Pass the Nutanix Nutanix Certified Professional (NCP) NCP-US-6.5 Questions and answers with CertsForce

Nutanix Files, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), supports NFS shares for Linux clients. The administrator changed the user management authentication on the file server (e.g., updated Active Directory settings, modified user mappings, or changed authentication methods like Kerberos). This change has caused a "Permission denied" error for a user accessing an NFS share from a Linux client, indicating an authentication or permission issue.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (Change the permission for user): Incorrect. While incorrect permissions can cause a "Permission denied" error, the error here is likely due to the authentication change on the file server, not a share-level permission issue. Changing user permissions might be a workaround, but it does not address the root cause (authentication mismatch) and is less efficient than resolving the authentication issue directly.

Option B (Restart the nfs-utils service): Correct. The nfs-utils service on the Linux client manages NFS-related operations, including authentication and mounting. After the file server’s authentication settings are changed (e.g., new user mappings, Kerberos configuration), the client may still be using cached credentials or an outdated authentication state. Restarting the nfs-utils service (e.g., via systemctl restart nfs-utils) refreshes the client’s NFS configuration, re-authenticates with the file server, and resolves the "Permission denied" error efficiently.

Option C (Restart the client machine): Incorrect. Restarting the entire client machine would force a reconnection to the NFS share and might resolve the issue by clearing cached credentials, but it is not the most efficient solution. It causes unnecessary downtime for the user and other processes on the client, whereas restarting the nfs-utils service (option B) achieves the same result with less disruption.

Option D (Restart the RPC-GSSAPI service on the clients): Incorrect. The RPC-GSSAPI service (related to GSSAPI for Kerberos authentication) might be relevant if the file server is using Kerberos for NFS authentication. However, there is no standard rpc-gssapi service in Linux—GSSAPI is typically handled by rpc.gssd, a daemon within nfs-utils. Restarting rpc.gssd directly is less efficient than restarting the entire nfs-utils service (which includes rpc.gssd), and the question does not specify Kerberos as the authentication method, making this option less applicable.

Why Option B?

The "Permission denied" error after an authentication change on the file server suggests that the Linux client’s NFS configuration is out of sync with the new authentication settings. Restarting the nfs-utils service on the client refreshes the NFS client’s state, re-authenticates with the file server using the updated authentication settings, and resolves the error efficiently without requiring a full client restart or manual permission changes.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

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

“If a user receives a ‘Permission denied’ error on an NFS share after changing user management authentication on the file server, the issue is often due to the Linux client using cached credentials or an outdated authentication state. To resolve this efficiently, restart the nfs-utils service on the client (e.g., systemctl restart nfs-utils) to refresh the NFS configuration and re-authenticate with the file server.”

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.”

Nutanix Objects, a component of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), provides an S3-compatible object storage solution. It is deployed as a set of virtual machines (Object Store Service VMs) running on the Nutanix cluster’s hypervisor (AHV or ESXi). The resource allocation for these VMs, including the maximum number of vCPUs per node, is specified in the Nutanix Objects documentation to ensure optimal performance and resource utilization.

According to the official Nutanix documentation, each Object Store Service VM is limited to a maximum of 8 vCPUs per node (AHV or ESXi). This constraint ensures that the object storage service does not overburden the cluster’s compute resources, maintaining balance with other workloads.

Option C: Correct. The maximum number of vCPUs for Nutanix Objects per node is 8.

Option A (12), Option B (16), and Option D (10): Incorrect, as they exceed or do not match the documented maximum of 8 vCPUs per node.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

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

“Each Object Store Service VM deployed on an AHV or ESXi node is configured with a maximum of 8 vCPUs to ensure efficient resource utilization and performance. This limit applies per node hosting the Object Store Service.”

Additional Notes:

The vCPU limit is per Object Store Service VM on a given node, not for the entire Objects deployment. Multiple VMs may run across different nodes, but each is capped at 8 vCPUs.

The documentation does not specify different limits for AHV versus ESXi, so the 8 vCPU maximum applies universally.

Smart Tiering in Nutanix Files, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), allows infrequently accessed (Cold) data to be tiered to external storage, such as a public cloud (e.g., AWS S3, Azure Blob), to free up space on the primary cluster (as noted in Question 34). Configuring Smart Tiering requires setting up a connection to the external storage target, which involves providing credentials and connectivity details.

Smart Tiering requires a connection to an external storage target, such as a cloud provider. The access key and secret key are mandatory to authenticate Nutanix Files with the target (e.g., an S3 bucket), enabling secure data tiering. Without these credentials, the tiering configuration cannot be completed, making them a mandatory criterion.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

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

“To configure Smart Tiering in Nutanix Files, you must provide the access key and secret key for the external storage target (e.g., AWS S3, Azure Blob). These credentials are mandatory to authenticate with the cloud provider and enable data tiering to the specified target.”

The tool that includes these features is File Analytics. File Analytics is a feature that provides insights into the usage and activity of file data stored on Files. File Analytics consists of a File Analytics VM (FAVM) that runs on a Nutanix cluster and communicates with the File Server VMs (FSVMs) that host the file shares. File Analytics can display various reports and dashboards that include these features:

Permission Denials: This report shows the number of permission denied events for file operations, such as read, write, delete, etc., along with the user, file, share, and server details.

Top 5 Active Users: This dashboard shows the top five users who performed the most file operations in a given time period, along with the number and type of operations.

Top 5 Accessed Files: This dashboard shows the top five files that were accessed the most in a given time period, along with the number of accesses and the file details.

File Distribution by Type: This dashboard shows the distribution of files by their type or extension, such as PDF, DOCX, JPG, etc., along with the number and size of files for each type. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 93; Nutanix File Analytics User Guide

The user that is authorized to deploy File Analytics is Prism Central administrator. Prism Central is a web-based user interface that allows administrators to manage multiple Nutanix clusters and services, including Files and File Analytics. Prism Central administrator is a user role that has full access and control over all Prism Central features and functions. To deploy File Analytics, the user must log in to Prism Central as a Prism Central administrator and follow the steps in the File Analytics Deployment wizard. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 93; Nutanix File Analytics Deployment Guide

The organization uses a Nutanix Files cluster, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), for back office data, with most data classified as Cold Data (infrequently accessed). They want to free up space on the Files cluster for future growth or newer data. They have added a new node with more storage to the cluster and are already using the Public Cloud for other storage needs. The goal is to migrate Cold Data to free up space while considering the best approach.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (Set up another cluster and replicate the data with Protection Domain): Incorrect. Setting up another cluster and using a Protection Domain to replicate data is a disaster recovery (DR) strategy, not a solution for migrating Cold Data to free up space. Protection Domains are used to protect and replicate VMs or Volume Groups, not Files shares directly, and this approach would not address the goal of freeing up space on the existing Files cluster—it would simply create a copy on another cluster.

Option B (Enable Smart Tiering in Files within the Files Console): Correct. Nutanix Files supports Smart Tiering, a feature that allows data to be tiered to external storage, such as the Public Cloud (e.g., AWS S3, Azure Blob), based on access patterns. Cold Data (infrequently accessed) can be automatically tiered to the cloud, freeing up space on the Files cluster while keeping the data accessible through the same share. Since the organization is already using the Public Cloud, Smart Tiering aligns perfectly with their infrastructure and requirements.

Option C (Migrate cold data from Files to tape storage): Incorrect. Migrating data to tape storage is a manual and outdated process for archival. Nutanix Files does not have native integration with tape storage, and this approach would require significant manual effort, making it less efficient than Smart Tiering. Additionally, tape storage is not as easily accessible as cloud storage for future retrieval.

Option D (Back up the data using a third-party software and replicate to the cloud): Incorrect. While backing up data with third-party software and replicating it to the cloud is feasible, it is not the best approach for this scenario. This method would create a backup copy rather than freeing up space on the Files cluster, and it requires additional software and management overhead. Smart Tiering is a native feature that achieves the goal more efficiently by moving Cold Data to the cloud while keeping it accessible.

Why Option B?

Smart Tiering in Nutanix Files is designed for exactly this use case: moving Cold Data to a lower-cost storage tier (e.g., Public Cloud) to free up space on the primary cluster while maintaining seamless access to the data. Since the organization is already using the Public Cloud and has added a new node (which increases local capacity but doesn’t address Cold Data directly), Smart Tiering leverages their existing cloud infrastructure to offload Cold Data, freeing up space for future growth or newer data. This can be configured in the Files Console by enabling Smart Tiering and setting policies to tier Cold Data to the cloud.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

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

“Smart Tiering in Nutanix Files allows administrators to tier Cold Data to external storage, such as AWS S3 or Azure Blob, to free up space on the primary Files cluster. This feature can be enabled in the Files Console, where policies can be configured to identify and tier infrequently accessed data while keeping it accessible through the same share.”

Smart DR in Nutanix Files, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), is a disaster recovery (DR) solution that simplifies the setup of replication policies between file servers (e.g., using NearSync, as seen in Question 24). After configuring a Smart DR policy, the administrator expects to see it in the Policies tab in Prism Central, but it is not visible despite confirmed connectivity between FSVMs and Prism Central via port 9440 (used for Prism communication, as noted in Question 21). This indicates a potential mismatch or configuration issue.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (The primary and recovery file servers do not have the same version): Correct. Smart DR requires that the primary and recovery file servers (source and target) run the same version of Nutanix Files to ensure compatibility. If the versions differ (e.g., primary on Files 4.0, recovery on Files 3.8), the Smart DR policy may fail to register properly in Prism Central, resulting in it not appearing in the Policies tab. This is a common issue in mixed-version environments, as Smart DR relies on consistent features and APIs across both file servers.

Option B (Port 7515 should be open for all External/Client IPs of FSVMs on the Source and Target cluster): Incorrect. Port 7515 is not a standard port for Nutanix Files or Smart DR communication. The External/Client network of FSVMs (used for SMB/NFS traffic) communicates with clients, not between FSVMs or with Prism Central for policy management. Smart DR communication between FSVMs and Prism Central uses port 9440 (already confirmed open), and replication traffic between FSVMs typically uses other ports (e.g., 2009, 2020), but not 7515.

Option C (The primary and recovery file servers do not have the same protocols): Incorrect. Nutanix Files shares can support multiple protocols (e.g., SMB, NFS), but Smart DR operates at the file server level, not the protocol level. The replication policy in Smart DR replicates share data regardless of the protocol, and a protocol mismatch would not prevent the policy from appearing in the Policies tab—it might affect client access, but not policy visibility.

Option D (Port 7515 should be open for all Internal/Storage IPs of FSVMs on the Source and Target cluster): Incorrect. Similar to option B, port 7515 is not relevant for Smart DR or Nutanix Files communication. The Internal/Storage network of FSVMs is used for communication with the Nutanix cluster’s storage pool, but Smart DR policy management and replication traffic do not rely on port 7515. The key ports for replication (e.g., 2009, 2020) are typically already open, and the issue here is policy visibility, not replication traffic.

Why Option A?

Smart DR requires compatibility between the primary and recovery file servers, including running the same version of Nutanix Files. A version mismatch can cause the Smart DR policy to fail registration in Prism Central, preventing it from appearing in the Policies tab. Since port 9440 connectivity is already confirmed, the most likely issue is a version mismatch, which is a common cause of such problems in Nutanix Files DR setups.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

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

“Smart DR requires that the primary and recovery file servers run the same version of Nutanix Files to ensure compatibility. A version mismatch between the source and target file servers can prevent the Smart DR policy from registering properly in Prism Central, resulting in the policy not appearing in the Policies tab.”

Nutanix Data Lens, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), provides data governance and analytics for Nutanix Files, including features to optimize storage usage. The administrator wants to maximize available space on the file server by moving cold (infrequently accessed) data to an object store (e.g., AWS S3, Azure Blob), which aligns with a specific Data Lens feature.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (Smart Tier): Correct. Smart Tier is a feature in Data Lens (and Nutanix Files, as noted in Question 34) that identifies cold data based on access patterns and tiers it to an external object store, such as AWS S3 or Azure Blob. This process frees up space on the file server while keeping the data accessible through the same share, maximizing available space as required.

Option B (Smart DR): Incorrect. Smart DR is a disaster recovery solution for Nutanix Files that automates replication policies between file servers (e.g., using NearSync). It replicates data to a recovery site for DR purposes, not to an object store, and does not free up space on the primary file server—it creates a copy.

Option C (Backup): Incorrect. Data Lens does not have a “Backup” feature. While Nutanix Files can be backed up using third-party tools or replication, this is not a Data Lens feature, and backups do not move cold data to an object store to free up space—they create additional copies for recovery purposes.

Option D (Versioning): Incorrect. Versioning is a feature in Nutanix Objects (as seen in Questions 11 and 15), not Data Lens, and it retains multiple versions of objects, not file server data. Even if versioning were applied to Files shares (e.g., via snapshots), it does not move cold data to an object store—it retains versions locally, consuming more space.

Why Option A?

Smart Tier, supported by Data Lens, identifies cold data on the file server and moves it to an external object store, freeing up space on the primary storage while keeping the data accessible. This directly addresses the requirement to maximize available file server space by offloading cold data, aligning with Data Lens’s data management capabilities.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

From the Nutanix Data Lens Administration Guide (available on the Nutanix Portal):

“Data Lens supports Smart Tier, a feature that maximizes available file server space by identifying cold data based on access patterns and tiering it to an external object store, such as AWS S3 or Azure Blob. This process frees up space on the file server while maintaining data accessibility.”

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 task of creating a distributed share on a single-node cluster will fail. References: Nutanix Files Administration Guide, page 33; Nutanix Files Solution Guide, page 8

A distributed share in Nutanix Files, part of Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS), is a share that spans multiple File Server Virtual Machines (FSVMs) to provide scalability and high availability. Distributed shares are designed to handle large-scale workloads by distributing file operations across FSVMs.

Analysis of Options:

Option A (File server version should be greater than 3.8.0): Incorrect. While Nutanix Files has version-specific features, distributed shares have been supported since earlier versions (e.g., Files 3.5). The failure to create a distributed share on a single-node cluster is not due to the Files version.

Option B (Distributed shares require multiple nodes): Correct. Distributed shares in Nutanix Files require a minimum of three FSVMs for high availability and load balancing, which in turn requires a cluster with at least three nodes. A single-node cluster cannot support a distributed share because it lacks the necessary nodes to host multiple FSVMs, which are required for the distributed architecture.

Option C (AOS version should be greater than 6.0): Incorrect. Nutanix AOS (Acropolis Operating System) version 6.0 or later is not a specific requirement for distributed shares. Distributed shares have been supported in earlier AOS versions (e.g., AOS 5.15 and later with compatible Files versions). The issue is related to the cluster’s node count, not the AOS version.

Option D (Number of distributed shares limit reached): Incorrect. The question does not indicate that the administrator has reached a limit on the number of distributed shares. The failure is due to the single-node cluster limitation, not a share count limit.

Why Option B?

A single-node cluster cannot support a distributed share because Nutanix Files requires at least three FSVMs for a distributed share, and each FSVM typically runs on a separate node for high availability. A single-node cluster can support a non-distributed (standard) share, but not a distributed share, which is designed for scalability across multiple nodes.

Exact Extract from Nutanix Documentation:

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

“Distributed shares in Nutanix Files require a minimum of three FSVMs to ensure scalability and high availability. This requires a cluster with at least three nodes, as each FSVM is typically hosted on a separate node. Single-node clusters do not support distributed shares due to this requirement.”