NSEA study plan

NSEA · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 7 hours per week

Week 1

Core Platform Architecture and Distributed System Design & Nutanix Fundamentals and Hyperconverged Infrastructure Concepts

Sketch a block diagram from memory showing Controller VM, hypervisor, CVM-attached disks, and the distributed storage fabric path, then label every data flow
Explain in writing why storage is decoupled from the hypervisor and how the CVM serves I/O to guest VMs
Define the AOS, AHV, Prism, and Prism Central layers and state which one runs where
List five problems HCI solves compared with a SAN-plus-hypervisor stack and match each to a platform component

A one-page hand-drawn architecture diagram plus a 300-word written explanation of the I/O path, self-graded against the domain-2 outline

Week 2

Describe how the distributed storage fabric replicates, stripes, and rebalances data when a node is added or lost
Trace a write from guest VM to acknowledged durable copy and identify each hop and cache involved
Compare replication factor and erasure coding on capacity cost and rebuild behavior
Explain the role of the Metadata Ring, Curator, and Stargate services without notes

A written 15-question self-quiz on distributed-system internals with your own answer key scoring at least 12 of 15

Week 3

Calculate usable capacity for a given raw capacity under RF2, RF3, and erasure coding and show the arithmetic
Design a protection-domain layout for a 4-node and a 6-node cluster and justify replica placement
Explain snapshot and clone mechanics, including where space is consumed and when it is reclaimed
Describe replication and disaster-recovery topologies and state the recovery-point implications of each

A capacity and resiliency worksheet covering three cluster sizes with RF and erasure-coding options and recommended choice per scenario

Week 4

Diagram virtual switching on AHV including bridge, bond, and VLAN handling for guest traffic
Explain how storage and management traffic are separated from guest traffic and what breaks if they are not
Describe node failure handling end to end from network detection through data rebuild
Compare network segmentation approaches and pick one for a multi-tenant design

A network design sheet for a 4-node cluster showing bonds, VLANs, storage network, and a failure walkthrough

Week 5

Write the pre-install checklist: firmware, IP plan, DNS, NTP, and cluster sizing inputs
Sequence the install steps from bare metal to a running Prism Element cluster and note validation gates
Explain how a new node is discovered, imaged, and expanded into a cluster and what pre-checks matter
List the common install failures and the first diagnostic step for each

A reusable install runbook with numbered steps, validation checkpoints, and a troubleshooting table

Week 6

Map the day-2 operations lifecycle: health checks, alerts, upgrades, and capacity trending
Describe how Prism Element and Prism Central differ in scope and when each is used
Explain how to interpret cluster health, disk health, and alert states and what action each implies
Outline an upgrade sequence and the pre-upgrade checks that prevent outages

A day-2 operations checklist covering monitoring, alert triage, upgrade readiness, and capacity review

Week 7

Run a discovery interview script that captures workloads, growth, IOPS, and resiliency requirements
Size a cluster from stated workload inputs and defend the node count and RF choice
Identify the top five discovery questions that change a design decision and explain why
Write a short design rationale tying each requirement to a platform capability

A two-page solution design for a fictional customer including sizing math, assumptions, and risks

Week 8

Re-take every weekly self-quiz and log missed concepts by domain
Rewrite from memory the architecture, storage, and network diagrams with no references
Drill the sizing and capacity calculations until each is completed without notes
Review only the logged weak areas and close each gap with a written explanation

A final readiness report listing per-domain confidence scores, all closed gaps, and any remaining weak areas

Week 2: Explain the write path and data rebuild from memory in under five minutes with no notes

Week 4: Produce correct usable-capacity math for RF2, RF3, and erasure coding on a sample cluster

Week 5: Walk through a full install and node-expansion sequence with validation gates in the right order

Week 8: Score at least 80 percent on the combined weekly self-quizzes and complete all diagrams from memory