Nutanix Certified Associate Practice Exam

In the event of an Active Directory outage, which access method should an administrator utilize?

1. Deploy an Active Directory server locally on the cluster

2. Manage the cluster remotely by downloading ncli to a remote workstation

3. Create and use an emergency local account on the cluster

4. Manage the cluster by using the "nutanix" user on the Prism leader CVM

The correct answer is: Create and use an emergency local account on the cluster

When considering access methods during an Active Directory outage, utilizing an emergency local account on the cluster is a crucial strategy. This approach allows for immediate access to the system without relying on external authentication services that might be compromised or unavailable due to the outage. Creating and using a local account ensures that the administrator can still perform necessary management tasks, troubleshoot issues, and maintain control of the cluster environment even when Active Directory services are down. This local account bypasses the dependency on Active Directory, providing a failsafe means of access. Other methods, such as deploying an Active Directory server locally or managing the cluster remotely by downloading tools, may not adequately address immediate access needs when the primary directory service is down. While using the "nutanix" user on the Prism leader CVM could be viable, it may not always be configured for immediate emergency access, particularly if there are other dependencies in place. Thus, relying on an established emergency local account specifically designed for such situations is the most efficient and reliable method.