Nutanix NCP-CI-AWS key terms

A Nutanix deployment model that runs the Nutanix software stack, including Prism and AHV or ESXi, on public cloud bare-metal infrastructure such as AWS, giving a private-cloud operating model inside a public cloud region.

An AWS EC2 instance type that provides dedicated physical server hardware with no hypervisor layer from AWS, which NC2 requires because Nutanix must control the virtualization layer directly.

The per-cluster management interface in the Nutanix stack that handles local storage, virtual machine, and host operations for a single cluster, and is the building block aggregated by Prism Central.

A multi-cluster management plane that registers multiple Prism Element clusters and provides centralized inventory, categories, policies, RBAC, and lifecycle operations across a Nutanix estate, including NC2 clusters.

The NC2 workflow that provisions AWS bare-metal instances, networks, and the Nutanix stack, then registers the resulting cluster so it can be managed centrally and used for workloads.

An AWS infrastructure-as-code document that NC2 uses to define the VPC, subnets, IAM roles, and bare-metal resources required for a cluster deployment in a repeatable way.

An isolated virtual network in AWS that contains subnets, route tables, gateways, and security controls; in NC2 it supplies the network fabric in which cluster nodes and workloads operate.

A range of IP addresses within a VPC tied to an availability zone, used in NC2 to separate management traffic, workload traffic, and data replication traffic across distinct address ranges.

A set of rules inside a VPC that determines where network traffic is directed, such as to a local gateway, internet gateway, NAT gateway, or transit gateway for hybrid connectivity.

An AWS regional hub that connects VPCs, VPN attachments, and on-premises networks through a single attachment point, commonly used to reach NC2 clusters from corporate networks without full mesh peering.

A dedicated private network connection between an on-premises data center and AWS, often used with NC2 to provide predictable latency and bandwidth for hybrid workloads and replication traffic.

An AWS endpoint that terminates IPsec tunnels from a remote site, providing encrypted connectivity to a VPC hosting NC2 when dedicated circuits are not available or as a backup path.

A managed AWS component that lets instances in private subnets initiate outbound internet traffic without exposing them to inbound connections, useful for NC2 node updates and registration calls.

A stateful virtual firewall attached to AWS resources that permits or denies traffic by protocol, port, and source; NC2 clusters need specific rules for Prism, replication, and management access.

A stateless subnet-level filter in AWS that evaluates inbound and outbound rules separately, and can silently block NC2 management or replication traffic if return paths are not permitted.

An AWS identity with attached permission policies that NC2 assumes to create and manage resources such as bare-metal instances, volumes, and networking on the customer's behalf.

A security principle that grants only the permissions needed for a task; applied to NC2 IAM roles and Prism users to limit blast radius if credentials are misused.

An authorization model in Prism Central that assigns permissions to roles and roles to users or groups, scoping what each identity can view or change across registered clusters.

Configuration that connects Prism Central to an external directory such as Microsoft Entra ID or LDAP, so users authenticate with corporate credentials and receive group-based role assignments.

An XML-based standard for exchanging authentication assertions between an identity provider and a service provider, used to enable single sign-on into Prism Central for NC2 environments.

An authentication requirement combining two or more independent factors, commonly enforced at the identity provider to protect privileged access to NC2 management interfaces.

Key-value metadata labels assigned to VMs and other entities in Prism Central, used to drive policy application, reporting, and scoped operations across clusters.

A logical grouping of VMs and volume groups that share a replication and snapshot schedule, forming the unit that is protected and recovered in disaster recovery operations.

A point-in-time, space-efficient copy of VM or volume data stored on the cluster, used as a recovery point and as the basis for replication to a remote site.

A data protection method that periodically ships changed data to a remote cluster without waiting for acknowledgment, trading a nonzero recovery point objective for tolerance of latency.

The maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time, which determines how frequently snapshots or replication must run for a protected workload.

The target duration within which a workload must be restored after an outage, driving decisions about standby capacity, automation, and runbook design in NC2 recovery plans.

The process of activating protected workloads at a recovery site after a planned or unplanned outage, including powering on VMs and redirecting clients to the new location.

The controlled return of workloads from a recovery site to the original production site after the primary environment is restored, typically requiring reverse replication and validation.

An isolated location within an AWS region with independent power and networking; NC2 clusters are placed in one zone, so cross-zone or cross-region design is needed for resilience.

A geographic AWS area containing multiple availability zones; choosing a region affects latency, service availability, data residency, and the cost of replication between NC2 clusters.

A Prism Central capability that inventories software versions across registered clusters and orchestrates upgrades of the Nutanix stack, including NC2 clusters, in a controlled sequence.

The aggregate status of a cluster's hosts, storage, and services as reported in Prism, used to detect degradation before it affects workloads and to validate readiness for upgrades.

The web portal where customers register entitlements, open and track support cases, download software, and access knowledge base articles for NC2 and on-premises products.

The process of gathering Prism, host, and network logs into a bundle for analysis or support escalation, often the first step when diagnosing NC2 cluster or connectivity faults.

A Nutanix migration tool that replicates VMs from supported sources to a Nutanix cluster, allowing scheduled cutover with minimal downtime when moving workloads into NC2.

The practice of dividing traffic into isolated logical networks, such as separating management, workload, and replication flows in NC2 to limit exposure and simplify troubleshooting.