NCM-MCI key terms

The per-cluster management interface in Nutanix, running as a distributed service on the Controller VMs. It handles local cluster configuration, storage, and monitoring, and registers with Prism Central for centralized management.

A multi-cluster management appliance that aggregates registered Prism Elements. It provides centralized inventory, categories, policies, RBAC, Flow networking, and multi-cluster operations across the environment.

A virtual machine running on each node that owns and serves the node's local storage, forming the distributed storage fabric. It handles I/O, replication, deduplication, and compression for its host.

The Nutanix software-defined storage layer that pools local disks across cluster nodes into a single logical datastore, providing resiliency, tiering, and data services without external SAN storage.

A logical storage pool abstraction within the distributed storage fabric that defines policies such as replication factor, compression, deduplication, and reservation. VMs are assigned to containers for datastore-level policy control.

The number of copies of data the cluster maintains for a storage container, typically 2 or 3. It determines fault tolerance; RF3 survives two simultaneous disk or node failures.

The failure boundary, usually a node or disk, that the storage fabric considers when placing replicas. Replicas of the same data are placed on separate fault domains to preserve availability.

The reserved cluster resources, in CPU, memory, and storage, needed to reconstruct data and restart workloads after a node failure. It ensures the cluster can sustain a failure without performance collapse.

A group of nodes managed as a single system, sharing the distributed storage fabric and presenting unified compute and storage resources. Clusters register with Prism Central for centralized operations.

The process of adding nodes to an existing cluster to increase capacity or performance. New nodes join the storage fabric and receive data redistributed across the expanded cluster.

Nutanix's native, KVM-based hypervisor included with the platform. It is managed through Prism and supports live migration, HA, and native Nutanix features without additional licensing.

Key-value metadata assigned to VMs and other entities in Prism Central. Categories drive policy application, RBAC scoping, and automation by grouping objects without relying on names or folders.

An access model in Prism Central that grants users or groups permissions through roles scoped to categories, projects, or clusters. It enforces least privilege across the managed environment.

A Prism Central construct that groups VMs and infrastructure under a scope with assigned users, roles, and quotas. Projects simplify delegation and limit resource consumption for teams.

Configuration that connects Prism Central to an external identity provider such as Active Directory or LDAP, enabling centralized authentication and group-based role assignment for users.

An authentication mechanism allowing users to log in once through a trusted identity provider and access multiple management interfaces without re-entering credentials.

Nutanix's network virtualization and security feature that applies distributed firewall rules and microsegmentation to VM traffic, including traffic between VMs on the same subnet.

A security approach that enforces granular allow-or-deny rules between individual workloads rather than at the network perimeter. It limits lateral movement after a compromise.

A Flow rule set that defines which sources may reach which destinations on specified ports and protocols, applied to VMs selected by category. Policies can be monitored before enforcement.

A virtual network built on top of the physical underlay, encapsulating traffic between tunnel endpoints. It decouples VM addressing from physical topology and supports multi-tenant isolation.

A Layer 2 segmentation method that logically separates broadcast domains on shared physical switching. Nutanix nodes and guest VMs use VLAN-tagged interfaces for network isolation.

The configuration of multiple physical NICs into a logical bond for redundancy or throughput. Common modes include active-backup and balance modes, each with different switch requirements.

Combining multiple physical network links into one logical channel to increase bandwidth and provide failover. It typically requires matching configuration on the connected switch.

Moving a running VM from one host to another with minimal downtime, preserving memory and state. It supports maintenance and load balancing without interrupting workloads.

A configuration that automatically restarts VMs on surviving hosts after a node failure. It relies on reserved capacity and heartbeat mechanisms to detect failures quickly.

A grouping of VMs used for replication and recovery in Nutanix data protection. It defines which workloads are protected and the schedule and retention applied to them.

A point-in-time, space-efficient copy of VM or volume data used for rollback, cloning, or replication. Snapshots capture state without duplicating unchanged blocks.

A data protection method that periodically sends changed data to a remote site after the local write completes. It trades zero data loss for lower latency impact.

The maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time. It drives snapshot frequency and replication scheduling decisions in a data protection design.

The maximum acceptable time to restore a service after a disruption. It guides decisions about failover automation, standby capacity, and recovery procedures.

A Nutanix replication mode with recovery points measured in seconds, sitting between asynchronous snapshots and synchronous replication. It reduces data loss for critical workloads.

An automation workflow in Prism Central that triggers actions based on events or conditions, such as alerts or category changes. It reduces manual operational response.

An application lifecycle management service in Prism Central that models multi-tier applications as blueprints, automating provisioning, scaling, and deletion across environments.

A declarative application model in Calm describing services, dependencies, and lifecycle actions. It enables repeatable deployment of multi-tier workloads across clusters and clouds.

Lifecycle Manager, a Prism Element and Prism Central capability that inventories software components and performs guided upgrades of firmware and Nutanix software with compatibility checks.

A migration tool that moves VMs from other hypervisors or cloud platforms to Nutanix with minimal downtime, handling driver and network reconfiguration automatically.

The Nutanix service on the Controller VM that acts as the I/O entry point for storage requests, coordinating replication and data placement across the distributed storage fabric.

An optional package installed in guest VMs that enables features such as self-service restore, volume snapshots, and improved clipboard or time synchronization with AHV.