Nutanix NCS-CORE Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

Nutanix NCS-CORE Online Questions & Answers

• Question 191:

  A consultant completes a manual cluster creation of AHV. When the consultant logs into Prism Element, critical error messages appear regarding the hypervisor and NTP. What component or setting, if misconfigured, would cause these errors?

  A. Cluster name
  B. Name Server
  C. Cluster Virtual IP
  D. Data Services IP
  B. Name Server

  ---

  Explanation/Reference:

  If the consultant logs into Prism Element and sees critical error messages related to the hypervisor and NTP, this could likely be caused by misconfigured Name Server settings. The Name Server (DNS) is essential for resolving domain names into IP addresses, which are required for NTP operations and overall cluster health checks and communications within the Nutanix environment.References: Nutanix Bible, Nutanix University NCS-Core 6.8 learning materials

• Question 192:

  A consultant is running the Foundation VM using desktop virtualization software. No nodes are discovered. What should the consultant verify first?

  A. NAT
  B. Host-only Adapter
  C. Bridged Adapter
  D. Internal Network
  C. Bridged Adapter

  ---

  Explanation/Reference:

  When using the Foundation VM in a desktop virtualization environment and nodes are not being discovered, the first setting that the consultant should verify is the network adapter configuration, specifically ensuring it is set to a Bridged Adapter. This setting allows the virtual machine hosting the Foundation VM to connect directly to the physical network, making other network nodes visible and reachable during the discovery process. This direct network connection is critical for the Foundation tool to function correctly and discover other nodes.References: Nutanix Bible, Nutanix University

• Question 193:

  A consultant notices while assigning VLAN tags to hosts and CVMs in a running cluster, that Prism Element displays alerts indicating a node is down. What should the consultant do to prevent these alerts?

  A. Restart the Nutanix cluster.
  B. Only change the Controller Virtual Machine VLANs.
  C. Only change the hypervisor VLANs.
  D. Stop the Nutanix cluster before changing VLANs.
  D. Stop the Nutanix cluster before changing VLANs.

  ---

  Explanation/Reference:

  When changing VLAN configurations for hosts and Controller Virtual Machines (CVMs) in a Nutanix cluster, doing so while the cluster is running can result in temporary communication losses, leading to alerts such as a node appearing down.

  To avoid these disruptions and ensure a smooth reconfiguration process, it is advisable to stop the cluster services before making VLAN changes. This prevents the cluster from detecting intermittent connectivity as node failures, thereby

  avoiding false alerts in Prism Element.

  References:

  Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), particularly the sections discussing cluster operations and network reconfiguration. Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), which includes best practices for

  network configuration.

• Question 194:

  An administrator needs to configure snapshots for DR scenarios. The databases get refreshed on Friday nights regularly. The search service application re-indexes the new application on Saturday nights regularly. The remaining front-end and middle tier VMs are static but do get minor version updates weekly.

  The administrator needs to have 2 weeks of daily snapshots for all the VMs in an app group and 2 weeks application consist local snapshots only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays on the same group of VMs.

  Which two options should the administrator use to configure snapshots?

  A. Create a schedule in a protection domain for all applicable VMs to snap daily with application consistency enabled with 6 days of retention and with no application consistency and 14 days local retention.
  B. Create two consistency groups in a protection domain, one for front-end and middle tier apps with no application consistency, one for database and Search apps with application consistency, and apply the correct schedule to both groups.
  C. Create one protection domain for all VMs in an application group with scheduled daily non-application consistent snapshots and another protection domain for all VMs in an application group with scheduled Friday. Saturday, Sunday application consistent snapshots.
  D. Create a protection domain for all VMs
  C. Create one protection domain for all VMs in an application group with scheduled daily non-application consistent snapshots and another protection domain for all VMs in an application group with scheduled Friday. Saturday, Sunday application consistent snapshots.

  ---

  Explanation/Reference:

  To meet the requirement of having two weeks of daily snapshots and application-consistent snapshots on specific days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), the best approach is to use two separate protection domains. This setup allows for greater flexibility in managing retention policies and ensuring application consistency. One protection domain will handle daily snapshots without application consistency for regular backups, and the other will handle application-consistent snapshots for critical times when databases and applications are updated, ensuring data integrity during these operations.

  References: Nutanix Bible: Data Protection and DR Nutanix University: Creating and Managing Protection Domains

• Question 195:

  An administrator has a 32-node hybrid cluster with CPU, RAM and storage utilization of 80%. A database VM is configured with VM Flash.

  What is causing this IO latency?

  A. Controller VM is experiencing high CPU ready time.
  B. Curator scans causes by ILM constantly moving data.
  C. VM Flash Mode reduces SSD tier capacity for VMs.
  D. Database VM is experiencing high CPU ready time.
  B. Curator scans causes by ILM constantly moving data.

  ---

  Explanation/Reference:

  In a Nutanix cluster, I/O latency can be affected by several factors. Given the scenario where a 32-node hybrid cluster is experiencing I/O latency, one possible cause could be the Information Life Cycle Management (ILM) constantly moving

  data due to curator scans.

  In a Nutanix cluster, ILM is responsible for managing data placement across different storage tiers. It promotes frequently accessed data to higher-performance tiers (like SSDs) and demotes less frequently accessed data to lower-

  performance tiers (like HDDs)1. This process involves moving data around, which can cause I/O operations to take longer, leading to increased latency.

  If the working set size (WSS) exceeds the SSD tier capacity, ILM will have to constantly move data between the SSD and HDD tiers to accommodate new data. This constant data movement can lead to increased I/O latency.

  Therefore, if curator scans caused by ILM are constantly moving data, it could be the reason for the observed I/O latency in this scenario.

  References:

  Disk I/O Latency on a Nutanix Cluster | Nutanix Community

  Nutanix Volumes - Recommendations And Best Practices

  Nutanix Support and Insights

  Expand Cluster with Nodes with Higher NIC SPEED (25 GBPS) | Nutanix ...

  [Scaling Up VM Storage Performance on AHV ?Volume Group ... - Nutanix]

  [About support for Nutanix segmented iSCSI network | Managing AHV ...]

• Question 196:

  A customer needs a 20-node cluster built. The consultant only has a 16-port flat network switch, and the customer is using VLAN tagging for the hosts and CVMs.

  How should the consultant create the cluster?

  A. Set VLAN tags on all hosts and CVMs.
  B. Create the Nutanix cluster manually.
  C. Connect the cluster to the production network.
  D. Create a separate four-node cluster.
  B. Create the Nutanix cluster manually.

  ---

  Explanation/Reference:

  Given the constraint of a 16-port switch for a 20-node cluster, the consultant cannot physically connect all nodes to the network simultaneously. VLAN tagging allows multiple virtual networks to be carried over the same physical network.

  However, the challenge here is not about VLANs but the physical limitation of ports. The practical approach would be to manually create the cluster, potentially in stages, as the full network capacity required for all nodes is not

  available.References:

  Nutanix University - NCS-Core 6.8 Learning Path

  The Nutanix Bible, Networking chapter (https://www.nutanixbible.com/)

• Question 197:

  After an onsite cluster deployment, a consultant prepares the deliverables for a project closeout.

  Which two data in the As-Built Guide require adjustment or might be missing completely? (Choose two.)

  A. Nutanix Node Port Layout
  B. AHV Host information
  C. Physical Rack Layout
  D. Cluster information
  A. Nutanix Node Port Layout
  C. Physical Rack Layout

  ---

  Explanation/Reference:

  After an onsite cluster deployment, the As-Built Guide is a crucial document that provides detailed information about the final configuration of the system. However, certain data in the As-Built Guide might require adjustment or might be

  missing completely.

  In this case, the Nutanix Node Port Layout (Option A) and the Physical Rack Layout (Option C) are two data that might require adjustment or might be missing completely. The Nutanix Node Port Layout provides a visual representation of the

  network connections for each node in the cluster, while the Physical Rack Layout provides a visual representation of the physical arrangement of the nodes in the rack. Both of these data are crucial for understanding the physical and network

  configuration of the cluster, and any inaccuracies or omissions in these data could lead to confusion or issues in the future. Therefore, the consultant should ensure that the Nutanix Node Port Layout and the Physical Rack Layout in the As-

  Built Guide are accurate and complete.

  References:

  [Nutanix Support and Insights]

  [Nutanix Community]

  [Nutanix Documentation]

  [Nutanix Certified services - core (NCS-Core) 6.8 - Nutanix University]

  [Nutanix Bible]

  [Nutanix Certified services - core (NCS-Core) 6.8 Playlist - YouTube]

• Question 198:

  A customer wants to use NIC teaming on an ESXi host using a vSphere Standard Switch configured with the Route based on physical NIC load load balancing option. The customer does not see the option when editing the Teaming and Failover settings for the switch.

  How should the consultant resolve this issue?

  A. Change the load balancing option on the switch.
  B. Add a vSphere Distributed Switch
  C. Add another physical NIC to the team.
  D. Install a vCenter server to manage the switch
  D. Install a vCenter server to manage the switch

  ---

  Explanation/Reference:

  For a customer to use NIC teaming with the "Route based on physical NIC load" load balancing option on an ESXi host using a vSphere Standard Switch, they need vCenter Server. This specific load balancing method is not available on a vSphere Standard Switch without vCenter management, as it requires vSphere Distributed Switch capabilities that are managed via vCenter Server. By installing a vCenter server, the customer can upgrade from vSphere Standard to Distributed Switches and access more advanced features including the desired NIC teaming option.References: VMware vSphere Documentation, Nutanix Bible.

• Question 199:

  Where can the Foundation version included with an AOS bundle be found?

  A. AOS Release Notes
  B. Upgrade Paths menu
  C. Compatibility and Interoperability Matrix
  D. Field Installation Guide
  A. AOS Release Notes

  ---

  Explanation/Reference:

  The Foundation version included with an AOS bundle can be found in the AOS Release Notes. These release notes typically provide detailed information about all components and versions included in the bundle, ensuring that users are

  aware of compatibility and new features.

  References:

  Nutanix Bible (https://www.nutanixbible.com), where reference to locating AOS bundle details is mentioned.

  Nutanix University: NCS-Core 6.8 Training (https://university.nutanix.com), providing instructions on how to access and interpret AOS release notes.

• Question 200:

  A customer has NearSync configured. When the administrator tries to restore a snapshot from 3 minutes ago, it is not available. The snapshots are happening at 15-minute intervals instead of at the 5-minute configured interval. When the protection domain was initially set up, the snapshots were happening at the expected 5-minute interval.

  What should the customer do to enable the snapshots to happen at the expected interval?

  A. Utilize Metro Availability to meet this requirement
  B. Change the protection domain to use Async DR
  C. Fix a connectivity issue because the protection domain reverted to Async
  D. Configure the protection domain to take snapshots on 15-minute intervals
  C. Fix a connectivity issue because the protection domain reverted to Async

  ---

  Explanation/Reference:

  If the administrator observes that the snapshot intervals have changed from the initially configured 5-minute intervals to 15-minute intervals, it indicates a potential issue with the setup. Option C, "Fix a connectivity issue because the protection domain reverted to Async," addresses the likely cause--a connectivity problem that caused the system to revert to longer, asynchronous DR snapshot intervals.

  NearSync typically allows for very frequent snapshots, but if there is a connectivity or configuration issue, it might fall back to less frequent asynchronous DR settings. Identifying and resolving any connectivity issues would allow the NearSync configuration to operate as initially intended.

  References:The mechanics of NearSync and its behavior under connectivity issues are discussed in detail in Nutanix's documentation and troubleshooting guides, which describe how the system handles fallback scenarios and how to rectify them.