task requires identifying the network that needs to be added to the vSphere Web Client firewall to allow connectivity for the Nutanix Files upgrade process.

TheNutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA)course explains that “Nutanix Files upgrades require communication between the ESXi hosts, CVMs, and FSVMs, typically over the management network and the storage network where FSVMs reside.” In an ESXi-based Nutanix cluster, the FSVMs (which power Nutanix Files) communicate with the ESXi hosts for operations like upgrades, using the network configured for the FSVMs. The error suggests that the ESXi hosts’ firewall is blocking this communication, likely because the FSVM network is not allowed in the vSphere firewall rules.

TheNutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US)study guide further details that “Nutanix Files FSVMs typically use a dedicated network for client and internal communication, often in the 192.168.5.0/24 range by default in Nutanix environments, unless reconfigured.” This network, known as the internal FSVM network, is used for communication between FSVMs, CVMs, and ESXi hosts during operations like upgrades. The default range of 192.168.5.0/24 is commonly assigned to FSVMs in Nutanix AHV and ESXi environments to isolate file server traffic from other network traffic, such as management or VM traffic.

Since the error indicates a connectivity failure between the ESXi hosts and the Nutanix Files instance during the upgrade, the most likely cause is that the ESXi hosts’ firewall is blocking traffic from the FSVM network (192.168.5.0/24). The administrator needs to add this network to the vSphere Web Client firewall rules to allow inbound and outbound traffic, ensuring that the ESXi hosts can communicate with the FSVMs during the upgrade process.

The other options are incorrect based on typical Nutanix network configurations:

192.168.2.0/24: This range is often used for management traffic (e.g., Prism Element or ESXi management IPs) but is not typically the network for FSVMs.

192.168.3.0/24: This range may be used for VM traffic or other purposes, but it is not the default for FSVM communication.

192.168.4.0/24: This range is not commonly associated with FSVMs or Nutanix Files in standard configurations.

The NUSA course documentation emphasizes that “during Nutanix Files upgrades, ESXi hosts must have network connectivity to the FSVMs, typically on the 192.168.5.0/24 network, and firewall rules must be updated to allow this traffic to prevent connectivity failures.” The administrator should add the 192.168.5.0/24 network to the vSphere Web Client firewall to allow communication on the necessary ports (e.g., TCP 2049 for NFS, TCP 445 for SMB, and others used for FSVM-CVM communication).

File Analyticsin Nutanix Files collects and analyzes data on file access, usage patterns, and security anomalies. The analysis period is based ondaily granularity, allowing for long-term tracking of file activities.

From the NUSA and NCP-US materials:

“File Analytics provides daily insights and can retain data for up to 5 years. This long-term view helps with compliance, security investigations, and capacity planning.”

Thus, the feature can:

Analyze daily usage and security data

Retain this daily analysis for up to 5 years

This matches optionD: Daily up to 5 years.

To address space constraints on a Nutanix Files instance in a cluster where compression is already enabled and data cannot be deleted, the administrator should useSmart Tiering. Smart Tiering, enabled through Nutanix Data Lens, allows the administrator to tier infrequently accessed (cold) data from the Nutanix Files instance to a secondary storage tier, such as a cloud-based object store (e.g., AWS S3), thereby freeing up space on the primary cluster without deleting data.

TheNutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA)course explains that “Smart Tiering, managed via Nutanix Data Lens, enables Nutanix Files to offload cold data to a secondary storage tier, such as cloud storage, to alleviate space constraints while maintaining data accessibility.” This feature uses lifecycle policies to identify data that has not been accessed for a specified period and moves it to a cost-effective tier, reducing the storage footprint on the primary cluster.

TheNutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US)study guide further states that “Smart Tiering is an effective solution for managing space constraints in Nutanix Files by tiering cold data to external storage, such as AWS S3, while keeping the data accessible to users through a unified namespace.” This approach is ideal for the scenario, as it addresses the space issue without requiring data deletion, and it works even when compression is already enabled.

The other options are incorrect:

Smart DR: Smart DR is a disaster recovery feature for Nutanix Files that replicates data between sites for failover and recovery. It does not reduce space usage on the primary cluster, as it creates a copy of the data on the secondary site.

Object Replication: Object Replication is a feature of Nutanix Objects, not Nutanix Files, and it focuses on replicating object store buckets, not file shares, to another site.

Smart Sync: Smart Sync is not a Nutanix feature; it may refer to third-party tools or unrelated functionalities and is not applicable here.

The NUSA course documentation emphasizes that “Smart Tiering with Nutanix Data Lens provides a seamless way to manage space constraints in Nutanix Files by offloading cold data to secondary storage, ensuring efficient use of primary cluster resources.”

Standard tiering policies for Nutanix Unified Storage are managed inNutanix Data Lens. Nutanix Data Lens is a cloud-based service that provides data lifecycle management, analytics, and tiering capabilities for Nutanix Files and Objects. It enables administrators to define and manage tiering policies to move data between different storage tiers (e.g., from Nutanix storage to cloud storage like AWS S3) based on access patterns, age, or other criteria.

According to theNutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA)course, “Nutanix Data Lens is used to configure and manage standard tiering policies for Nutanix Files and Objects, allowing data to be tiered to cost-effective storage based on predefined rules.” This includes setting policies to archive infrequently accessed data to cloud storage, optimizing storage costs while maintaining accessibility.

TheNutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US)study guide further clarifies that “Data Lens provides a centralized interface for managing tiering policies, enabling automated data movement to secondary storage tiers, such as cloud-based object stores.” Administrators can access Data Lens to define rules for data tiering, monitor tiering activities, and ensure compliance with organizational data management requirements.

The other options are incorrect:

Prism Central Admin Dashboard: Prism Central is used for cluster management, monitoring, and orchestration but does not provide specific interfaces for managing tiering policies.

Prism Element Data Protection Dashboard: Prism Element focuses on individual cluster management and data protection tasks (e.g., snapshots, replication), not tiering policies.

Nutanix Files Console: The Nutanix Files Console is used for configuring and managing file servers and shares, but tiering policies are managed externally through Data Lens.

The NUSA course documentation emphasizes that “Nutanix Data Lens integrates with Nutanix Files to provide tiering capabilities, allowing administrators to manage data placement across on-premises and cloud storage tiers seamlessly.”

In Nutanix Files,File Analyticsprovides insights into how files are used over time to help with capacity planning and data lifecycle management. TheData Age widgetspecifically identifiescold data, which typically includes older, less frequently accessed files.

Thedefault cold data thresholdis:

“Files that have not been accessed forlonger than four weeksare considered cold data.”

This is aligned with best practices for identifying data that can be tiered to cheaper storage or archived to maintain performance and reduce costs.

The NUSA course materials emphasize:

“The default threshold for cold data classification in File Analytics isfour weeks. Administrators can customize this threshold to meet business or regulatory requirements.”

Thus,files not accessed for over four weeksare flagged ascoldby default in the Data Age widget.

To alert the security team when more than 500 files are renamed hourly on a Nutanix Files instance at a dark site, the administrator shoulddefine an anomaly rule in File Analytics. Nutanix File Analytics is a monitoring and analytics tool for Nutanix Files that provides visibility into file share activities, including file operations like renames. Anomaly rules allow administrators to detect unusual activities and configure alerts, such as email notifications, for specific thresholds.

TheNutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA)course states, “File Analytics enables administrators to define anomaly rules to monitor file activities, such as file renames, and set thresholds for alerts, making it ideal for detecting unusual behavior like mass file renaming.” The administrator can create an anomaly rule to track file rename operations and set a threshold of more than 500 renames per hour, triggering an email alert to the security team when this condition is met. This functionality works in a dark site environment, as File Analytics operates locally within the Nutanix cluster and does not require Internet access.

TheNutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US)study guide further elaborates that “anomaly rules in File Analytics can be configured to monitor specific file operations, such as renames, with customizable thresholds and notification settings, ensuring timely alerts for potential security issues.” This makes File Analytics the best tool for the task, as it provides granular control over monitoring and alerting for file activities.

The other options are incorrect:

Set up Data Management Protection in Files Manager: Data Management Protection is not a feature of Nutanix Files; it may refer to backup or replication features, which do not address file rename monitoring.

Configure Nutanix Data Lens ransomware protection: Nutanix Data Lens focuses on data lifecycle management and tiering, not real-time monitoring of file operations like renames. While it has some ransomware detection capabilities, it is not designed for specific thresholds like 500 file renames per hour and requires Internet access, which is unavailable in a dark site.

Add MMC Snap-In for Nutanix Files: The MMC (Microsoft Management Console) Snap-In is used for managing Nutanix Files from a Windows system but does not provide monitoring or alerting capabilities for file rename operations.

The NUSA course documentation highlights that “File Analytics anomaly rules are the recommended solution for monitoring file operations like mass renames, providing customizable thresholds and alerts even in dark site environments.”

The log message indicates a failure to download the file fraser-6.10-stable_build_release.tar.xz from a web server, resulting in anHTTP 404 Not Founderror when attempting to connect to the server overport 80. The error suggests that the Microservices Platform (MSP) is attempting to access a resource via HTTP (port 80), but the connection fails, either because the server is not reachable, the resource is not available, or the port is blocked.

TheNutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA)course discusses the Microservices Platform (MSP) as a component that supports containerized services in Nutanix environments, often requiring access to external repositories for downloading build artifacts, such as those hosted on AWS ECR (Elastic Container Registry). The course notes that “MSP services may require outbound network access to download container images or configuration files, typically over HTTP (port 80) or HTTPS (port 443), depending on the repository configuration.”

In this case, the log explicitly shows the attempt to useHTTP (port 80)to access the URL http://x.x.x.x/..., indicating that MSP is configured to use HTTP for this operation. The HTTP 404 Not Founderror suggests that either the file does not exist at the specified URL, the server is not responding, or network connectivity issues (e.g., firewall rules blocking port 80) are preventing MSP from reaching the web server. Since the error occurs during the connection attempt over port 80, the most likely cause is thatMSP needs to reach the web server over port 80, and this connectivity is not properly configured or is blocked.

TheNutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US)study guide emphasizes troubleshooting network connectivity for Nutanix services, stating, “Administrators must ensure that required ports, such as 80 for HTTP or 443 for HTTPS, are open for services like MSP to access external resources.” The guide also recommends checking firewall rules, proxy settings, and network routes when encountering connectivity errors like HTTP 404.

The provided search results further support this analysis. For example, troubleshooting connectivity issues in Nutanix environments often involves verifying port access, as seen in discussions about Pulse and other services requiring HTTP (port 80) or HTTPS (port 443) connectivity to external servers (e.g., nsc01.nutanix.net or insights.nutanix.com). While the specific issue in the log is related to MSP, the principle of ensuring proper port access applies.

The other options are incorrect:

Prism Central needs to reach the web server over port 443: The log indicates that MSP, not Prism Central, is attempting the connection, and it uses HTTP (port 80), not HTTPS (port 443).

MSP needs to reach the web server over port 443: The log clearly shows the connection attempt over HTTP (port 80), not HTTPS (port 443).

Prism Central needs to reach the web server over port 80: The log references MSP, not Prism Central, as the component attempting the download.

To resolve this issue, the administrator should:

Verify that the web server at x.x.x.x is reachable and the file exists at the specified URL.

Ensure that outbound traffic from the MSP service to the web server over port 80 is allowed by checking firewall rules, proxy settings, and network configurations.

If the server requires HTTPS, update the MSP configuration to use port 443 instead of port 80, but the log suggests port 80 is expected.

To enforce strict capacity limits for individual users in Nutanix Files, the administrator should use aQuota Policy with a Hard Quota Limit. Nutanix Files supports quota policies to manage storage usage at the user, group, or share level, and a hard quota limit ensures that users cannot exceed the specified capacity, enforcing strict control over storage consumption.

TheNutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA)course states, “Nutanix Files supports quota policies with hard limits to enforce strict capacity restrictions for individual users, preventing them from exceeding their allocated storage.” A hard quota limit blocks write operations once the user reaches the defined capacity, ensuring compliance with storage restrictions. This is particularly useful for managing storage in multi-tenant environments or ensuring fair resource allocation.

TheNutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US)study guide further elaborates that “a Quota Policy with a Hard Quota Limit is the recommended approach for enforcing strict capacity limits per user in Nutanix Files, as it denies further writes when the limit is reached.” In contrast, a soft quota limit only generates warnings but allows users to exceed the limit, which does not meet the requirement for strict enforcement.

The other options are incorrect:

Storage Policy with a Hard Storage Capacity Limit: Storage policies in Nutanix typically apply to data placement or tiering (e.g., in Nutanix Volumes or Objects) and are not used for user-level quotas in Nutanix Files.

Quota Policy with a Soft Quota Limit: A soft quota limit only provides warnings when the limit is exceeded, allowing users to continue writing data, which does not enforce strict capacity limits.

Storage Policy with a Soft Storage Capacity Limit: Similar to the above, this is not a user-level quota mechanism and does not enforce strict limits.

The NUSA course documentation emphasizes that “Quota Policies with Hard Quota Limits are the primary mechanism in Nutanix Files for enforcing strict capacity limits for individual users, ensuring they cannot exceed their allocated storage.”