Networking and AHV Virtualization
What the domain tests
Networking and AHV Virtualization tests the native hypervisor, virtual networking, VM operations, and basic troubleshooting.
Core rules
- AHV is Nutanix's KVM-based hypervisor, managed by Acropolis and Prism. It does not require vCenter.
- AHV uses Open vSwitch (OVS) and host bridges. Virtual networks map to VLANs; VM NICs attach to those networks.
- Host bonds aggregate uplinks. Bond mode must match the physical switch configuration; a mismatch causes connectivity or failover problems.
- AHV supports live migration, HA, affinity and anti-affinity rules, templates, and clones.
- HA reserves capacity on surviving nodes so VMs can restart after a host failure.
- Guest tools improve graceful shutdown and IP reporting; they are not required for basic VM power operations.
Worked example
A VM boots but cannot ping its gateway. Check the VM NIC's virtual network and VLAN, then the host bridge and bond status, then the upstream switch port VLAN. Reasoning: the path is VM NIC to virtual switch or bridge, to bond, to physical uplink, to switch. A VLAN mismatch at any hop produces the same symptom, so verify from the VM outward.
Traps
Do not use VMware terms such as vSwitch port group as if they are native AHV objects. Do not change bond mode without matching the switch. Do not assume HA guarantees performance; it guarantees restart capacity. Do not assume live migration requires shared external storage; AHV clusters use distributed storage.