Nutanix_NCP_DB_Topics and Concepts - itnett/FTD02H-N GitHub Wiki
Here's a detailed table that covers the essential topics, terms, services, and concepts from the NCP-DB 6.5 exam blueprint. For each item, the table explains what it is and what it is not, helping you to discern the correct answers from the incorrect ones during the exam.
NCP-DB 6.5 Exam Topics and Concepts Table
| Topic/Term/Service/Concept | What It Is | What It Is Not |
|---|---|---|
| NDB (Nutanix Database Service) | A database-as-a-service platform for automating database management tasks (e.g., provisioning, patching, cloning). It integrates with Nutanix infrastructure (AOS, Prism). | A standalone database engine or a non-integrated tool. NDB is not a database management system like Oracle or SQL Server itself; it's a management layer over them. |
| AOS (Acropolis Operating System) | The underlying software that powers Nutanix hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI), integrating compute, storage, and virtualization into a single platform. | A separate operating system like Windows or Linux; AOS is specific to Nutanix and works within its infrastructure. |
| Prism | Nutanix’s management interface for monitoring and managing Nutanix clusters, providing a unified console for managing storage, compute, and network resources. | A database management tool; Prism manages the infrastructure that supports databases, but it does not directly manage the databases themselves. |
| One-Click Provisioning | A feature that automates the deployment of databases with predefined profiles, streamlining the setup process and ensuring consistent configuration. | A manual or partially automated process; One-Click Provisioning is fully automated and requires minimal user intervention once configured. |
| One-Click Patching | An automated process for applying updates and patches to databases, minimizing downtime and reducing the risk of human error. | A manual patching process; One-Click Patching does not require manual intervention during the patch application process. |
| Time Machine | A feature within NDB that manages snapshots and point-in-time recovery for databases, governed by SLAs to define snapshot frequency and retention. | A traditional backup system; Time Machine is specifically for snapshots and point-in-time recovery, not full-system backups. |
| High Availability (HA) | A configuration in NDB that ensures databases remain available even if a node fails, using redundancy and failover mechanisms. | A performance enhancement feature; HA focuses on availability and continuity, not on improving database performance under normal operation. |
| Provisioning Profiles | Templates in NDB that define resource allocation (CPU, memory, storage) when deploying databases, ensuring consistent performance across deployments. | General configurations or settings; Provisioning Profiles are specifically designed templates for resource allocation during the database provisioning process. |
| Data Access Management (DAM) | Security policies that control access to database copies, ensuring only authorized users can access sensitive data, supporting multi-tenant environments. | General user management; DAM specifically controls access to database copies, not overall user access within the NDB environment. |
| Copy Data Management (CDM) | A strategy in NDB that optimizes the management of data copies (snapshots, clones) to minimize redundancy and reduce storage costs. | A backup solution; CDM is about managing existing copies of data efficiently, not about creating new backups or recovering data from backups. |
| NDB Software Compatibility | Ensures that all software components (NDB, AOS, Prism, database engines) are compatible and can work together without conflicts, detailed in a compatibility matrix. | A software feature or setting; Compatibility is about ensuring that the right versions of software are used together, not an adjustable feature within the software. |
| Snapshot | A point-in-time copy of a database used for backups, cloning, or recovery. Snapshots in NDB are managed through Time Machine and SLAs. | A full backup; snapshots are incremental and only capture changes since the last snapshot, unlike full backups which capture the entire database state. |
| Cloning | The process of creating an exact copy of a database in NDB, often used for testing, development, or backup without impacting the original database. | A backup or archival process; cloning creates an active, usable copy of the database, not a backup or archive meant for long-term storage. |
| Vertical Scaling | Increasing the resources (CPU, memory) allocated to a database or VM to improve performance. Vertical scaling adjusts the power of a single node or VM. | Adding more nodes to a cluster; vertical scaling enhances the capacity of an individual node, not the overall cluster size (which is horizontal scaling). |
| Horizontal Scaling | Adding more nodes to a Nutanix cluster to increase capacity and resilience. Horizontal scaling allows for load distribution across multiple nodes. | Increasing the resources of a single node (which is vertical scaling); horizontal scaling involves adding new nodes, not enhancing existing ones. |
| SSL Certificates | Digital certificates used to encrypt data transmitted between clients and the NDB server, ensuring secure communication. | General encryption settings; SSL certificates specifically manage the encryption of communications over the network, not other types of encryption. |
| NTP/DNS Configuration | Settings in NDB that ensure correct time synchronization (NTP) and name resolution (DNS) across the network, critical for operations and logging. | Basic network settings; NTP and DNS are specific configurations that must be accurate for proper network operation and database consistency. |
| Firewall Ports | Specific network ports that must be open on a firewall to allow necessary traffic between NDB and other network resources. | General network settings; firewall ports are specific to enabling communication for certain services, not overall network configuration. |
| Network Segmentation | Dividing a network into smaller, isolated segments to improve security and manage traffic more effectively. | Basic network management; segmentation is a security and performance enhancement technique, not just a division of network resources. |
| Greenfield Databases | New database deployments with no prior existing infrastructure, allowing for optimal design and configuration from scratch. | Migrating existing databases; Greenfield refers to starting fresh, not integrating or moving existing databases into a new environment. |
| Brownfield Databases | Existing databases being integrated into NDB, often requiring careful planning to maintain compatibility and data integrity. | New deployments; Brownfield refers to working with and possibly migrating existing infrastructure, not creating new databases from scratch. |
| Backup | A complete copy of a database or system that can be used to restore data in the event of a failure or data loss. Backups are typically stored separately from live data. | A snapshot or clone; backups are full copies meant for long-term storage, while snapshots and clones are more immediate, operational copies. |
| Replication | The process of copying data from one location to another to ensure redundancy and data availability, often used in disaster recovery scenarios. | A snapshot or clone; replication involves continuously copying data to another location, while snapshots and clones are point-in-time copies within the same location. |
| Failover | The automatic switching to a standby system or component when the primary system fails, ensuring continuous availability. | Load balancing; failover is about continuity in the event of failure, not distributing workloads under normal operations. |
| Prism Central | A centralized management interface for managing multiple Nutanix clusters, providing a unified view and control of resources across environments. | A localized management tool; Prism Central manages across clusters, whereas Prism Element is for single-cluster management. |
| Nutanix Calm Blueprints | Templates that define the structure and components of an application or service, including deployment, scaling, and lifecycle management, used for automating tasks in NDB. | General configuration files; Calm Blueprints are specific, structured templates for automating and managing applications, not just any type of configuration script. |
| Scaling (Vertical and Horizontal) | Adjusting resources either by increasing a single node’s capacity (vertical) or by adding more nodes to a cluster (horizontal) to meet performance demands. | General resource allocation; scaling is specifically about increasing the capacity or size of infrastructure, not just routine adjustments to existing resources. |
| Resource Allocation | The process of assigning specific amounts of CPU, memory, and storage to a database or application to meet performance requirements. | General configuration; resource allocation is targeted at ensuring databases have the right amount of resources, not just setting up defaults. |
| Service Resiliency | The ability of NDB to recover quickly from failures, maintaining service availability through redundancy, failover, and HA configurations. | Performance enhancement; service resiliency focuses on maintaining uptime and availability, not on improving operational performance metrics. |
How to Use This Table During the Exam
- Understanding the Context: When answering questions, consider the context—whether the question is about deployment, security, resource management, or data protection—and match it to the corresponding concept in the table.
- Identifying Traps: Incorrect answers often describe concepts or features in a way that they are not. Use the "What It Is Not" column to quickly identify and eliminate these incorrect options.
- Focusing on Precision: Pay attention to the exact wording in questions and answers. Small details (like "manual" vs. "automated" or "full backup" vs. "snapshot