Nutanix NCP-CI-Azure key terms

A Nutanix service that runs the Nutanix AOS and AHV stack as a managed private cloud inside a public cloud account, giving a single management plane across on-premises and cloud environments.

The top-level logical container in the NC2 console that groups a cloud cluster with its Azure resource group, network configuration, and lifecycle settings. One environment typically maps to one Nutanix cluster in Azure.

The Nutanix management plane that provides a single pane of glass for multiple clusters, including NC2 clusters in Azure. It handles inventory, categories, images, RBAC, and policy-based operations across sites.

The per-cluster management interface in Nutanix, responsible for local storage, VM, and host operations. An NC2 cluster in Azure is administered locally through Prism Element even when also registered to Prism Central.

A Nutanix VM running on each node that serves I/O for the distributed storage fabric. In NC2 on Azure, one CVM runs per cluster node and communicates over the cluster's internal network.

Nutanix software that pools local disks across cluster nodes into a single resilient datastore. On Azure, it aggregates the attached managed disks of each node and replicates data between them.

Nutanix's native KVM-based hypervisor. NC2 on Azure runs AHV on the cluster nodes, which is why Azure VM extensions and platform-level agents designed for Hyper-V guests do not apply to workloads inside NC2.

A floating management address assigned to the cluster for Prism Element access and API calls. In NC2 on Azure it must sit in the cluster subnet and remain reachable from the networks administrators use.

The Azure configuration that dedicates a subnet to the NC2 service so it can inject cluster node NICs. Delegation prevents other resources from consuming addresses the cluster needs for scaling and rebuilds.

The Azure resource group holding all objects NC2 creates, such as node VMs, managed disks, network interfaces, and load balancers. Deleting or modifying it outside NC2 can break the cluster.

Azure block storage attached to NC2 node VMs to form the Nutanix datastore. Disk type and size drive cluster capacity and performance, and disks persist independently of node VM lifecycle.

A physically separate datacenter group within an Azure region. NC2 clusters can spread nodes across zones to improve resilience against a single datacenter failure, subject to regional support.

The number of simultaneous node or disk failures a Nutanix cluster can survive without data loss. On NC2 clusters with three or more nodes, this is typically set to tolerate one or two failures.

The automatic process of recreating lost data replicas on remaining nodes after a disk or node failure. In NC2 on Azure, a rebuild consumes network and storage capacity and may trigger a node replacement.

The number of copies of each data extent the cluster keeps. A factor of two means two copies exist, so usable capacity is roughly half of raw capacity before other overheads are considered.

A logical segmentation of the Nutanix datastore with its own policies, such as replication factor and compression. VMs store their virtual disks in a chosen container.

An in-guest package that enables features such as self-service file restore, volume snapshots, and guest-level reporting for AHV VMs. It must be installed inside each guest and is required for certain protection workflows.

A point-in-time copy taken after quiescing the application or guest file system so that in-flight writes are flushed. This improves recoverability of databases compared with crash-consistent copies.

A Nutanix construct that groups VMs and volume groups for consistent snapshots and replication scheduling. It defines the consistency group and the local or remote targets receiving copies.

A data protection method where snapshots are shipped to a remote site on a schedule, so the remote copy lags the source. It tolerates higher latency links and implies a non-zero recovery point objective.

A Nutanix replication mode that schedules frequent, low-RPO snapshots, typically measured in seconds to minutes. It sits between asynchronous scheduled replication and fully synchronous mirroring.

The maximum acceptable amount of data loss measured in time. It determines how frequently protection must run and is a primary input when choosing between scheduled snapshots, NearSync, or synchronous options.

The target duration within which a workload must be restored after disruption. It drives decisions about pre-staged replicas, runbook automation, and whether failover is manual or orchestrated.

The process of activating a protected copy at a recovery location so workloads resume there. In NC2 scenarios this can mean powering on replicas in the Azure cluster after promoting snapshots or replicas.

Returning workloads to the original site after a failover, including resynchronizing data changed at the recovery site. Planning reverse replication before failover shortens the eventual return.

A Nutanix tool for migrating VMs between clusters and hypervisors, including from on-premises to NC2 on Azure. It orchestrates replication, guest OS adaptation, and cutover scheduling.

The isolated private network in Azure where NC2 nodes and their subnets live. Address space planning here determines reachability to on-premises networks, Azure services, and administrative clients.

A managed Azure service providing encrypted site-to-site connectivity between a VNet and on-premises or other networks. It commonly carries management and replication traffic for hybrid Nutanix deployments.

A private, dedicated circuit connecting on-premises networks to Azure through a connectivity provider. It offers predictable latency and bandwidth, which matters for replication and live migration traffic.

An Azure filter of inbound and outbound rules applied to subnets or network interfaces. Misconfigured rules are a common cause of unreachable Prism, failed replication, or blocked cluster communication.

A managed, stateful network security service for centralizing egress and east-west filtering in Azure. It is often paired with user-defined routes to inspect traffic leaving NC2 subnets.

A custom Azure route that overrides system routing for a subnet, commonly steering traffic to a firewall or virtual appliance. It affects how NC2 nodes reach on-premises networks and Azure services.

A private IP address in a VNet that connects to a specific Azure PaaS service over the Microsoft backbone. It lets NC2 workloads reach storage or other services without public exposure.

A DNS zone hosted in Azure and resolvable only from linked VNets. It is used to resolve private endpoint names and internal records without relying on public DNS.

Azure's cloud identity provider, formerly Azure AD, used for authentication and role assignment. It governs who can administer NC2 Azure resources and can be integrated for workload and management access.

The authorization system that grants identities specific actions on Azure scopes such as subscriptions, resource groups, or resources. NC2 deployments require correctly scoped permissions for the service to create and manage resources.

An automatically managed Entra ID identity assigned to an Azure resource so it can authenticate to other services without stored secrets. It reduces credential exposure for automation around NC2 environments.

A managed service for storing secrets, keys, and certificates with access control and audit logging. Teams use it to hold credentials and encryption keys instead of embedding them in scripts or images.

Azure capability that encrypts VM OS and data disks using platform-managed or customer-managed keys. Understanding whether it applies to NC2 node disks versus guest VM disks is important for compliance design.

A governance service that evaluates resources against rules and can deny or remediate noncompliant configurations. It can inadvertently block NC2 resource creation if policies restrict regions, SKUs, or public IPs.

Attaching key-value metadata to Azure resources for organization, automation, and cost allocation. Consistent tags on NC2 resource groups make chargeback and ownership reporting practical.

Azure's tooling for analyzing, budgeting, and alerting on spend. For NC2 it is used to track node VM runtime, managed disk capacity, and outbound data transfer, which are the dominant cost drivers.

A prepaid commitment to a VM family in a region for one or three years at a discount. Because NC2 nodes run continuously, reservations on eligible VM sizes can materially reduce baseline cost.

Fees Azure applies to data leaving its network boundaries. Replication to on-premises, cross-region copies, and client downloads from NC2 all generate egress that should be modeled in cost estimates.

A single Azure VM that acts as a Nutanix host in an NC2 cluster, contributing CPU, memory, and managed disks. Cluster capacity and resilience scale by adding or resizing nodes.

The practice of granting only the permissions needed for a task. Applied to NC2, it means scoping service principals and operators narrowly rather than assigning subscription-wide owner rights.

Key-value labels in Prism Central used to group VMs and policies for automation, reporting, and protection. They can drive placement, snapshot schedules, and playbook targeting across clusters.

An automated sequence in Nutanix orchestration that performs multi-step operations such as snapshot, clone, or power actions. Runbooks help standardize recovery and lifecycle tasks across sites.