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

To create a Microsoft SQL Server software profile for each of the three Nutanix clusters in an NDB environment, a key requirement is that each cluster must host at least one VM with the Microsoft SQL Server database engine installed. NDB uses these VMs to discover, validate, and generate software profiles tailored to the specific SQL Server versions and configurations present on each cluster. This ensures that the profiles are compatible with the cluster’s environment and can be used for provisioning or patching.

Option A (Compute profile must be created first on every cluster) is incorrect because compute profiles are optional and not a prerequisite for creating software profiles.

Option B (Enable Multi-cluster capabilities for NDB) is incorrect as multi-cluster support is already implied by the deployment across three clusters, but it’s not a specific requirement for profile creation.

Option C (Enable High Availability for the current NDB Service) is incorrect because HA is a separate configuration and not required to create software profiles.

Option D (Each cluster must host a VM with the DB engine) is correct as it aligns with NDB’s requirement to have a reference VM for profile generation.

This setup ensures accurate and cluster-specific software profile creation.

References

Nutanix Database Service (NDB) User Guide, Chapter 4: Managing Software Profiles, Section: Creating Software Profiles

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Blueprint, Section 4: Manage Database Software Profiles

The Era copy data management service includes several components, one of which is the Time Machine. The Time Machine is responsible for collecting logs and snapshots from the database123. This functionality allows for granular clone and refresh operations, making it a crucial part of the Nutanix Era’s database as a service (DBaaS) solution1.

The administrator can add a stretched VLAN in NDB using either static or dynamic VLANs. A stretched VLAN is a VLAN that spans across multiple Nutanix clusters, and allows the NDB-managed databases to communicate and migrate between different clusters. A static VLAN is a VLAN that is manually configured and assigned to the database server VMs and the databases by the administrator. A dynamic VLAN is a VLAN that is automatically configured and assigned to the database server VMs and the databases by the NDB instance, using the Nutanix Calm orchestration service. Both static and dynamic VLANs can be used to create a stretched VLAN in NDB, as long as they have the same VLAN ID and network configuration across the clusters.

The administrator cannot add a stretched VLAN in NDB using only VLANs that are not managed in NDB. A VLAN that is not managed in NDB is a VLAN that is configured and assigned to the database server VMs and the databases outside of the NDB instance, using the Nutanix Prism web console or other tools. A VLAN that is not managed in NDB cannot be used to create a stretched VLAN in NDB, as it is not recognized or controlled by the NDB instance.

References:

Nutanix Database Management & Automation Training Course, Module 4: Nutanix Era Configuration, Lesson 4.1: Nutanix Era Configuration, slide 8.

Nutanix Database Management & Automation Training Course, Module 6: Nutanix Era Disaster Recovery, Lesson 6.1: Nutanix Era Disaster Recovery, slides 6-7.

An NDB compute profile defines the CPU and memory resources for the database server VMs that are provisioned using NDB. It does not include any information about the network, domain, or software of the database server VMs. Those are specified in separate profiles, such as network profile, domain profile, and software profile.

References: Nutanix Support & Insights, section “NDB Compute”

To register a PostgreSQL database server VM with a database on NDB, the database data and log files must be located on a separate mount point from the operating system and the binary installation. This is because NDB uses the mount point as the identifier for the database server VM and the database. If the data and log files are on the same mount point as the operating system or the binary installation, NDB will not be able to recognize them as a valid database server VM or database. Therefore, the administrator should create a separate mount point for the data and log files and specify it during the registration process. References: Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB) Course Details, Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB) Certification Details, Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB) YouTube Playlist, [How to Allow Remote Access to PostgreSQL database], [5 Ways to Host PostgreSQL Databases], [Starting the Database Server].

In an NDB high availability (HA) environment spanning multiple Nutanix clusters, with two clusters running VMware ESXi and one running Nutanix AHV, cross-hypervisor compatibility becomes essential to manage the heterogeneous environment effectively. Nutanix Prism Central is the centralized management platform that provides a unified interface and orchestration capabilities across multiple clusters, regardless of the underlying hypervisor (ESXi or AHV). For NDB HA to function seamlessly across these clusters, Prism Central is required to coordinate cluster operations, manage resources, and ensure consistent policy enforcement, including VM placement, failover, and database management tasks. It abstracts the differences between hypervisors, enabling NDB to operate in a mixed environment.

Option A (Stretched VLANs for all nodes) is incorrect because stretched VLANs address network connectivity, not hypervisor compatibility or NDB HA management.

Option B (NGT - Nutanix Guest Tools) is incorrect as NGT enhances guest VM functionality (e.g., drivers, backups) but does not facilitate cross-hypervisor orchestration for NDB HA.

Option C (Nutanix Prism Central) is correct because it provides the necessary multi-cluster management and compatibility layer for NDB HA across ESXi and AHV.

Option D (VirtlO) is incorrect as VirtIO refers to paravirtualized drivers for VMs, not a component for NDB HA or cross-hypervisor support.

Prism Central’s role ensures that NDB can manage database workloads across diverse hypervisor platforms efficiently.

References

Nutanix Database Service (NDB) User Guide, Chapter 3: Configuring an NDB Environment, Section: Multi-Cluster and Multi-Hypervisor Support

Nutanix Prism Central Administration Guide, Section: Managing Mixed Hypervisor Environments

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Blueprint, Section 3: Configure an NDB Environment

According to the Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB) learning documents, an administrator can change the snapshot schedule for a given database by selecting the Time Machine, then under Action, select Update and define an appropriate schedule1. This is because the Time Machine in Nutanix Era allows you to specify the number of backups or snapshots the time machine should take, the time of day it takes those snapshots, and the day of the week it takes weekly or monthly backups1. These options help you build a complete schedule of time machine capture operations1. Even if the Time Machine is in a paused state, the administrator can still update the schedule1. Cloning the Time Machine or the database is not necessary for changing the snapshot schedule1.

When registering a Nutanix cluster with NDB, a manual storage mapping between the remote container and the NDB provisioning container is required if the NDB Server container and NDB Provisioning container are separate. This separation occurs when the storage containers used by the NDB server (for its own operations) and the provisioning container (for database VMs) are distinct, either due to multi-cluster setups or custom configurations. Manual mapping ensures NDB can correctly allocate storage resources and manage database provisioning across these containers.

Other conditions do not necessitate manual mapping:

B. Disaster Recovery Network Segmentation is enabled on the cluster: This affects networking, not storage mapping.

C. Nutanix Database Service High Availability is enabled on the cluster: HA configurations handle replication, not container mapping.

D. DB VMs are stored in the NDB Server or NDB Provisioning container: This is a typical setup and does not require manual mapping unless containers differ.

Thus, the verified answer is A, addressing storage container separation.

Official Nutanix Database Automation References

Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) course, Module 2: Deploying and Configuring an NDB Solution, Lesson 2.3: Registering a Nutanix Cluster.

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Knowledge Objectives, Section 2: Deploy and Configure an NDB Solution, Objective 2.2: Register a Nutanix Cluster (applicable to v6.10).

Nutanix NDB Administration Guide: "Storage Container Mapping" section.

A Time Machine is a core construct of the copy data management service in NDB that captures and manages the data of a database to deliver a recovery point objective (RPO) SLA. A Time Machine can enter a Frozen state for various reasons, such as database de-registration, snapshot or log catchup failures, or manual intervention. When a Time Machine is in a Frozen state, it stops taking new snapshots and log backups, and cannot perform any clone, refresh, or restore operations. To resume the normal operation of a Time Machine, it must be thawed by resolving the root cause of the freeze. One of the common causes of a Time Machine freeze is when the database is de-registered from NDB without removing the Time Machine. This can happen when the administrator wants to move the database to a different NDB instance or cluster, or when the database is accidentally de-registered. In this case, the Time Machine becomes orphaned and frozen, and cannot be used for any operations. To complete the request to refresh a database clone from a new manual snapshot, the administrator must first re-register the database in NDB using the same database name and ID as before. This will automatically thaw the Time Machine and resume its operation. The administrator can then create a new manual snapshot from the Time Machine and use it to refresh the database clone. The other options are not correct, as they either require unnecessary steps or do not address the root cause of the freeze. References:

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5, Section 5 - Protect NDB-managed Databases Using Time Machine, Objective 5.1: Create, delete, and modify SLA retention policies

Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) Course, Module 4: Nutanix Database Service (NDB) Data Protection, Lesson 4.1: Data Protection Overview, Topic: Time Machine Concepts

Nutanix Support & Insights, TN-2101: Nutanix Database Service Time Machine Under the Hood, Section: Time Machine States and Transitions

To apply the latest OS security patches on a Windows server managed by NDB, the user should create and apply a Maintenance Plan within the NDB interface. NDB provides a Maintenance Plan feature that allows administrators to schedule and automate OS patching for database server VMs, ensuring patches are applied in a controlled manner without disrupting database operations. This includes validating the patch process, rolling back if needed, and maintaining compliance with security standards. The plan can be configured to target the specific Windows server and include the latest security updates from Microsoft.

Other options are incorrect or insufficient:

A. Reboot the system: A reboot alone does not apply patches; it may only activate previously installed updates.

C. Update the database: This focuses on database software, not OS security patches.

D. Use update functionality directly on the VM: Manual updates bypass NDB’s control, risking inconsistency and potential downtime without proper validation.

Thus, the verified answer is B, leveraging NDB’s centralized maintenance capabilities.

Official Nutanix Database Automation References

Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) course, Module 6: Maintenance and Patching, Lesson 6.3: Creating Maintenance Plans.

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Knowledge Objectives, Section 6: Optimize NDB Solutions, Objective 6.3: Manage Maintenance Plans (applicable to v6.10).

Nutanix NDB Administration Guide: "Maintenance Plans for OS Patching" section.