By default, Nutanix Lifecycle Manager (LCM) auto-inventory runs at 2:00 AM local cluster time. LCM performs a daily check to gather information about available updates for firmware, software, and other components to ensure the cluster remains up-to-date. This operation is non-disruptive and does not impact cluster performance.

Nutanix Support case priority levels are defined as follows:

P1 (Critical): The system is down or severely impacted, requiring immediate attention.

P2 (High): The system is available but experiencing issues that directly impact productivity or operations.

P3 (Medium): The system is functioning, but there are non-critical issues or questions.

P4 (Low): General questions or requests that do not impact system performance.

The scenario described matches P2 , where the system is available but productivity is directly affected by the issue.

When using ESXi as the hypervisor in a Nutanix cluster, the supported storage protocol for a datastore is NFS (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.

The correct answer is D. Select Escalate within the existing ticket.

When working with Nutanix Support, the most effective and structured way to request a callback or faster response is to use the "Escalate" function available in the Support Portal for the specific support case. This formally flags the case for priority handling , prompting action such as:

A direct call back from support.

Assignment of a higher-tier engineer.

Accelerated SLA response.

Clarifications:

A. Emailing the technician may go unnoticed or be delayed.

B. Opening a new ticket introduces duplication and delays.

C. Replying within the case does not prompt immediate re-evaluation unless escalation is used.

Official Reference:

My Nutanix Support Portal Guide – Case Management

Excerpt: “Use the ‘Escalate’ option within an open case to notify Nutanix Support that a higher level of engagement is required.”

On a newly deployed AHV cluster, the default uplink bond type for the virtual switch (vs0) is Balance-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.

The correct answer is B. Internal NTP sources.

Nutanix strongly recommends configuring reliable internal NTP sources (e.g., enterprise-managed NTP servers or domain NTP servers) to ensure:

Time consistency across all nodes and CVMs

Accurate logging, monitoring, authentication (e.g., Kerberos), and cluster operations

Avoiding dependency on external/public NTP sources, which may be rate-limited, unavailable, or blocked by firewalls

Clarifications:

A (Windows time sources): Generally discouraged unless they are configured to use a stratum 1/2 reliable upstream source.

C (Rate-limited sources): Not recommended; can result in dropped or inconsistent time updates.

D (External ISP NTP): Not preferred for production clusters due to reliability concerns.

Prism UI Navigation Path:

Settings > NTP Servers

Official Reference:

Nutanix Best Practices Guide – NTP Configuration

Excerpt: “Use reliable and consistent internal NTP servers for all Nutanix clusters to maintain time synchronization.”

Answer: B

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

Navigate to Prism Element > VM .

Select the VM for which snapshots need to be deleted.

Click on Snapshots , then delete the selected snapshots.

The correct answer is C. 4

Erasure Coding (EC-X) in Nutanix is a data efficiency feature that replaces multiple replicas with parity data to reduce storage overhead while still protecting against failures. The minimum node requirement for enabling Erasure Coding is 4 nodes , due to the need to distribute data and parity across multiple failure domains.

Details:

RF2 with EC-X requires at least 4 nodes .

RF3 with EC-X requires at least 6 or 8 nodes , depending on configuration.

Prism UI Navigation Path:

Storage > Storage Containers > Enable EC-X

Official Reference:

Nutanix Bible – Erasure Coding Section

Nutanix Storage Admin Guide

Excerpt: “A minimum of 4 nodes is required in a Nutanix cluster to enable Erasure Coding (EC-X) with RF2.”

The feature that ensures VMs automatically power on in a specific order at the DR site during a disaster is a Recovery Plan . Recovery Plans are part of Nutanix’s DR functionality and allow administrators to define startup sequences, dependencies, and priorities for VMs during failover scenarios.

Steps:

Create a Recovery Plan in Prism Central under the DR section.

Configure the VM power-on sequence and dependency rules.

Test the Recovery Plan to ensure it operates as intended.

When using the LCM (Life Cycle Manager) Dark Site procedure, the LCM Framework should be checked and upgraded first. The LCM Framework is the core component responsible for orchestrating updates for other Nutanix software components. Ensuring the framework is up to date guarantees compatibility and reliability during subsequent upgrades.

A. MSP: Incorrect, as MSP (Managed Service Provider) is not directly related to the LCM Dark Site procedure.

B. Foundation: Incorrect, as Foundation is used for initial cluster deployment, not for lifecycle management.

C. NCC: While NCC is critical for health checks, it does not need to be updated first in the LCM process.

D. LCM Framework: Correct, as it manages the update process and must be updated first.