NCP-US-6.5 Exam Dumps - Nutanix Certified Professional (NCP) Questions and Answers

This metric indicates the number of active clients that are accessing the Files cluster via SMB protocol, which affects the performance of the Files cluster. NFS concurrent connections is also a relevant metric, but it is not the best answer, as it only applies to NFS protocol, not SMB. The quantity of SMB shares or NFS exports does not directly affect the performance of the Files cluster, as they are logical entities that do not consume resources. References: Nutanix Files Sizing Guide

Nutanix Files instances are deployed using File Server Virtual Machines (FSVMs) that run on the Nutanix cluster’s hypervisor (AHV, ESXi, or Hyper-V). The minimum resource requirements for deploying FSVMs are specified in the Nutanix Files documentation to ensure proper performance. These requirements are typically defined per FSVM, not per host, as FSVMs are virtual machines distributed across the cluster’s hosts.

According to the official Nutanix documentation:

vCPUs: Each FSVM requires a minimum of 4 vCPUs to operate effectively.

Memory: Each FSVM requires a minimum of 12 GiB of memory (RAM).

The question asks for the “minimum resources” required for deploying Files instances, and the options are framed as “per host.” However, in the context of Nutanix Files, resource requirements are specified per FSVM, as FSVMs are the entities consuming these resources. The options likely reflect a misunderstanding in the original question phrasing, but based on the standard Nutanix Files deployment requirements:

4 vCPUs per FSVM (option D) is correct, as this is the minimum vCPU requirement.

12 GiB of memory per FSVM (option C) is correct, as this is the minimum memory requirement.

Options A (8 vCPUs per host) and B (8 GiB of memory per host) do not align with the documented minimum requirements for FSVMs:

8 vCPUs is higher than the minimum requirement of 4 vCPUs per FSVM.

8 GiB of memory is lower than the minimum requirement of 12 GiB per FSVM.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

“For a Nutanix Files deployment, each File Server Virtual Machine (FSVM) requires the following minimum resources:

4 vCPUs

12 GiB of RAMThese resources ensure that the FSVM can handle file service operations efficiently.”— Nutanix Files Deployment Guide, Version 4.0, Section: “System Requirements for Nutanix Files”

The Files feature that the administrator should enable to ensure the sessions will auto-reconnect in such events is Durable File Handles. Durable File Handles is a feature that allows SMB clients to reconnect to a file server after a temporary network disruption or a client sleep state without losing the handle to the open file. Durable File Handles can improve the user experience and reduce the risk of data loss or corruption. Durable File Handles can be enabled for each share in the Files Console. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 76; Nutanix Files Solution Guide, page 10

The two platforms that are currently supported for Smart Tiering are AWS Standard and Azure Blob. Smart Tiering is a feature that allows administrators to tier data from Files to cloud storage based on file age, file size, and file type. Smart Tiering can help reduce the storage cost and optimize the performance of Files. Smart Tiering currently supports AWS Standard and Azure Blob as the cloud storage platforms, and more platforms will be added in the future. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 99; Nutanix Files Solution Guide, page 11

The most likely cause for this issue is that the file server resides on a single node cluster. A distributed share is a type of SMB share or NFS export that distributes the hosting of top-level directories across multiple FSVMs, which improves load balancing and performance. A distributed share cannot be created on a single node cluster, because there is only one FSVM available. A distributed share requires at least two nodes in the cluster to distribute the directories. Therefore, the option to use distributed share/export type instead of standard is not present when creating a share on a single node cluster. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 33; Nutanix Files Solution Guide, page 8

A single-node cluster cannot support a Distributed Share because it can only host one FSVM, whereas Distributed Shares require at least three FSVMs for distribution and high availability. This limitation causes the “Use Distributed Share/Export type instead of Standard” option to be absent when creating a share, as the cluster does not meet the minimum requirements.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Files Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“Distributed Shares require a minimum of three FSVMs to ensure scalability and high availability, which typically requires a cluster with at least three nodes. On a single-node cluster, only Standard Shares are supported, and the option to create a Distributed Share will not be available in the Files Console.”

The service that the administrator should investigate for this issue is Minerva-nvm. Minerva-nvm is a service that runs on each CVM and provides communication between Prism Central and Files services. Minerva-nvm also monitors the health of Files services and reports any failures or alerts to Prism Central. If Minerva-nvm is down on any CVM, it can affect the availability and functionality of Files services on that cluster. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 23; Nutanix Files Troubleshooting Guide

The minerva_nvm service is the core service on FSVMs that manages Nutanix Files operations. If File server services are down, this service is the most likely culprit, as it handles all file system activities (e.g., share access, data I/O). Investigating minerva_nvm (e.g., checking its status, logs, or restarting it) is the first step to diagnose and resolve the issue.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Files Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“The minerva_nvm service is a critical component of Nutanix Files, running on each FSVM. It manages file system operations, including share access and data management. If File server services are down on a cluster, investigate the minerva_nvm service on the FSVMs, as its failure will cause shares to become inaccessible.”

Nutanix Volumes uses IQN-based authorization to control access to volumes. The administrator must specify the IQN of the host that needs to access the volume when creating or editing the volume. If the host’s IQN is not authorized, it will not be able to see the target in the MS iSCSI Initiator3. References: Nutanix Volumes Administration Guide3

The company is using Nutanix Objects 3.2, a component of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), which provides S3-compatible object storage. Due to an S3 protocol compatibility issue with their backup application, they need to switch to an NFS repository. The solution must be the fastest and consume the least compute capacity (CPU and memory) on their Nutanix infrastructure.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (Delete the existing bucket, create a new bucket, and enable NFS v3 access): Incorrect. Nutanix Objects does support NFS access for buckets starting with version 3.5 (as per Nutanix documentation), but Objects 3.2 does not have this capability. Since the company is using Objects 3.2, this option is not feasible without upgrading or redeploying Objects, which is not mentioned in this option. Even if NFS were supported, deleting and recreating buckets does not address the compatibility issue directly and may still consume compute resources for bucket operations.

Option B (Deploy Files and create a new Share with multi-protocol access enabled): Correct. Nutanix Files, another component of NUS, supports NFS natively and can be deployed to create an NFS share quickly. Multi-protocol access (e.g., NFS and SMB) can be enabled on a Files share, allowing the backup application to use NFS as a repository. Deploying a Files instance with a minimal configuration (e.g., 3 FSVMs) consumes relatively low compute resources compared to redeploying or upgrading Objects, and it is the fastest way to provide an NFS repository without modifying the existing Objects deployment.

Option C (Redeploy Objects using the latest version, create a new bucket, and enable NFS v3 access): Incorrect. Redeploying Objects with the latest version (e.g., 4.0 or later) would allow NFS v3 access, as this feature was introduced in Objects 3.5. However, redeployment is a time-consuming process that involves uninstalling the existing Object Store, redeploying a new instance, and reconfiguring buckets. This also consumes significant compute resources during the redeployment process, making it neither the fastest nor the least resource-intensive solution.

Option D (Upgrade Objects to the latest version, create a new bucket, and enable NFS v3 access): Incorrect. Upgrading Objects from 3.2 to a version that supports NFS (e.g., 3.5 or later) is a viable solution, as it would allow enabling NFS v3 access on a new bucket. However, upgrading Objects involves downtime, validation, and potential resource overhead during the upgrade process, which does not align with the requirement for the fastest solution with minimal compute capacity usage.

Why Option B is the Fastest and Least Resource-Intensive:

Nutanix Files Deployment: Deploying a new Nutanix Files instance is a straightforward process that can be completed in minutes via Prism Central or the Files Console. A minimal Files deployment (e.g., 3 FSVMs) requires 4 vCPUs and 12 GiB of RAM per FSVM (as noted in Question 2), totaling 12 vCPUs and 36 GiB of RAM. This is a relatively low resource footprint compared to redeploying or upgrading an Objects instance, which may require more compute resources during the process.

NFS Support: Nutanix Files natively supports NFS, and enabling multi-protocol access (NFS and SMB) on a share is a simple configuration step that does not require modifying the existing Objects deployment.

Speed: Deploying Files and creating a share can be done without downtime to the existing Objects setup, making it faster than upgrading or redeploying Objects.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Files Deployment Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“Nutanix Files supports multi-protocol access, allowing shares to be accessed via both NFS and SMB protocols. To enable NFS access, deploy a Files instance and create a share with multi-protocol access enabled. A minimal Files deployment requires 3 FSVMs, each with 4 vCPUs and 12 GiB of RAM, ensuring efficient resource usage.”

From the Nutanix Objects Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“Starting with Objects 3.5, NFS v3 access is supported for buckets, allowing them to be mounted as NFS file systems. This feature is not available in earlier versions, such as Objects 3.2.”

There are two ways to manage Objects: PC (Prism Central) and API (Application Programming Interface). PC is a web-based user interface that allows administrators to create, configure, monitor, and manage Objects clusters, buckets, users, and policies. API is a set of S3-compatible REST APIs that allows applications and users to interact with Objects programmatically. API can be used to perform operations such as creating buckets, uploading objects, listing objects, downloading objects, deleting objects, and so on. References: Nutanix Objects User Guide; Nutanix Objects API Reference Guide

The “X” on the icon represents a distributed shared file, which is a file that belongs to a distributed share or export. A distributed share or export is a type of SMB share or NFS export that distributes the hosting of top-level directories across multiple FSVMs. The “X” indicates that the file is not hosted by the current FSVM, but by another FSVM in the cluster. The “X” also helps to identify which files are eligible for migration when using the Nutanix Files Migration Tool. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 34; Nutanix Files Migration Tool User Guide, page 10