Understanding the Exhibit & Memory Allocation

The host has 128GB of physical RAM.

The current memory allocation across three VMs (VM1, VM2, VM3) is 128GB, but only 92GB is actually utilized.

This means there is 36GB of unutilized memory available for allocation.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Existing Memory Usage Before Adding VM4

Total Physical RAM: 128GB

Used by running VMs (VM1, VM2, VM3): 92GB

Unutilized Memory Available: 36GB

After Creating and Running VM4

VM4 is allocated memory but only utilizes 28GB.

The table does not show VM4's allocated RAM, but assuming it was given a reasonable allocation, it must have been taken from the 36GB unutilized memory pool.

If VM4 uses 28GB, the remaining unutilized memory is now (36GB - 28GB) = 8GB.

Maximum Memory Allocation for VM5

Since only 8GB remains unutilized, the maximum memory VM5 can be allocated while still allowing it to power on is 8GB.

Evaluating the Answer Choices

(A) 4GB (Incorrect)

More memory (8GB) is available, so limiting to 4GB is unnecessary.

(B) 8GB (Correct)

The remaining unutilized memory after VM4 is 8GB, so VM5 can be allocated up to 8GB while ensuring it can power on.

(C) 16GB (Incorrect)

Only 8GB is left, so 16GB is not possible.

(D) 32GB (Incorrect)

There is not enough unutilized memory to allocate 32GB.

Key Concept: Nutanix Memory Overcommit

Nutanix AHV supports memory overcommit, meaning VMs can be allocated more memory than physically available using memory ballooning and swapping.

However, to power on VM5 without impacting performance, it must fit within the available unutilized memory, which is 8GB.

Storage Policies in Nutanix are applied through Categories, allowing policy-based automation and enforcement.

Option D (Assign the VM or VG to the same Category as the Storage Policy) is correct:

Nutanix applies Storage Policies based on VM Categories, enabling flexibility in policy enforcement.

Option A is incorrect:

Storage Policies are not directly assigned at the VM or VG level---they apply through Categories.

Option B is incorrect:

Policies must be assigned to Categories, not directly to individual VMs/VGs.

Option C is incorrect:

Migrating to a storage container does not automatically apply a Storage Policy.

Nutanix Storage Management Guide Using Categories for Policy-Based Storage Management

Nutanix KB Best Practices for Applying Storage Policies to VMs

Data-in-Transit Encryption ensures that replication traffic is encrypted while being sent over the internet.

Option D (Enable Data-in-Transit Encryption) is correct:

This encrypts replicated data between clusters, ensuring security against man-in-the-middle attacks.

Option A (Self-encrypting drive) is incorrect:

This protects data at rest, not during transmission.

Option B (UEFI Secure Boot) is incorrect:

Secure Boot prevents unauthorized OS modifications, but does not encrypt network traffic.

Option C (Data-at-Rest Encryption) is incorrect:

This encrypts stored data but does not secure replication traffic.

Nutanix Security Guide Configuring Data-in-Transit Encryption

Nutanix KB Protecting Replication Traffic Over Public Networks

Windows Defender Credential Guard requires UEFI firmware and Secure Boot to function properly.

Option B (Enable UEFI with Secure Boot) is correct:

Credential Guard requires a UEFI-based boot mode rather than Legacy BIOS.

Secure Boot ensures only trusted OS components load, reducing attack surface for credential theft.

Option A (Update vCPU to 8) is incorrect:

Increasing vCPUs does not impact Credential Guard compatibility.

Option C (Use Windows Server 2022) is incorrect:

Windows Server 2019 supports Credential Guard; upgrading to 2022 is not required.

Option D (Update Memory to 16GB) is incorrect:

Credential Guard has no minimum RAM requirement beyond general OS needs.

Microsoft Docs Requirements for Windows Defender Credential Guard

Nutanix AHV VM Management Guide Enabling Secure Boot & UEFI for Windows VMs

Protection Domains (PDs) in Nutanix ensure that entire applications and their associated data are protected during failover. However, Volume Groups (VGs) are not automatically included unless explicitly configured.

Option A (Select 'Auto protect related entities') is correct:

This setting ensures that associated Volume Groups, networks, and other dependencies are included in the Protection Domain automatically.

Without enabling this, only the VM itself would be protected, leading to missing application data upon failover.

Option B (Manually add Volume Groups to Protected Entities) is correct:

If 'Auto protect related entities' is not enabled, the administrator must manually add Volume Groups to the Protection Domain.

This ensures that both VMs and their attached Volume Groups are replicated and recovered together.

Option C (Place Volume Groups in a separate Protection Domain) is incorrect:

Separating Volume Groups into a different PD does not guarantee they failover together with VMs.

It is best practice to keep related VMs and Volume Groups in the same PD.

Option D (Use application-consistent snapshots) is incorrect:

While application-consistent snapshots improve data integrity, they do not fix missing Volume Groups in failover scenarios.

Nutanix Disaster Recovery Guide Protection Domain Configuration and Volume Groups

Nutanix KB Ensuring Volume Groups Are Included in Disaster Recovery Failovers