Nutanix NCP-VDI flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

AHV

Nutanix's native hypervisor. It runs VMs directly on the Nutanix cluster and is the default platform for Nutanix VDI reference designs and Frame deployments on-premises.

Prism Central

Multi-cluster management plane for Nutanix. It provides categories, RBAC, Calm blueprints, and cross-cluster dashboards, and is required for category-based Flow policies.

Prism Element

Per-cluster management interface in Nutanix. It shows cluster health, alerts, and per-VM performance, and manages storage, networking, and VM operations for a single cluster.

Replication Factor 2

Nutanix data redundancy setting where two copies of data exist. It tolerates one node or disk failure and is common for VDI clusters that prioritize usable capacity.

Replication Factor 3

Nutanix data redundancy setting with three copies of data. It tolerates two simultaneous failures but consumes more capacity than RF2, so it is used for higher-resilience workloads.

Nutanix Frame

Desktop-as-a-Service platform from Nutanix. It delivers Windows desktops and apps through a browser and can run on AHV, AWS, Azure, or GCP depending on deployment.

Frame Guest Agent

Software installed inside the Frame image. It registers the VM with Frame services and enables streaming, so the image must include it before publishing.

Frame Pool

A Frame configuration that references a published image and defines instance type, capacity, and session mode. Users are assigned to pools to receive desktops or apps.

Frame Session Modes

Frame supports Desktop mode, giving one user per VM, and Application mode, where multiple users share a session host VM and receive individual applications.

Frame Autoscaling

Frame adjusts running instance count between a configured minimum and maximum using a buffer. Idle instances are stopped to reduce cost while keeping capacity available.

Frame Image Publishing

Frame creates an immutable image version from a source VM snapshot. Publishing does not modify the source VM, and rollback means republishing an earlier version.

RDS Session Host

Windows Server role that lets multiple users share one OS instance. It requires a licensing server and per-user or per-device RDS CALs to be compliant.

Multi-session Windows

Windows 10/11 Enterprise multi-session SKU allows several users to share one client OS VM. It needs the appropriate Microsoft licensing and is used for pooled VDI.

Sysprep on Golden Image

Generalizes a Windows image so clones receive unique SIDs and hostnames. Nutanix guest customization can perform equivalent per-clone configuration during deployment.

Nutanix Guest Tools

In-guest agent package for Nutanix VMs. It enables guest file restore, quiesced snapshots, and richer Prism visibility into the VM's operating system.

Anti-affinity Rules

Placement rules that keep VMs apart on different hosts. For VDI they prevent all desktops of a pool from concentrating on one host and creating hotspots.

vGPU Profiles

Fixed framebuffer allocations on a physical GPU, assigned to VMs for graphics workloads. Each profile reserves a set amount of GPU memory per desktop.

Data Locality

AOS behavior where hot data is served from the local CVM on the host running the VM. It reduces network hops and improves read latency for VDI.

Boot Storm

The IOPS spike when many desktops start at once, often at the start of the workday. Image caching and linked or instant clones are common mitigations.

Nutanix Volumes

Nutanix feature that presents iSCSI LUNs to external hosts. It lets non-Nutanix systems consume cluster storage without running a Nutanix guest VM.

Nutanix Files

Scale-out SMB and NFS file service on Nutanix. It is commonly used for FSLogix profile containers and user home directories in VDI environments.

Flow Network Security

Nutanix distributed microsegmentation. Policies are applied per VM category at the vNIC level, independent of physical switch configuration or VLAN topology.

CVM Latency

The controller VM's storage response time. Sustained high CVM latency in Prism usually points to a storage or network bottleneck affecting VDI performance.

FSLogix Profile Container

A per-user VHDX that holds the Windows profile and mounts at logon. It requires an SMB share with sufficient IOPS and correct permissions for the user's SID.

Golden Image Lifecycle

The repeatable process of patching the base image, generalizing it, creating a new image version, updating pools, and retiring the previous version.

App Layering

Separating base OS, applications, and user data into distinct layers. It lets one base image serve multiple app sets and simplifies patching and updates.

Prism RBAC

Role-based access control in Prism. Roles are assigned to users or groups and scoped to projects or clusters, limiting what each administrator can view or change.

Data-at-Rest Encryption

Nutanix encryption of stored data using self-encrypting drives or software-based encryption. It protects data if disks or nodes are physically removed.

Prism Audit Logs

Records of administrative actions in Prism Central. They can be forwarded to a SIEM to support compliance retention and forensic investigation requirements.

Frame MFA and SSO

Frame enforces multi-factor authentication for user access and supports SAML or OIDC identity providers, so access control can align with corporate identity systems.

Life Cycle Manager

Nutanix tool that automates AOS, AHV, firmware, and NCC upgrades. Running NCC before and after upgrades is part of standard lifecycle operations.

Nutanix Cluster Check

NCC validates cluster health and flags configuration drift. It is run as part of lifecycle operations and before or after software and firmware upgrades.