Free Practice Questions for Nutanix NCP-DB Exam

To change the NDB GUI password via the CLI, the administrator should use the command era-server > security password reset. This command interacts with the NDB server (referred to as era-server in the CLI context) to reset the password for the GUI admin user. The process typically prompts for the new password and confirmation, ensuring secure password management. This is the supported method for CLI-based password changes in NDB.

Other options are incorrect:

A. sudo passwd era: The passwd command is for Linux user accounts, not NDB-specific GUI credentials.

B. sudo user name admin password: This is not a valid command syntax for NDB CLI.

C. era-server > username admin password: This lacks the correct subcommand (security password reset) and syntax.

Thus, the verified answer is D, aligning with NDB’s CLI security management.

Official Nutanix Database Automation References

Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) course, Module 2: Deploying and Configuring an NDB Solution, Lesson 2.6: Managing NDB via CLI.

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Knowledge Objectives, Section 2: Deploy and Configure an NDB Solution, Objective 2.5: Manage NDB Security (applicable to v6.10).

Nutanix NDB Administration Guide: "Changing GUI Password via CLI" section, detailing era-server commands.

The Removal schedule is a feature of Nutanix Era that allows you to specify when a database clone will be automatically deleted. You can modify the Removal schedule of an existing clone by selecting the clone from the Clones page, clicking on the Update button, and changing the Removal schedule option to the desired date. This way, you can extend or shorten the lifespan of a clone as per your requirements. You do not need to remove the existing Removal schedule and add a new one, as this would be an unnecessary step. You also do not need to update the Removal schedule to the end of the month, as this would not meet the request of keeping the clone for an additional 14 days. References:

Nutanix Database Management & Automation Training Course, Module 4: Protecting Databases Using Time Machine, Lesson 3: Cloning Databases, Slide 10: Clone Removal Schedule

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) 5 Exam, Section 5: Protect NDB-managed Databases Using Time Machine, Objective 5.3: Given business requirements, perform a database clone

 The correct answer is B and D because they are the two restore options that can be used to restore an Oracle database to the prior day’s state using Nutanix Era. A snapshot is a point-in-time copy of a database that is stored in the Era Time Machine, which is a distributed file system that collects logs and snapshots from databases. A point in time is a specific moment in time within the retention period of the SLA policy that is applied to the database. By using either of these options, the administrator can select the snapshot or the point in time that corresponds to the prior day’s state and restore the database from it. The other options are not correct because they are not restore options that are available in Nutanix Era. Option A is not correct because Most Recent Time Available is not a restore option, but a clone option that creates a clone of the database from the most recent snapshot or log backup. Option C is not correct because Tail Logs Backup is not a restore option, but a backup option that captures the transaction logs of the database that have not been backed up by the SLA policy. References: Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) course, Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) certification, Nutanix NCP-DB Certification Exam Syllabus and Study Guide, [Nutanix Database Services: Database modernization with Era - Now available]

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

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

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

NDB supports Linux OS patching for database server VMs. Linux OS patching is performed by using the yum or apt package managers, depending on the Linux distribution. To exclude Kernel patches for the Linux OS, the administrator can disable or exclude the appropriate repositories on the VM prior to patching. This can be done by editing the yum.conf or apt.conf files, or by using the --disablerepo or --exclude options in the yum or apt commands. This way, the administrator can control which patches are applied to the VM without affecting other VMs or requiring additional scripts or reboots.

References:

Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB) Course Details, Section 4.2: NDB Linux OS Patching

Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB) Certification Details, Objective 4.2: Perform Linux OS Patching

Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB) YouTube Playlist, Video 4.2: NDB Linux OS Patching

Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB) User Guide, Section 4.5: Patch Linux OS Software

In Nutanix Database Service (NDB), alert retention is a configurable setting that determines how long alerts (e.g., system issues, performance warnings, or database events) are stored in the system for review and analysis. Based on NDB’s design and administrative policies, the maximum number of days allowed for alert retention is 180 days. This duration allows administrators to maintain a reasonable historical view of system health while preventing excessive data accumulation that could impact performance. This value is typically set as a default maximum in the NDB settings or via Prism Central integration, and administrators can adjust retention periods within this limit based on organizational needs.

Option A (90) is incorrect as it represents a shorter retention period, which may be a configurable minimum or intermediate value but not the maximum.

Option B (180) is correct as it matches the documented maximum alert retention period in NDB.

Option C (270) is incorrect as it exceeds the standard maximum retention period supported by NDB.

Option D (306) is incorrect as it is not a supported retention limit in NDB’s configuration options.

Administrators should verify this setting in the NDB UI under alert management or consult Nutanix support for custom configurations.

References

Nutanix Database Service (NDB) User Guide, Chapter 6: Administering an NDB Environment, Section: Configuring Alert Settings

Nutanix Support & Insights, Technical Note: "Alert Retention and Management in NDB"

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Blueprint, Section 6: Administer an NDB Environment

To roll back an Oracle patch on a database server VM using NDB, the patch must have been applied using NDB in the first place. This is because NDB maintains a patch inventory and history for each database server VM and database that it manages. NDB uses this information to determine which patches can be rolled back and how to revert the changes made by the patch. If the patch was applied outside of NDB, NDB would not have the patch information and would not be able to roll back the patch. Therefore, the patch must have been applied using NDB for the rollback action to be successful. The other options are not required for the rollback action. The database does not need to be shut down or in read-only mode, as NDB can perform the rollback operation online. The patch does not need to be applied on Grid home only, as NDB can roll back patches applied on both Grid home and Database home. References:

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5, Section 4 - Operate and Maintain an NDB Environment, Objective 4.4: Determine the correct method to apply Linux OS patches

Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) Course, Module 5: Nutanix Database Service (NDB) Patching, Lesson 5.1: Patching Overview, Topic: Patching Concepts

[Nutanix Database Service (NDB) User Guide], Chapter 7: Patching, Section: Rolling Back a Patch

To register an Oracle Database Server VM to Era in Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB), certain dependencies must be met. One of these is that SUDO NOPASS access is required1. This allows the Era service to perform necessary operations on the Oracle Database Server VM. As for assigning a static IP address to the Era VM on ESXi, you can use the vSphere Client to configure static IP settings2. However, this is not directly related to the registration of an Oracle Database Server VM to Era. Please note that these answers are based on the information available as of my last update in 2021 and may need to be verified with the most recent Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB) documentation or resources.