Nutanix NCP-DB study guide
Nutanix NCP-DB · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Nutanix Certified Professional – Database Automation (NCP-DB) is a professional-level credential for people who operate Nutanix Database Service (NDB, formerly Era) as a database-as-a-service platform. It suits database administrators moving from hand-built servers to automated provisioning, platform engineers who own the NDB control plane, and virtualization or cloud infrastructure staff who support database workloads on Nutanix AHV or other hypervisors. The Nutanix NCP-DB study guide has 8 sections and about 2,348 words.
01NDB Architecture and Components
This domain checks whether you can separate the NDB control plane from the data plane and identify which component performs each action. The NDB server is the control plane.
324 words, about 2 min02Deployment, Installation, and Initial Configuration
This domain covers deployment prerequisites, NDB server placement, initial registration, and first-run configuration. Confirm DNS, NTP, IP addressing, and management network reachability before deployment.
272 words, about 1 min03Database Provisioning and Cloning
This domain tests profile selection, project scoping, snapshot-based cloning, and post-provision behavior. Provisioning combines compute, network, software, and database parameter profiles.
276 words, about 1 min04Database Lifecycle Operations (Patching, Upgrades, Scaling)
This domain covers patching, engine upgrades, and scaling while preserving recoverability. Use NDB patch operations so the server can run prechecks, take a snapshot, and update metadata.
305 words, about 2 min05Backup, Restore, and Point-in-Time Recovery
This domain tests SLA design, Time Machine behavior, restore choices, and PITR boundaries. An SLA defines snapshot frequency, retention, and log backup cadence.
285 words, about 1 min06Clone Refresh, Snapshot Management, and Data Copy
This domain separates clone refresh from backup restore and tests snapshot lifecycle decisions. Clone refresh updates an existing clone from a newer source snapshot.
312 words, about 2 min07Access Control, RBAC, and Security
This domain tests project-scoped RBAC, identity integration, credential handling, and least privilege. NDB roles grant actions; projects scope where those actions apply.
279 words, about 1 min08Monitoring, Alerts, and Troubleshooting
This domain tests alert interpretation, health checks, log and task triage, and escalation boundaries. NDB alerts cover server health, agent status, SLA failures, capacity, and task failures.
295 words, about 1 min