Free Nutanix NCP-DB Practice Exam with Questions & Answers | Set: 6

When an Oracle database is upgraded using Era, the type of upgrade category is an “In-place upgrade”. This method involves upgrading the database software within the same Oracle home as the existing database. The AutoUpgrade utility is used to automate the upgrade process, both before starting upgrades, during upgrade deployments, and during post-upgrade checks and configuration migration1. This method is preferred due to its simplicity and efficiency1.

Nutanix NDB provides the ability to create highly-available (HA) database pairs, leveraging replication and failover across clusters. The two databases explicitly supported for HA pairs in NDB are PostgreSQL and SQL Server. NDB orchestrates HA for PostgreSQL using streaming replication and for SQL Server using Always On Availability Groups or Failover Cluster Instances, ensuring data redundancy and failover capabilities across Nutanix clusters.

Other options are not supported for HA pairs:

A. MySQL: MySQL is supported by NDB but lacks native HA pair configuration.

D. MariaDB: Similar to MySQL, MariaDB is managed by NDB but does not support HA pairs.

Thus, the verified answers are B and C, reflecting NDB’s HA capabilities.

Official Nutanix Database Automation References

Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) course, Module 4: High Availability and Disaster Recovery, Lesson 4.1: Configuring HA for Databases.

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Knowledge Objectives, Section 4: Troubleshoot NDB Solutions, Objective 4.1: Configure HA for Supported Databases (applicable to v6.10).

Nutanix NDB Administration Guide: "High Availability Supported Databases" section.

Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB) simplifies database provisioning using predefined profiles customized to your environment. Software profiles, which are templates of the OS and database engine, allow you to maintain consistent software versions1. You then use additional profiles to customize that deployment1.

 In Nutanix Era, a Volume Group is the recommended storage provisioning method for a large I/O-intensive database that doesn’t support a multi-disk layout1. A Volume Group in Nutanix Era is a collection of disks that can be managed as a single entity, providing a way to aggregate the storage capacity of multiple disks into a larger storage unit1. This allows for better performance optimization as it enables the database to leverage the combined I/O capabilities of all the disks in the group1. It’s important to note that while other options like Load Balancing, Storage Spaces, and vDisk based provisioning can also be used in certain scenarios, a Volume Group is specifically designed for situations where a single, high-performance storage unit is required1.

When configuring an SMTP server for sending alert notifications via email in NDB, the two security options available are SSL and TLS. These protocols encrypt the email communication between NDB and the SMTP server, ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of alert notifications. NDB supports both options to accommodate different SMTP server configurations, with TLS being the more modern standard and SSL as a legacy option.

Other options are not applicable:

B. S/MIME: This is used for email content encryption, not SMTP server configuration.

C. DKIM: This is a domain authentication method, not a security protocol for SMTP.

Thus, the verified answers are A and D, reflecting NDB’s SMTP security features.

Official Nutanix Database Automation References

Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) course, Module 6: Monitoring and Alerts, Lesson 6.1: Configuring Alert Notifications.

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Knowledge Objectives, Section 6: Optimize NDB Solutions, Objective 6.2: Manage Alerts (applicable to v6.10).

Nutanix NDB Administration Guide: "Configuring SMTP for Alerts" section, listing SSL and TLS options.

Configuring VM Host Affinity in a Nutanix AHV-powered cluster ensures that VMs are placed on specific hosts to optimize performance or HA. However, after a host failure, if database VMs cluster on a single remaining host, it indicates that the affinity rules alone are insufficient to maintain high availability (HA) during failover scenarios. To prevent this, the administrator should configure anti-affinity rules, which dynamically ensure that VMs (e.g., database server VMs) are spread across multiple hosts. Anti-affinity rules override default VM placement behavior during failover, reducing the risk of a single point of failure by keeping VMs separated even after a host outage.

Option A (Assign additional backup VMs on the same host) is incorrect because placing backups on the same host increases risk rather than mitigating it.

Option B (Increase affinity zones) is incorrect as "affinity zones" is not a standard Nutanix term in this context, and it does not address dynamic VM separation.

Option C (Configure automatic host failover in Prism Central) is incorrect because while failover is managed by AHV, it does not inherently prevent VMs from clustering without specific rules.

Option D is correct as anti-affinity rules proactively distribute VMs, enhancing HA in failure scenarios.

This approach leverages Nutanix AHV’s VM placement policies to ensure resilience.

References

Nutanix Database Service (NDB) User Guide, Chapter 3: Configuring an NDB Environment, Section: Configuring VM Affinity and Anti-Affinity

Nutanix AHV Administration Guide, Section: VM High Availability and Placement Rules

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

When a database is de-registered from NDB without removing the associated Time Machine, the Time Machine enters a "Frozen" state. In this state, the Time Machine retains all existing snapshots and protection data but ceases to perform new snapshot captures or log catch-up operations. This allows the administrator to preserve the historical data for potential future use (e.g., auditing or recovery) while halting active management. The Frozen state prevents further modifications until the database is re-registered or the Time Machine is explicitly deleted.

Option A (Ready) is incorrect because "Ready" implies the Time Machine is active and prepared for new operations, which is not the case post-de-registration.

Option B (Frozen) is correct as it reflects the paused protection state after de-registration without removal.

Option C (Paused) is incorrect because "Paused" is not a formal Time Machine state in NDB; "Frozen" is the specific term.

Option D (Active) is incorrect because the Time Machine cannot remain active without an associated registered database.

This state provides flexibility for data retention without ongoing resource use.

References

Nutanix Database Service (NDB) User Guide, Chapter 5: Configuring Time Machines, Section: Managing Time Machine States

Nutanix Support & Insights, Knowledge Base Article: "Understanding Time Machine States After De-registration"

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Blueprint, Section 5: Protect Databases Using Time Machine

NDB sends alert notifications using configurations auto-populated from the cluster during the initial setup, typically relying on default SMTP settings. If a dedicated SMTP server is required (e.g., for security or compliance), the administrator must change the SMTP Server configuration in NDB Service. This is configured under the NDB Admin Center, where the administrator can specify the dedicated SMTP server’s details (e.g., hostname, port, credentials, and security settings like TLS/SSL).

Other options are incorrect:

A. IDP configuration in Admin Center IAM page: Identity Provider (IDP) settings are for authentication, not email alerts.

B. Alert Email configuration in Prism Element: Prism Element manages cluster alerts, not NDB-specific email settings.

D. SNMP configuration in Prism Central: SNMP is for network monitoring, not email notifications.

Thus, the verified answer is C, reflecting NDB’s alert notification setup.

Official Nutanix Database Automation References

Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) course, Module 6: Monitoring and Alerts, Lesson 6.1: Configuring Alert Notifications.

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Knowledge Objectives, Section 6: Optimize NDB Solutions, Objective 6.2: Manage Alerts (applicable to v6.10).

Nutanix NDB Administration Guide: "Configuring SMTP for Alerts" section.

The Time Machine Heal function in NDB is designed to address inconsistencies or gaps in the Time Machine’s restore point chain, ensuring a continuous and reliable recovery history. It identifies and repairs missing log backups or snapshots that may have been skipped due to failures (e.g., network issues or agent errors), thereby removing gaps in the restore capability. This function does not patch software, refresh clones, or restore from malware but focuses on maintaining the integrity of the Time Machine’s data protection timeline.

Other options are incorrect:

A. Patches a Time Machine to the latest NDB levels: This is a software update, not a heal function’s purpose.

C. Refreshes a database clone in Time Machine: Clone refresh is a separate operation, not related to healing.

D. Restores a Time Machine from snapshot in the event of malware: Restoration is a distinct action, while heal addresses data gaps.

Thus, the verified answer is B, reflecting the heal function’s role in restore continuity.

Official Nutanix Database Automation References

Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) course, Module 5: Data Protection and Recovery, Lesson 5.4: Managing Time Machine Operations.

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Knowledge Objectives, Section 5: Protect Databases Using NDB, Objective 5.4: Use Time Machine Features (applicable to v6.10).

Nutanix NDB Administration Guide: "Time Machine Heal Function" section.

In Nutanix Era, an administrator can modify the Alert Severity level by navigating to the Alerts Policies from the dropdown menu. Once there, they can select the Policy that needs to be modified and set the desired severity level1. This allows the administrator to customize the alerts according to their requirements, ensuring that they are notified of the most critical events in their environment21.