Free Practice Questions for Nutanix NCP-DB Exam

To configure a database with a Time Machine protection mode that includes the Log Catchup operation in NDB, the most essential component is a Service Level Agreement (SLA) that supports continuous log retention. The Log Catchup operation enables point-in-time recovery (PITR) by replaying transaction logs from a specified point, ensuring minimal data loss and meeting Recovery Point Objective (RPO) requirements. This functionality depends on the Time Machine being configured with an SLA that includes the "Continuous Log Retention" option, which ensures transaction logs are captured and retained continuously alongside snapshots.

Option A is incorrect because a daily snapshot alone is insufficient without log retention to enable Log Catchup.

Option B is incorrect because an SLA retention schedule for daily snapshots does not inherently include continuous log capture, which is required for Log Catchup.

Option C is correct as it specifies the Continuous Log Retention option, the critical feature for enabling Log Catchup in a Time Machine SLA.

Option D is incorrect because while frequency settings are important, they are secondary to selecting an SLA with continuous log retention as the foundational requirement.

This configuration ensures robust data protection and recovery capabilities tailored to the database’s needs.

References

Nutanix Database Service (NDB) User Guide, Chapter 5: Configuring Time Machines, Section: Setting Up SLAs with Log Catchup

Nutanix Support & Insights, Knowledge Base Article: "Configuring Time Machine with Log Catchup in NDB"

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

In a high availability (HA) Nutanix Database Service (NDB) environment, custom SSL certificates are used to secure communication between clients (e.g., NDB GUI, API calls) and the NDB control plane. The HA Proxy VMs serve as the entry point for all external traffic, load balancing requests across the NDB API server VMs and providing secure SSL termination. When configuring custom SSL certificates, they must be updated on all HA Proxy VMs to ensure consistent and secure communication across the HA environment. Updating only a subset of servers or other components (like API or Repository VMs) would lead to inconsistencies or SSL handshake failures.

Option A (All API server VMs) is incorrect because the API servers do not directly handle external SSL termination; this is managed by the HA Proxy layer.

Option B (All HA Proxy VMs) is correct as these VMs are responsible for SSL termination and load balancing in an HA setup, requiring the custom certificates to be applied uniformly.

Option C (The API and Repository VMs running on the primary cluster) is incorrect because Repository VMs do not handle client-facing traffic, and the API servers rely on HA Proxy for SSL handling.

Option D (The primary API, Repository, and HA Proxy servers) is incorrect because it implies a single "primary" server focus, whereas in an HA setup, all HA Proxy VMs (not just a primary one) must be updated.

This aligns with NDB’s HA architecture, where HA Proxy VMs are the critical components for SSL certificate management.

References

Nutanix Database Service (NDB) User Guide, Chapter 3: Configuring an NDB Environment, Section: Configuring High Availability and SSL Certificates

Nutanix Support & Insights, Knowledge Base Article: "Configuring Custom SSL Certificates in NDB HA 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, when doing an Era software upgrade for a Multi-Cluster enabled installation, the Era Cluster Agent is upgraded first1. This is the first component in a Nutanix Environment Upgrade cycle2. The Era Cluster Agent is crucial for managing and monitoring the health of the Nutanix clusters1. Please refer to the official Nutanix documentation and training materials for more detailed information1.

An NDB Software Profile is a template of the OS and database engine that you can use to provision or clone database server VMs using NDB. To create a software profile, you need to upload an installer package for the database software that you want to use, such as SQL Server or Oracle. The installer package must be compatible with the OS image that you have registered with Prism Element. You do not need a database server VM registered with NDB, a patch file for the installed databases, or an OS image registered with Prism Element to create a software profile. Those are required for other tasks, such as creating a software profile version, registering a database server VM, or provisioning a database server VM.

References: Nutanix Benefit 8: Integrated Self-service Database Management, Nutanix Support & Insights, section “NDB Software”

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.

 According to the Nutanix Database Automation (NCP-DB) learning documents, when dealing with an Availability Group (AG) database, the database should be registered as an Availability database1. This is because the AG database is hosted on replicas with different named instances, and registering it as an Availability database allows for Copy Data Management operations to be performed across all instances. This is particularly important when services such as the Analytics service running on SQLAGN3\DW require real-time data1.

The administrator should perform a rolling upgrade, applying the patch to the secondary members first, followed by the primary member, to accomplish the task of patching a MongoDB server cluster within an NDB environment. A rolling upgrade is a method of applying patches or updates to a cluster without downtime or interruption of service. The administrator can use the NDB patching feature to perform a rolling upgrade on a MongoDB server cluster, which consists of a primary member and one or more secondary members that form a replica set. The NDB patching feature allows the administrator to select the software profile version, the database parameters profile, and the network profile for the patching operation. The NDB patching feature also automates the steps of the rolling upgrade, such as:

Step 1: The administrator initiates the patching operation on the NDB instance, and selects the MongoDB server cluster to be patched.

Step 2: The NDB instance verifies the prerequisites and compatibility of the patching operation, and creates a pre-patch snapshot of the MongoDB server cluster.

Step 3: The NDB instance applies the patch to the first secondary member of the MongoDB server cluster, and waits for the patching to complete successfully.

Step 4: The NDB instance verifies the status and functionality of the patched secondary member, and repeats the patching process for the remaining secondary members of the MongoDB server cluster, one at a time.

Step 5: The NDB instance performs a failover of the primary member to one of the patched secondary members, and applies the patch to the original primary member.

Step 6: The NDB instance verifies the status and functionality of the patched primary member, and performs a failback of the primary member to the original primary member, if desired.

Step 7: The NDB instance creates a post-patch snapshot of the MongoDB server cluster, and completes the patching operation.

Performing a rolling upgrade, applying the patch to the secondary members first, followed by the primary member, is the recommended and best practice method of patching a MongoDB server cluster within an NDB environment, as it ensures the high availability, consistency, and performance of the MongoDB server cluster and the databases.

Performing a rolling upgrade, applying the patch to the primary member first, followed by the secondary members, is not a valid or feasible method of patching a MongoDB server cluster within an NDB environment, as it would cause downtime, data loss, and inconsistency of the MongoDB server cluster and the databases. Applying the patch to the primary member first would disrupt the replication and synchronization of the MongoDB server cluster, and would require manual intervention and recovery steps to restore the MongoDB server cluster to a functional state.

Applying the patch to all nodes at once is not a valid or feasible method of patching a MongoDB server cluster within an NDB environment, as it would cause downtime, data loss, and inconsistency of the MongoDB server cluster and the databases. Applying the patch to all nodes at once would require shutting down the entire MongoDB server cluster, and would expose the MongoDB server cluster and the databases to potential errors, failures, and corruption during the patching process.

Disabling the replica set while patching is not a valid or feasible method of patching a MongoDB server cluster within an NDB environment, as it would cause downtime, data loss, and inconsistency of the MongoDB server cluster and the databases. Disabling the replica set while patching would break the replication and synchronization of the MongoDB server cluster, and would require manual intervention and recovery steps to re-enable the replica set and restore the MongoDB server cluster to a functional state.

References:

Nutanix Database Management & Automation Training Course, Module 5: Nutanix Era Operations, Lesson 5.1: Nutanix Era Operations, slides 11-12, 15-16.

Nutanix Database Management & Automation Training Course, Module 5: Nutanix Era Operations, Lesson 5.3: Nutanix Era Patching, slides 5-9.

Nutanix Database Management & Automation Training Course, Module 5: Nutanix Era Operations, Lesson 5.4: Nutanix Era Patching Lab, slides 5-10.

Nutanix Database Management & Automation Training Course, Module 7: Nutanix Era Troubleshooting, Lesson 7.1: Nutanix Era Troubleshooting, slide 6.

If an SQL database clone deletion fails immediately in NDB, the most likely cause is that the clone has been marked as Immutable. An immutable clone is protected from deletion to prevent accidental data loss, often set for critical development or testing environments. This protection must be explicitly removed by the administrator (e.g., via the NDB GUI or CLI) before the deletion can proceed.

Option A (A refresh operation is in progress) is incorrect because a refresh operation would delay but not immediately fail the deletion.

Option B (The clone has been marked as Immutable) is correct as immutability blocks deletion until changed.

Option C (The database was not marked as Offline before the operation) is incorrect because the offline state is not a prerequisite for clone deletion.

Option D (The database data drives are shared with other applications) is incorrect because shared drives might cause issues, but immutability is a more direct cause of immediate failure.

References

Nutanix Database Service (NDB) User Guide, Chapter 5: Configuring Time Machines, Section: Managing Clones and Deletion

Nutanix Support & Insights, Knowledge Base Article: "Troubleshooting Clone Deletion Failures in NDB"

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

The scenario describes a PostgreSQL HA deployment managed by NDB, where an NDB-managed VLAN (PGSQLVLAN40) restricts database communication to only within VLAN 40. This indicates a network isolation issue, likely due to VLAN segmentation or routing misconfiguration, preventing communication with external networks or other VLANs. Since NDB manages the VLAN and assigns it to the database VMs, the issue lies beyond NDB’s direct control and involves the underlying network infrastructure (e.g., switches, routers, or Prism Element network settings).

Here’s why the other options are insufficient:

A. Use VLAN 1: VLAN 1 is typically a default VLAN and not recommended for production use due to security and isolation concerns. Changing to VLAN 1 does not address the root cause and could introduce further issues.

B. Change the Default Gateway on the PostgreSQL servers and update NDB: While adjusting the default gateway might enable external communication, this is a workaround rather than a fix. NDB manages the network configuration, and manual changes could be overwritten or cause inconsistency. The root issue (VLAN routing) remains unaddressed.

D. Delete the database servers, VLAN name PGSQLVLAN40, and redeploy: This is overly disruptive and unnecessary, as recreating everything under a new VLAN name does not guarantee resolution unless the network configuration is corrected.

The best approach is to engage the networking team to investigate and resolve the issue, such as configuring inter-VLAN routing, updating firewall rules, or adjusting the default gateway at the network level. Going forward, the administrator should collaborate with the networking team during VLAN planning to ensure proper connectivity. Thus, the verified answer is C.

Official Nutanix Database Automation References

Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) course, Module 4: Troubleshooting NDB, Lesson 4.1: Identifying and Resolving Network Issues.

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Knowledge Objectives, Section 4: Troubleshoot NDB Solutions, Objective 4.2: Resolve Network-Related Issues (applicable to v6.10).

Nutanix NDB Administration Guide: "Networking Considerations for HA Deployments" section.

To ensure the NDB server, NDB agent, and NDB database agent can communicate with the registered cluster via REST API calls, port 2009 must be opened. This port is used by NDB components to facilitate RESTful communication with the Nutanix cluster (e.g., Prism Element or Prism Central) for operations such as provisioning, monitoring, and management. Proper firewall configuration to allow traffic on this port is a prerequisite for NDB’s integration with the cluster.

Other options are incorrect:

B. 3205: Not a standard NDB port; used for other Nutanix services.

C. 3260: Associated with iSCSI, not REST API communication.

D. 9440: Used for Prism Element’s HTTPS management interface, not NDB-specific REST calls.

Thus, the verified answer is A, reflecting NDB’s REST API requirements.

Official Nutanix Database Automation References

Nutanix Database Management & Automation (NDMA) course, Module 2: Deploying and Configuring an NDB Solution, Lesson 2.1: Network and Port Requirements.

Nutanix Certified Professional - Database Automation (NCP-DB) v6.5 Knowledge Objectives, Section 2: Deploy and Configure an NDB Solution, Objective 2.1: Prepare Hosts (applicable to v6.10).

Nutanix NDB Installation Guide: "Network Ports and Protocols" section, specifying port 2009.