NCSE-Core study plan

Map the Nutanix enterprise cloud stack layer by layer (hardware, AOS, AHV, Prism, Prism Central) and state the function of each layer aloud without notes

Explain how a Nutanix cluster elects a leader, forms quorum, and what happens to I/O when a node loses connectivity to the cluster

Describe how the Distributed Storage Fabric turns local disks into a single pool, including the roles of the Curator, Stargate, and Cassandra services

Diagram a three-node cluster on paper showing data path from a guest VM write to committed storage, labeling every hop

Explain replication factor, checksumming, and erasure coding, and state when each is appropriate for a given workload

Trace how the cluster rebuilds data after a node or disk failure and estimate the rebuild impact on performance

Compare RF2 and RF3 in terms of usable capacity and failure tolerance for a stated cluster size

Describe how snapshots, clones, and storage containers differ in their space consumption behavior

Walk through the full AHV VM lifecycle from creation to deletion, naming the artifact created at each step

Explain the role of the Acropolis service and how it coordinates with the DSF for VM placement

Describe VM high availability, affinity and anti-affinity policies, and when each should be applied

Perform or simulate a live migration and explain what conditions must be met for it to succeed

Explain the difference between the default bridge-backed VM networking and Flow Virtual Networking, and when each is used

Describe how VLANs, virtual switches, and uplink bonds are configured on AHV and what a misconfiguration looks like symptomatically

Outline how Flow network security policies are structured (categories, policy types, enforcement points)

Identify the security controls available at the platform level and what each protects against

Distinguish what Prism Element manages versus what Prism Central manages, with concrete examples of each

Describe how Prism Central registers with Prism Element clusters and what breaks if connectivity is lost

Interpret the key health and performance metrics in Prism and state the threshold at which each warrants action

Explain how alerts, events, and reports differ and how each is used during an incident

Compare local snapshots, replication to a remote site, and backup to external targets in terms of RPO, RTO, and cost

Explain protection domains, consistency groups, and how replication schedules are configured

Describe a disaster recovery failover and failback sequence and the checks required before each

State the difference between high availability within a cluster and disaster recovery across sites

Outline the migration paths into a Nutanix cluster from VMware, Hyper-V, and cloud, and the prerequisites for each

Describe how Nutanix Clusters and hybrid cloud extensions change the operating model

Explain workload mobility concepts including cross-cluster moves and what must be validated before and after

Identify the licensing and support implications that affect a migration decision

Apply a sizing method that converts workload requirements into node count, accounting for RF and reserve capacity

Conduct a discovery conversation script that surfaces business drivers, constraints, and growth assumptions

Revisit every domain with a timed mixed-topic review and log the gaps found

Produce a short solution outline that justifies a cluster design against stated requirements