Over the last few months, I have been working on three Nutanix Certifications. I’ve completed the Nutanix Certified Associate (NCA), Nutanix Certified Professional - Multicloud Infrastructure (NCP-MCI), and Nutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US) and I thought it might be helpful to lay out how I prepared in reference to studying and labs. The Blog Post that I put together outlines all of the no-cost Nutanix eLearning and Labs through Nutanix University, Nutanix Community Edition (Nutanix Virtual Lab Environment for Laptop), and Nutanix Test Drive resources that I utilized along with content in reference to Nutanux NC2 and Nutanix for Self-Service Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with ServiceNow and Terraform. My Hyper-Converged background extends to 2014 with the Dell EMC PowerFlex (Formally VxFlex) product line. I started going deeper down the route of the Nutanix and Cisco HyperFlex in 2021 during my post-graduate studies at UC Berkeley, Harvard, Cornell, Wharton, and MIT.
I have broken out the content within this post within Sections 1-9 below.
Section 1 - Simplifying the Migration of Applications into the Cloud with Nutanix NC2
Section 2 - Nutanix for Self-Service Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with ServiceNow and Terraform
Section 3 - Nutanix Getting Started Resources
Section 4 - Process for Access to Nutanix University
Section 5 - Nutanix Community Edition
Section 6 - Nutanix Test Drive
Section 7 - Nutanix Certified Associate (NCA) Learning and Exam Preparation
Section 8 - Nutanix Certified Professional - Multicloud Infrastructure (NCP-MCI) Learning and Exam Preparation
Section 9 - Nutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US) Learning and Exam Preparation
Section 1 - Simplifying the Migration of Applications into the Cloud with Nutanix NC2
In today's increasingly digital world, businesses seek efficient ways to migrate their applications from traditional data centers to the cloud. This transition has become more straightforward, thanks to innovative solutions like Nutanix NC2. This section will explore how Nutanix NC2 makes it possible to seamlessly migrate VMware ESXi servers into Nutanix AHV and extend Nutanix Clusters into AWS and Azure Bare Metal Servers.
Overcoming Migration Challenges
One of the most significant challenges businesses face when migrating from a traditional data center to AWS or Azure is refactoring applications. The process can be time-consuming and complex, potentially causing delays and cost overruns.
However, Nutanix NC2 presents a solution to this problem. By extending Nutanix Clusters into AWS and Azure Bare Metal Servers, companies can rapidly migrate from ESXi to Nutanix AHV. This means you can move out of your local data center into a singular or hybrid multicloud architecture easily and quickly, thus minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity.
Simplified Multicloud Capabilities
Nutanix NC2 is not just about migration; it also simplifies multicloud capabilities. This is especially important in the current business landscape, where running applications and data anywhere at any time is not just an advantage but a necessity.
With Nutanix NC2, you can manage and run your applications across multiple clouds, providing flexibility and redundancy. This way, your business can always stay online and serve its customers, irrespective of any localized issues in one cloud environment.
Nutanix Central: A Single Pane of Glass
One of the standout features of Nutanix NC2 is the integration with Nutanix Central. This offers Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) under a single pane of glass, meaning you can manage all your cloud services from one place.
This centralized approach simplifies management tasks and reduces the risk of errors when switching between different platforms. It also allows for efficient use of resources, as you can easily monitor and allocate them as needed from a single interface.
Moreover, Nutanix Central comes with multicloud snapshot technologies. This feature enables you to create point-in-time snapshots of your data across multiple clouds. These snapshots can be used for backup purposes, disaster recovery, or even testing new features without affecting your production environment.
Section 2 - Nutanix for Self-Service Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with ServiceNow and Terraform
My focus on extensive research has been on Native Cloud and Hybrid Cloud solutions to accelerate HealthTech innovations. This blog post will go through the process of achieving all three Nutanix Certifications. In subsequent posts, I will discuss the process of utilizing ServiceNow and Terraform for Self-Service Infrastructure as Code (IaC) from a DevOps perspective. My focus on interdisciplinary architecture and engineering between Cloud Infrastructures and HealthTech has been primarily focused on preventative and precision genomics to accelerate precision medicine and treatment for diseases. We are in increasingly advantageous times utilizing Self-Service Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with ServiceNow and Terraform to rapidly deploy Native Cloud and Hybrid Cloud scientific solutions to accelerate innovation.
Scientists studying genetics can now utilize Self-Service Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with ServiceNow and Terraform to streamline their research processes and accelerate the development of preventative and precision medicine and therapies in several ways.
Automated Infrastructure Provisioning
With IaC, genetic scientists can automate the setup of complex computational environments needed for large-scale genomic data analysis. This reduces the time spent on manual configuration and increases the time available for actual research. Research that accelerates medical advancements to aid in early cancer detection and treatment to improve human life and reduce costs dramatically.
Accelerating Innovation to Improve Human Life
In terms of application to preventative and precision medicine, this approach enables faster analysis of genomic data, leading to quicker identification of genetic markers related to diseases. This will speed up the development of targeted therapies and personalized treatment plans.
For example, a scientist studying the genetic basis of a particular type of cancer could use IaC to quickly set up a computational environment to analyze genomic data from cancer patients. The findings from this analysis can then be used to develop more effective, personalized treatment strategies for patients with this type of cancer.
Section 3 - Nutanix Getting Started Resources
The Nutanix Bible is one of the best resources to dig into everything Nutanix. The full 272-page PDF (30.7 MB) can be downloaded from the Nutanix Bible Portal (https://www.nutanixbible.com) or via a direct download (https://www.nutanixbible.com/pdf/classic.pdf). This invaluable resource provides in-depth technical information about the Nutanix platform architecture. Individual sections/chapters are broken out within the Nutanix Bible Portal and are listed below for easy access.
Book of Basics
Basics of Webscale principles and core architectural concepts.
Book of Prism
The Nutanix control plane, a one-click management and interface for datacenter operations.
Book of APIs
Automating Prism Element, Prism Central and other Nutanix product functionality via REST API
Book of AOS
The storage, compute, and virtualization platform that provides the core functionality leveraged by workloads and services.
Book of AHV
All about the native Nutanix hypervisor, including the architecture, I/O path, and administration.
Book of vSphere
How VMware ESXi works on Nutanix.
Book of Hyper-V
How Microsoft Hyper-V works on Nutanix.
Book of Nutanix Clusters (NC2)
Create your hybrid cloud environment with Nutanix Clusters in the public cloud.
Book of Storage Services
Learn all about Nutanix Volumes, Files, and Objects.
Book of Network Services
Learn about the services that provide network security and virtual networking.
Book of Backup / DR Services
Nutanix Leap and Mine offer business continuity and backup.
Book of Cloud Management
Nutanix Cloud Manager provides a unified solution for managing cloud deployments.
Book of Cloud Native Services
Learn about how Nutanix supports the development of cloud native workloads.
Book of AI/ML
Learn how Nutanix Cloud Platform can bring the value of AI to your organization.
Section 4 - Process for Access to Nutanix University
1. To get access to the Nutanix eLearning and Labs through Nutanix University, Nutanix Community Edition (Nutanix Virtual Lab Environment for Laptop), and Nutanix Test Drive, you’ll need to setup a Nutanix ID at https://my.nutanix.com/page/signup.
2. Once you have successfully configured and confirmed your Nutanix ID, you’ll go to https://my.nutanix.com/page/login to login into the Portal.
3. Once inside the Nutanix Portal, the main elements that we will focus on in this post are Community Edition, Test Drive, and Nutanix University.
Section 5 - Nutanix Community Edition
1. When setting up your Nutanix ID (Previous Step), you will also gain access to the Nutanix Community.
Nutanix Community Main Page (https://next.nutanix.com)
2. From the Nutanix Community Main Page, you can Navigate to the Nutanix Community Edition, allowing you to set up a Nutanix Single or Multi-Node Cluster. To get to the main Download Nutanix Community Edition page, go to Download Community Edition (https://next.nutanix.com/discussion-forum-14/download-community-edition-38417?postid=53701#post53701).
3. The main Download Nutanix Community Edition page has two major categories. The first category towards the upper portion of the page is Software. To get started, select the Installer ISO (https://download.nutanix.com/ce/2023.03.01/phoenix-ce2.0-fraser-6.5.2-stable-fnd-5.3.4-x86_64.iso) which will allow us to set up our Single Node or Milti-Node cluster utilizing Nutanix Prism Element. This ISO file (phoenix-ce2.0-fraser-6.5.2-stable-fnd-5.3.4-x86_64.iso) is 5.58 GB in size but has everything you need to get started.
4. The second category towards the lower portion of the page is Documentation and Guides.
Getting Started with Community Edition (https://portal.nutanix.com/page/documents/details?targetId=Nutanix-Community-Edition-Getting-Started)
Nutanix Public Documentation (https://portal.nutanix.com/#/page/docs)
Prism Element Web Console Guide (https://portal.nutanix.com/page/documents/details?targetId=Web-Console-Guide-Prism-v6_5:Web-Console-Guide-Prism-v6_5)
Prism Central Guide (Includes Installing Prism Central on AHV) (https://portal.nutanix.com/page/documents/details?targetId=Prism-Central-Guide-vpc_2022_6:Prism-Central-Guide-vpc_2022_6)
5. Within Documentation and Guides, Getting Started with Community Edition (https://portal.nutanix.com/page/documents/details?targetId=Nutanix-Community-Edition-Getting-Started) is the best place to start. The Getting Started with Community Edition Page is constantly updated for the free version of Nutanix AOS, which powers the Nutanix Enterprise Cloud Platform.
Section 6 - Nutanix Test Drive
1. Another great resource to obtain extended hands-on lab exposure is Nutanix Test Drive. You can access Nutanix Test Drive by selecting Test Drive (Green Square in Photo) within the Nutanix Portal (https://my.nutanix.com/page/login). Within Test Drive, you can test the products in real-time, exploring by the solution or by the product.
2. In this Test Drive example, we will select “Modernize Your Datacenter,” allowing us to build a Nutanix Private Cloud. Next, select “Launch,” and the environment will launch.
3. The Test Drive Labs offer a comprehensive suite of capabilities to modernize and enhance your IT operations. They allow you to build a hybrid multicloud on industry-leading hyperconverged infrastructure, leverage the power of private and public clouds for seamless app migration, and simplify data management by serving any data from anywhere with a flexible platform. They also provide tools for migrating applications to any cloud with just a click, securing applications via network micro-segmentation, and rapidly supporting distributed workforce needs with Citrix on Nutanix. Moreover, they offer experiences in application modernization with Red Hat OpenShift and Enterprise Linux on Nutanix, building self-service platforms, ensuring business continuity, controlling costs across clouds, implementing AI Ops and automation, and managing hybrid multicloud environments. You can also learn to eliminate backup silos and fast-track your cloud-native journey. Below is a listing with embedded URL’s for all of the Nutanix Test Drives and associated details.
Modernize Your Datacenter
Build a hybrid multicloud on industry-leading hyperconverged infrastructure.
Build A Hybrid Cloud With NC2 AWS And Azure
Leverage the power of private and public clouds with seamless migration of apps across clouds.
Simplify Data Management
Serve any data anywhere from a single, simple, flexible platform.
Simplify Database Operations
Serve any data anywhere from a single, simple, flexible platform.
Burst Citrix Desktops To AWS And Azure
Citrix on Nutanix allows IT to rapidly support distributed workforce needs.
Secure Your Applications
Prevent malware spread and keep your apps secure with simple-to-manage network micro-segmentation.
Application Modernization With Red Hat OpenShift
Experience how Red Hat OpenShift on Nutanix allows you to build, scale, and manage traditional and cloud-native applications.
Build A Self-Service Platform
Create infrastructure and applications as a service and delight your business customers with speed and simplicity.
Ensure Business Continuity
Protect, replicate, and recover your critical applications in minutes and meet stringent SLAs.
Control Costs Across Your Clouds
Test Drive the features of multicloud cost governance and how to gain visibility into your cloud’s bottom line.
AI Ops And Automation
Learn how to build a cloud operating model and manage your day 2 operations efficiently with Intelligent Operations and Self-Service.
Fast-Track Your Cloud-Native Journey
Build an enterprise Kubernetes environment that keeps pace with developers’ needs.
Manage Your Hybrid Multicloud Environment
Test Drive Nutanix Central, a cloud-delivered platform that enables a streamlined experience for managing your hybrid multicloud.
Eliminate Backup Silos
Perform impact-free application backups, recovery, and long-time archival—all on a single platform.
Application Modernization With RHEL
Experience how Red Hat Enterprise Linux on Nutanix allows IT to quickly deploy, manage, and secure workloads.
Build A Hybrid Cloud With Azure
Leverage the power of private and public clouds with seamless migration of apps across clouds.
Build A Hybrid Cloud With AWS
Leverage the power of private and public clouds with seamless migration of apps across clouds.
Section 7 - Nutanix Certified Associate (NCA) Learning and Exam Preparation
The One Stop Shop for Nutanix University (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com) has everything for your learning needs.
2. A great place to start your NCA Learning Journey is at the NCA Datasheet and Blueprint (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com/pages/82/nca-exam). The page includes resources such as Online or Instructor-Led Training, Exam Prep, and Exam Registration, along with the ability to download the Exam Blueprint Guide PDF.
3. Nutanix has created individual Learning Plans for applicable exams, which is extremely helpful. The NCA Learning Plan (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com/learn/lp/276/nutanix-certified-associate) includes all the e-Learning Materials (Instructor-Led is Another Option) and Exam Prep options.
4. Once you have completed the Core Course Content and Simulated Labs, you will have the ability to download the course certificate.
5. The Certificate will look similar to the one below.
6. After completing the associated Online or Instructor-Led training, the NCA 6.5 Practice Exam (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com/learn/course/3442/play/17542/practice-the-nca-65-exam;lp=276) is a great option to prepare for the actual exam.
7. Once you are ready to schedule the NCA Exam, the best place to go is to the NCA Datasheet and Blueprint (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com/pages/82/nca-exam).
8. Selecting the NCA Exam from the previous step will bring you to the NCA 6.5 Exam Page (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com/learn/course/3416/play/17428/take-the-exam), where you will select Exam Dashboard which will redirect you to the PSI Exam Portal for Nutanix Exams.
9. Once redirected to the PSI Exam Portal for Nutanix Exams, you can register for the NCA 6.5 Exam. Note for the Example Below: I included the NCP-DB Exam in this example since the NCA Exam is not an option on my profile since I have passed the exam.
10. After successfully passing the NCA Exam, it will show within the PSI Exam Portal for the Nutanix Exams Historical Record(s) page (https://test-takers.psiexams.com/nutanix/manage).
11. Shortly after successfully completing the NCA Exam, you will receive an e-mail from Credly to obtain the Certification Badge and Certification PDF. The e-mail will direct you to the Credly Portal (https://www.credly.com/earner/earned) to sign in or create an account if you are new to Credly.
12. Once you accept the new Badge that you have been granted from successfully passing the NCA Exam, select Nutanix Certified Associate 6 to go into the exam collateral details.
13. You will now be on the individual certification collateral page. From here, select Share within the upper right corner of the page.
14. Within the Publish section on the right side of the page, you can download the Badge Image along with the Certificate. You can also promote via various Social Media options from the Promote section on the left side of the page.
15. The available Badge and Certificate from the previous step will look similar to the materials below.
Section 8 - Nutanix Certified Professional - Multicloud Infrastructure (NCP-MCI) Learning and Exam Preparation
1. As discussed in Section 7.1, The One Stop Shop for Nutanix University (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com) has everything for your learning needs.
2. A great place to start your NCP-MCI Learning Journey is at the NCP-MCI Datasheet and Blueprint (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com/pages/123/ncp-mci). The page includes resources such as Online or Instructor-Led Training, Exam Prep, and Exam Registration, along with the ability to download the Exam Blueprint Guide PDF.
3. Nutanix has created individual Learning Plans for applicable exams, which is extremely helpful. The NCP-MCI Learning Plan (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com/learn/lp/277/nutanix-certified-professional-multicloud-infrastructure) includes all of the e-Learning Materials (Instructor-Led is Another Option) and Exam Prep options.
4. Once you have completed the Core Course Content and Simulated Labs, you will have the ability to download the course certificate.
5. The Certificate will look similar to the one below.
6. After completing the associated Online or Instructor-Led training, the NCP-MCI 6.5 Practice Exam (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com/learn/course/3443/play/17544/practice-the-ncp-mci-65-exam;lp=277) is a great option to prepare for the actual exam.
7. Once you are ready to schedule the NCP-MCI Exam, the best place to go is to the NCP-MCI Datasheet and Blueprint (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com/pages/123/ncp-mci).
8. Selecting the NCP-MCI Exam from the previous step will bring you to the NCP-MCI 6.5 Exam Page (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com/learn/course/3417/play/17434/schedule-the-exam) where you will select Exam Scheduler which will redirect you to the PSI Exam Portal for Nutanix Exams.
9. Once redirected to the PSI Exam Portal for Nutanix Exams, you can register for the NCP-MCI 6.5 Exam. Note for the Example Below: I included the NCP-DB Exam in this example since the NCP-MCI Exam is not an option on my profile since I have passed the exam.
10. After successfully passing the NCP-MCI Exam, it will show within the PSI Exam Portal for the Nutanix Exams Historical Record(s) page (https://test-takers.psiexams.com/nutanix/manage).
11. Shortly after successfully completing the NCP-MCI Exam, you will receive an e-mail from Credly to obtain the Certification Badge and Certification PDF. The e-mail will direct you to the Credly Portal (https://www.credly.com/earner/earned) to sign into Credly.
12. Once you accept the new Badge that you have been granted from successfully passing the NCP-MCI Exam, select Nutanix Certified Professional - Multicloud Infrastructure 6 to go into the exam collateral details.
13. You will now be on the individual certification collateral page. From here, select Share within the upper right corner of the page.
14. Within the Publish section on the right side of the page, you can download the Badge Image along with the Certificate. You can also promote via various Social Media options from the Promote section on the left side of the page.
15. The available Badge and Certificate from the previous step will look similar to the materials below.
Section 9 - Nutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US) Learning and Exam Preparation
1. As discussed in Section 7.1, The One Stop Shop for Nutanix University (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com) has everything for your learning needs.
2. A great place to start your NCP-US Learning Journey is at the NCP-US Datasheet and Blueprint (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com/pages/118/ncp-ds). The page includes resources such as Online or Instructor-Led Training, Exam Prep, and Exam Registration, along with the ability to download the Exam Blueprint Guide PDF.
3. Nutanix has created individual Learning Plans for applicable exams, which is extremely helpful. The NCP-US Learning Plan (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com/learn/lp/50/nutanix-certified-professional-unified-storage) includes all the e-Learning Materials (Instructor-Led is Another Option) and Exam Prep options.
4. Once you have completed the Core Course Content and Simulated Labs, you will have the ability to download the course certificate.
5. The Certificate will look similar to the one below.
6. After completing the associated Online or Instructor-Led training, the NCP-US 6.5 Practice Exam (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com/learn/course/3667/play/18217/practice-the-ncp-us-6-exam;lp=50) is a great option to prepare for the actual exam.
7. Once you are ready to schedule the NCP-US Exam, the best place to go is to the NCP-US Datasheet and Blueprint (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com/pages/118/ncp-ds).
8. Selecting the NCP-US Exam from the previous step will bring you to the NCP-US 6.5 Exam Page (https://www.nutanixuniversity.com/learn/course/4030/play/19315/schedule-the-exam;lp=50) where you will select Exam Scheduler which will redirect you to the PSI Exam Portal for Nutanix Exams.
9. Once redirected to the PSI Exam Portal for Nutanix Exams, you can register for the NCP-US 6.5 Exam. Note for the Example Below: I included the NCP-DB Exam in this example since the NCP-US Exam is not an option on my profile since I have passed the exam.
10. After successfully passing the NCP-US Exam, it will show within the PSI Exam Portal for the Nutanix Exams Historical Record(s) page (https://test-takers.psiexams.com/nutanix/manage).
11. Shortly after successfully completing the NCP-US Exam, you will receive an e-mail from Credly to obtain the Certification Badge and Certification PDF. The e-mail will direct you to the Credly Portal (https://www.credly.com/earner/earned) to sign into Credly.
12. Once you accept the new Badge that you have been granted from successfully passing the NCP-US Exam, select Nutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage 6 to go into the exam collateral details.
13. You will now be on the individual certification collateral page. From here, select Share within the upper right corner of the page.
14. Within the Publish section on the right side of the page, you can download the Badge Image along with the Certificate. You can also promote via various Social Media options from the Promote section on the left side of the page.
15. The available Badge and Certificate from the previous step will look similar to the materials below.
