Nutanix Certified Associate Practice Exam

After placing a node into maintenance mode, what should an administrator do next when powering down an AHV node?

1. Restart the cluster

2. Reboot the node

3. Shutdown the Nutanix CVM

4. Upgrade the node

The correct answer is: Shutdown the Nutanix CVM

When an administrator places a node into maintenance mode within a Nutanix environment, the intention is to perform maintenance tasks that may involve powering down the node. The subsequent step of shutting down the Nutanix Controller Virtual Machine (CVM) is important because it helps to ensure that the workloads and services running on that node are gracefully shut down. This prevents data loss or corruption that may occur if the physical node is powered off with the virtual machines still running. Shutting down the CVM allows the system to properly handle active processes and release resources tied to that node, which is essential for maintaining overall cluster stability. Once the CVM is safely powered down, the physical node can be powered off or removed from the cluster without affecting the operation of running workloads on other nodes. The other options, such as restarting the cluster, rebooting the node, and upgrading the node, are not appropriate actions immediately following the placement of a node into maintenance mode. Restarting the cluster could lead to unnecessary downtime for the entire environment. Rebooting the node may not be required if the goal is simply to power it down for maintenance. Upgrading the node typically involves more steps and should not be the immediate action after entering maintenance mode.