Data Center and Networking Fundamentals
What this domain tests
Data Center and Networking Fundamentals tests the physical and virtual network underlay for an AHV/Nutanix cluster: top-of-rack switching, VLAN segmentation, link aggregation, MTU, management and data paths, and Flow microsegmentation. Expect design trade-offs, not just definitions.
Core rules
- Separate management, guest, storage, and backup traffic with VLANs; document IP pools, gateways, and DNS.
- Redundant ToR switches and host NICs are baseline. AHV bond modes include active-backup, balance-slb, and balance-tcp (LACP); LACP requires matching switch configuration.
- Jumbo frames must be consistent end to end. One 1500-MTU hop breaks large packets.
- Use Flow to enforce east-west policy by category rather than fragile IP lists.
Worked example
A two-node pilot has two 10GbE NICs per host, one to each ToR. The design needs redundancy without switch LACP. Choose balance-slb: it hashes flows across active links and tolerates one link failure. Put management on VLAN 10, guests on VLAN 20, and replication on VLAN 30. Set MTU 9000 only if every switch port and the replication path support it; otherwise keep 1500. Verify with a large ping using the DF bit.
Traps
Assuming LACP works without switch configuration; mixing MTU; using a single ToR; overlapping VLANs or IPs; checking only link state instead of drops and errors. Also remember that balance-tcp and LACP change failure behavior.