Nutanix Certified Associate Practice Exam

Which protocol is NOT commonly used for storage in Nutanix environments?

1. NFS

2. SMB/CIFS

3. FTP

4. iSCSI

The correct answer is: FTP

The correct response is associated with the fact that File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is not designed specifically for storage operations within Nutanix environments. Instead, Nutanix typically focuses on protocols that are better suited for integration with its hyperconverged infrastructure. NFS (Network File System), SMB/CIFS (Server Message Block/Common Internet File System), and iSCSI (Internet Small Computer Systems Interface) are widely used within Nutanix due to their capabilities in handling file and block storage efficiently in both virtualized and non-virtualized environments. NFS is commonly used for Unix/Linux environments, facilitating file sharing over the network, while SMB/CIFS serves Windows networks, providing file and print services. iSCSI is pivotal for block storage, allowing SCSI commands to be sent over IP networks. These protocols align well with the architectural goals of Nutanix, enabling flexible storage management, high performance, and data availability. In contrast, FTP is primarily used for transferring files between a client and a server over the Internet but lacks the integration with storage systems and management features required for efficient utilization in a Nutanix environment. Thus, it is not considered a common choice for storage protocols in this context.