Nutanix and Azure Hybrid Cloud Operations and Management
Domain 3: Hybrid cloud operations and management
This domain tests day-2 operation of NC2 clusters alongside on-premises Nutanix, with clear boundaries between the NC2 console, Prism, and Azure.
Management planes
- The NC2 console is for infrastructure lifecycle: create, scale, and delete clusters; it is not the place to create guest VMs.
- Prism Element manages the local cluster; Prism Central provides multi-cluster inventory, RBAC, categories, and centralized alerts. A PC can manage NC2 and on-prem clusters if network connectivity and version compatibility allow.
- Azure portal/resource group management covers the underlying bare-metal nodes, NSGs, and networking.
Routine operations
- Scale out by adding nodes through NC2, then confirm AOS rebalancing and RF compliance. Scale in only after data has drained and capacity/RF remain healthy.
- Upgrade AOS/PC through Prism with compatibility checks; treat the Azure infrastructure as fixed during Nutanix software upgrades.
- Monitor with Prism alerts and metrics; use Azure Monitor for VNet/NSG and infrastructure signals. Automate with Prism APIs and Azure CLI, not manual portal clicks.
Worked example
A three-node NC2 cluster needs more capacity. Add a fourth node via NC2; wait for the node to be discovered and AOS to rebalance; verify RF2 can tolerate one failure and that the storage runway improved. Do not add a node by creating an Azure VM-the node must be a certified bare-metal instance.
Traps
Using the Azure portal to upgrade AOS; assuming the NC2 console manages guest VMs; scaling in without draining; breaking Prism Central connectivity to a registered cluster; ignoring version compatibility between PC and PE.