NCP‐MCA_18 - itnett/FTD02H-N GitHub Wiki
Here is a comprehensive cheat sheet based on the mock questions and flashcards created for the Nutanix NCP-MCA 6.5 exam. This table will provide a quick reference to the key concepts, features, and functions covered in the exam.
Nutanix NCP-MCA 6.5 Cheat Sheet
| Topic | Key Concept/Feature | Description | Example/Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calm Blueprint | Pre-create Task | Executes tasks before the main provisioning, like setting up prerequisites. | Installing software dependencies before VM deployment. |
| Post-delete Task | Executes tasks after a resource is decommissioned. | Cleaning up temporary files after VM deletion. | |
| Service Dependencies | Ensures services start in the correct order to prevent errors. | Database starts before application server. | |
| Substrate Task | Defines the base VM configuration (OS, disk size, network settings). | Setting up a new VM with specified resources. | |
| Macros | Dynamically assigns values (IP addresses, hostnames) during deployment. | @@{address}@@ to assign IP addresses. |
|
| Calm Playbooks | Triggers | Automate tasks based on specific triggers (Manual, Alert-based). | Restart a service when a CPU usage alert is triggered. |
| HTTP Task | Executes HTTP requests to external APIs for integration with third-party services. | Integrating with an IPAM solution to request a static IP address. | |
| Alert-based Automation | Executes actions automatically based on alerts or events. | Sending a notification when a security event is detected. | |
| Self-Service Portal | End-User Provisioning | Allows end-users to provision and manage resources without admin intervention. | Users can deploy VMs or applications autonomously. |
| Approval Policies | Defines who can approve specific changes or deployments. | Requiring manager approval before deploying production workloads. | |
| Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) | Manages user permissions and access to Blueprints, applications, and portal. | Restricting certain users from accessing sensitive applications. | |
| Calm Marketplace | Blueprint Sharing | Provides a centralized repository for sharing Blueprints and applications across an organization. | Publishing a standardized multi-tier application deployment Blueprint. |
| Automation Techniques | Scaling Policies | Automates scaling of applications based on resource usage. | Scaling out VMs when CPU usage exceeds 80%. |
| Task Automation | Automates repetitive tasks to reduce manual workload and ensure consistency. | Scheduling backups and snapshots on a daily basis. | |
| Governance and Compliance | Granular RBAC | Defines specific access permissions for different users, ensuring security and compliance. | Allowing only specific roles to deploy sensitive workloads. |
| Approval Policies | Requires certain changes or deployments to be approved by designated personnel. | Approval required for deploying critical applications. | |
| Monitoring and Validation | Audit Tab | Provides logs and records for tracking, validating, and troubleshooting deployments. | Reviewing deployment logs to identify the cause of a failure. |
| Built-in Validation Tool | Checks Blueprint configurations for errors before deployment. | Validating a Blueprint to ensure all network settings are correct. | |
| Network and Storage Management | Dynamic IP Assignment | Uses macros or IPAM integration to dynamically assign IP addresses. | Assigning unique IPs to VMs during deployment. |
| Storage Monitoring | Uses Prism Central tools to monitor storage performance (IOPS, latency, throughput). | Checking for high latency issues in storage I/O. | |
| Resource Usage Alerts | Alerts when a VM's CPU, memory, or other resources exceed predefined thresholds. | Notifying admin when a VM's CPU usage stays above 80% for 5 minutes. | |
| Integration and Compatibility | Multi-Cloud Deployment | Supports deployment across multiple cloud environments (AHV, AWS, Azure, VMware). | Deploying applications in a hybrid cloud setup. |
| Third-Party Integration | Integrates with external services via HTTP tasks and APIs. | Connecting to external monitoring tools using REST APIs. | |
| Security and Compliance | Automated Security Responses | Uses Playbooks to automatically respond to security alerts. | Isolating a compromised VM based on alert triggers. |
| Troubleshooting | Common Causes of Deployment Failures | Includes incorrect credentials, network misconfigurations, insufficient permissions. | Resolving a "check login" error by updating credentials. |
| Task Failure Troubleshooting | Reviewing task logs and error messages to identify and correct issues. | Diagnosing a failed script execution due to missing network adapter. |
Key Tips:
- Pre-create vs. Post-delete Tasks: Remember that pre-create tasks run before deployment to set up prerequisites, while post-delete tasks clean up after a resource is decommissioned.
- Playbooks and Blueprints: Use Playbooks for event-driven automation and Blueprints for defining complete deployment workflows.
- Macros: Essential for dynamic and flexible deployment, particularly in multi-cloud environments.
- Governance: Utilize RBAC and Approval Policies to enforce security and compliance across deployments.
Here is the comprehensive cheat sheet for the Nutanix NCP-MCA 6.5 exam, covering all major topics and objectives from the exam blueprint. This will help you quickly review and consolidate all the critical information needed to ace the exam.
Nutanix NCP-MCA 6.5 Comprehensive Cheat Sheet
| Section | Key Concept/Feature | Description | Example/Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automation Concepts and Principles | Pre-create and Post-delete Tasks | Automates actions before and after deployment. | Pre-create: Install software, Post-delete: Cleanup tasks after VM removal. |
| Service Dependencies | Controls the order of service startup to prevent errors. | Ensuring databases are online before web servers start. | |
| Macros | Dynamic placeholders that assign values during deployment. | @@{address}@@ for dynamic IP assignment. |
|
| HTTP Task | Executes HTTP requests to interact with external APIs. | Requesting a static IP from an IPAM solution. | |
| Deploy and Configure Self-Service | Calm Blueprints | Defines automated deployment workflows for infrastructure and applications. | Deploying a multi-tier application across environments. |
| Substrates | Specifies VM configuration details such as OS, network, and storage. | Creating a VM with specific resources like CPU, memory, and storage. | |
| Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) | Controls user permissions for access to Blueprints and resources. | Limiting access to sensitive applications to authorized users. | |
| Approval Policies | Sets rules for who can approve changes or deployments. | Requiring manager approval for production deployments. | |
| Validate and Troubleshoot Automation | Built-in Validation Tool | Verifies Blueprint configurations before deployment to detect errors. | Checking for incorrect network configurations before deploying. |
| Audit Tab | Logs and tracks all actions, changes, and errors during deployment. | Reviewing logs to troubleshoot a failed deployment. | |
| Resource Usage Alerts | Monitors and alerts when VM resources exceed predefined thresholds. | Triggering an alert when CPU usage remains above 80% for 5 minutes. | |
| Task Automation | Automates recurring tasks, such as backups or snapshots, to reduce manual effort. | Scheduling daily snapshots of critical VMs. | |
| Advanced Automation Techniques | Playbooks | Automates tasks and workflows based on events, alerts, or manual triggers. | Restarting a service in response to a CPU usage alert. |
| Event-Driven Automation | Executes tasks automatically in response to specific events, such as security alerts. | Isolating a VM upon detecting a potential breach. | |
| Task Library | Stores reusable tasks that can be applied to multiple Blueprints. | Reusing a script task across different application deployments. | |
| Governance and Compliance | Granular RBAC | Provides detailed access control for managing users, Blueprints, and resources. | Defining roles for read-only and admin access. |
| Compliance Automation | Uses Approval Policies and Playbooks to enforce compliance during deployment. | Automatically applying patches to all VMs in compliance with company policy. | |
| Manage and Configure Self-Service | Self-Service Portal | Enables end-users to provision and manage resources within defined policies and quotas. | Allowing users to deploy test environments without admin intervention. |
| Project Quotas | Limits the amount of resources (CPU, memory, storage) that a project can consume. | Restricting a development project to 50 VMs and 200 GB of storage. | |
| Approval and Scheduler Tasks | Automates the approval and scheduling of deployments and changes. | Scheduling backups to run every night at 2 AM. | |
| Multi-Cloud Deployment and Integration | Multi-Cloud Deployment | Supports deploying workloads across multiple cloud environments (AHV, AWS, Azure, VMware). | Deploying an application in a hybrid cloud setup using Nutanix Calm. |
| Third-Party Integration | Uses HTTP tasks and APIs to integrate with external systems and services. | Integrating with ServiceNow for ticketing and approval processes. | |
| Security and Compliance | Automated Security Responses | Uses Playbooks to automate responses to security threats and alerts. | Running a script to isolate a compromised VM from the network. |
| Policy-Driven Governance | Enforces organizational policies through Approval Policies, RBAC, and automation. | Requiring specific role approvals for all production deployments. | |
| Monitor and Analyze Automation | Storage Performance Monitoring | Monitors storage metrics such as IOPS, latency, and throughput in Prism Central. | Analyzing storage latency to optimize performance. |
| Scaling Policies | Automates scaling actions based on resource usage metrics like CPU or memory. | Scaling out web servers when CPU usage is above 75%. | |
| Troubleshooting | Common Causes of Deployment Failures | Includes invalid credentials, network misconfigurations, missing dependencies, insufficient resources. | Troubleshooting a "network not reachable" error by checking network adapters. |
| Playbook and Blueprint Debugging | Uses logs, audit trails, and validation tools to identify and fix errors. | Fixing a deployment error by adjusting incorrect credentials or parameters. |
Additional Tips:
- Macros: Always use macros to ensure flexibility and dynamic configuration in Blueprints.
- Validation: Validate Blueprints before deployment to prevent runtime errors.
- Playbooks: Leverage Playbooks for event-driven automation to improve responsiveness and reduce manual intervention.
- Governance: Use RBAC and Approval Policies to maintain control and compliance in your Nutanix Calm environment.
- Integration: Utilize HTTP tasks and APIs for seamless integration with external services.
Key Mnemonics and Recall Aids:
- "Pre before Pro, Post after Poof!" – Use pre-create tasks before provisioning and post-delete tasks after de-provisioning.
- "Macros make magic" – Dynamically adjust values like IPs and hostnames for flexible deployments.
- "Check before you Deck" – Always validate configurations before deployment.
- "Trigger to Action" – Connect alert types to appropriate Playbook actions for automation.
Here’s the continuation of the comprehensive cheat sheet for the Nutanix NCP-MCA 6.5 exam, focusing on topics that were not fully covered in the previous sections. This will ensure that all exam objectives are addressed.
Nutanix NCP-MCA 6.5 Additional Cheat Sheet Topics
| Section | Key Concept/Feature | Description | Example/Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blueprint Validation and Deployment | Blueprint Best Practices | Follow best practices for efficient and error-free blueprint creation. | Use versioning and reuse common components through the Task Library. |
| Error Handling in Blueprints | Implement error handling to capture and log errors during deployments. | Use try/catch blocks in scripts to log errors and exit gracefully. | |
| Blueprint Versioning | Manage changes in Blueprints by tracking versions to ensure consistency. | Use version control to maintain different versions of a production Blueprint. | |
| Common Blueprint Errors | Typical errors include invalid configurations, missing dependencies, and incorrect macro usage. | Double-check macro syntax and validate Blueprint settings. | |
| Event-Driven Playbooks | Event Types in Calm | Types of events that can trigger Playbooks include system alerts, manual triggers, and API calls. | Automatically scaling out infrastructure when CPU usage exceeds a threshold. |
| Conditional Actions in Playbooks | Actions within a Playbook can be conditional, allowing different paths based on the state or input. | Using conditions to decide whether to reboot a server or send an alert. | |
| Category Management | Creating and Using Categories | Categories are used to organize and apply policies or settings to specific objects. | Categorizing VMs by environment type (e.g., production, development). |
| Policy Application Based on Categories | Policies can be enforced based on assigned categories to manage resources effectively. | Applying backup policies only to VMs in the 'Production' category. | |
| Blueprint and Category Interaction | Use categories in Blueprints to determine which policies are applied. | Inferring if a policy will be applied to a VM based on its category. | |
| Project Management | Creating Projects | Projects help organize resources, assign quotas, and manage permissions for specific teams. | Creating a project for the development team with limited VM quotas. |
| Assigning Infrastructure to Projects | Specify which infrastructure resources are available for a particular project. | Allocating specific clusters or storage resources to a project. | |
| Resource Quotas for Projects | Define limits for resource consumption within a project to avoid overuse. | Setting a project limit of 100 CPUs and 500 GB of storage. | |
| Runbooks and Task Automation | Common Runbook Features | Runbooks automate sequences of actions across multiple VMs or applications. | Automating software patching across all production VMs. |
| Runbook Execution Methods | Runbooks can be triggered manually, on a schedule, or by specific events. | Running a maintenance script on all servers every Sunday at midnight. | |
| Task Dependencies in Runbooks | Define task dependencies to control execution order and handle prerequisites. | Ensuring database backup completes before starting the VM upgrade task. | |
| Self-Service Managed Infrastructure | Scaling In and Out | Self-service options allow dynamic scaling of infrastructure to meet changing demands. | Users can request additional VMs as needed or decommission unused ones. |
| Retiring Managed Applications | Procedures for retiring and cleaning up resources associated with managed applications. | Automatically deleting databases and storage when an application is retired. | |
| Configuration Settings for Self-Service | Provider Configuration for Calm | Properly configuring provider settings for supported platforms like AHV, AWS, Azure, VMware. | Configuring credentials, network, and storage settings for each provider. |
| Defining Marketplace Capabilities | Marketplace items should have clear descriptions, version control, and appropriate RBAC settings. | Publishing a new version of a multi-tier application in the Marketplace. | |
| Endpoint Configuration | Properly configure endpoints to ensure seamless communication with external systems. | Setting up an endpoint to connect Calm with an external monitoring tool. | |
| Governance Features in Nutanix Calm | Scheduler and Approval Policies | Schedulers automate routine tasks; approval policies ensure proper authorization. | Scheduling routine backups and requiring management approval for deletions. |
| Common Governance Features | Approval workflows, RBAC policies, and audit logging are key governance tools. | Ensuring only authorized users can make critical changes in production. | |
| Monitoring and Logging | Collecting Logs and Troubleshooting Data | Use Calm’s logging capabilities to collect and analyze data for troubleshooting. | Accessing logs from failed deployments to identify root causes. |
| Integrating with External Logging Systems | Configure Calm to send logs to external systems like Splunk or ElasticSearch for central monitoring. | Sending all alert logs to an external SIEM for security monitoring. | |
| Calm Security Best Practices | Enforcing Security Policies | Use RBAC, approval workflows, and automated Playbooks to enforce security policies. | Automatically isolating a VM when unauthorized access is detected. |
| Isolating Compromised Resources | Utilize Calm automation to isolate or quarantine compromised VMs or applications. | Using a Playbook to automatically disconnect a compromised VM from the network. |
Additional Tips and Tricks:
- Event-Driven Playbooks: Set up Playbooks to automate routine responses to common events (e.g., VM overutilization) to save time and reduce manual intervention.
- Category Management: Use categories effectively to apply policies dynamically across various environments without manually adjusting each configuration.
- Version Control: Keep multiple versions of Blueprints to avoid accidental loss of configurations and to track changes over time.
- Runbooks and Dependencies: Plan out task dependencies in Runbooks to ensure efficient execution, especially for complex operations like patch management or upgrades.
Mnemonics and Memory Aids:
- "Categorize to Organize" – Use categories to manage resources effectively by applying policies dynamically.
- "Blueprint, Playbook, Runbook" – Think of Blueprints for defining deployments, Playbooks for event-driven automation, and Runbooks for sequenced tasks.
- "Validate Before You Initiate" – Always validate your Blueprints and configurations before deploying to avoid runtime issues.
- "RBAC for Peace of Mind" – Utilize RBAC policies to ensure secure and compliant access control.
Final Exam Preparation Checklist:
- Review Key Concepts: Go through all key features and concepts covered in this cheat sheet.
- Practice Mock Questions: Use the provided mock questions to test your understanding.
- Understand Common Errors: Familiarize yourself with common errors and troubleshooting methods.
- Leverage Study Tools: Use flashcards and mnemonics to reinforce your memory.
- Stay Calm and Focused: Remember the basics, keep a clear head, and trust your preparation!