The exhibit shows the "Cluster Details" page in a Nutanix Prism interface, displaying fields such as Cluster Name, FQDN, Virtual IP, Virtual IPv6, and iSCSI Data Services IP. The administrator is enabling Nutanix Volumes, which is a block storage service that provides iSCSI-based storage for workloads. Nutanix Volumes allows external hosts or VMs to connect to the Nutanix cluster via iSCSI, requiring a specific IP address for iSCSI communication.
According to theNutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA)course, “Nutanix Volumes requires the iSCSI Data Services IP to be configured in the cluster settings to enable iSCSI connectivity for external hosts or workloads.” The iSCSI Data Services IP is a dedicated IP address used by the Nutanix cluster to handle iSCSI traffic, ensuring that iSCSI initiators (clients) can connect to the cluster and access block storage volumes. This field must be populated to enable Nutanix Volumes functionality, as it serves as the endpoint for iSCSI communication.
TheNutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US)study guide further elaborates that “the iSCSI Data Services IP is a mandatory field when enabling Nutanix Volumes, as it defines the IP address that external iSCSI initiators use to connect to the cluster for block storage access.” Without this IP address, Nutanix Volumes cannot function, as there would be no designated network endpoint for iSCSI traffic.
In the exhibit, the "iSCSI Data Services IP" field is present, indicating its relevance to Nutanix Volumes configuration. The other fields are not mandatory for enabling Nutanix Volumes:
FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name): The FQDN is optional and used for resolving the cluster’s name in DNS. It is not required for Nutanix Volumes to function, as iSCSI connectivity relies on IP addresses, not DNS names.
Virtual IPv6: This field is for configuring a Virtual IP using IPv6 for cluster management access (e.g., Prism GUI). Nutanix Volumes does not require IPv6; the iSCSI Data Services IP typically uses IPv4, and IPv6 support is optional.
Virtual IP: The Virtual IP (IPv4) is used for accessing the Prism GUI and other cluster management services. While recommended for cluster management, it is not specifically required for Nutanix Volumes, as iSCSI traffic uses the iSCSI Data Services IP.
The NUSA course documentation emphasizes that “configuring the iSCSI Data Services IP is a prerequisite for enabling Nutanix Volumes, ensuring that iSCSI initiators can connect to the cluster for block storage operations.” The administrator must populate this field with a valid IP address from the cluster’s network to enable Nutanix Volumes successfully.
[References:, Nutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA) Course, Section on Nutanix Volumes: “Configuring iSCSI Data Services IP for Nutanix Volumes.”, Nutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US) Study Guide, Topic 2: Configure and Utilize Nutanix Unified Storage, Subtopic: “Nutanix Volumes setup and iSCSI configuration.”, Nutanix Documentation (https://www.nutanix.com), Nutanix Volumes Administration Guide: “Enabling Nutanix Volumes and configuring iSCSI Data Services IP.”, , ]
