# NCP-CN 6.10 — Full Objective Map (from the official blueprint) Source: Nutanix Certified Professional - Cloud Native (NCP-CN) 6.10 Exam Blueprint Guide, Nutanix University. Local PDF: `./NCP-CN-6.10-Exam-Blueprint-Guide-official.pdf`. Tested versions: **NKP 2.12, AOS 6.10, Prism Central pc2024.2**. 75 questions / 120 min / $200 / pass 3000 (scale 1000-6000). Questions per objective are weighted by job-role criticality; Nutanix publishes no section percentages. Intended audience: 6-12 months building/managing Kubernetes clusters, 6-12 months Linux, 6 months with a Kubernetes platform, **CKA-level knowledge assumed**. Recommended course: **Nutanix Kubernetes Platform Administration (NKPA)**. --- ## Section 1 — Prepare the Environment for an NKP Deployment ### Objective 1.1 — Seed a private registry - Identify the purpose for seeding a registry - Identify parameters for registry seeding command - Demonstrate understanding of the workflow for seeding a registry - Troubleshoot issues that arise during seeding the registry - Recognize the network requirements for a private registry - Refs: Air-gapped vs Non-Air-gapped Environments; Seeding the Registry for an Air-gapped Cluster; Prerequisites for Installation; Nutanix Air-gapped: Loading the Registry ### Objective 1.2 — Create a bootstrap cluster - Identify the purpose for creating a bootstrap cluster - Identify parameters for creating a bootstrap cluster - Demonstrate understanding of the workflow for creating a bootstrap cluster - Troubleshoot issues during bootstrap cluster creation - Refs: CAPI Concepts and Terms; Nutanix Air-gapped Installation; NKP Prerequisites; Outputting the Bootstrap Cluster Kubeconfig to a File ### Objective 1.3 — Determine license tiers for clusters - Differentiate between the feature levels per license type - Align the use case with a license tier - Identify the process for obtaining a license - Refs: NKP Starter License; NKP Pro License; NKP Ultimate License; Add an NKP License; Remove an NKP License ### Objective 1.4 — Prepare a bastion host - Identify the purpose of a bastion host - Demonstrate understanding of the bastion host prerequisites and components - Recognize the network requirements for a bastion host - Refs: Creating a Bastion Host; Basic Installations by Infrastructure ### Objective 1.5 — Build machine images or prepare nodes - Purpose and process for building machine images with the NIB CLI tool - Purpose and process for preparing nodes with the KIB CLI tool - Recognize prerequisites and minimum requirements for building machine images / preparing nodes - Determine how to customize the image-build / node-prep process - Changes required to build an image in an air-gapped environment - Refs: Konvoy Image Builder; KIB for AKS; Creating an Air-gapped Package Bundle; Konvoy Image Builder CLI; Pre-provisioned Air-gapped: Configure Environment; vSphere FIPS: Creating a CAPI VM Template; vSphere FIPS: Creating the Management Cluster ### Objective 1.6 — Gather information for building a cluster on a target provider - Identify parameters for building a cluster on a target provider: networking requirements, connectivity details, storage requirements - Refs: AKS Installation Options; Pre-provisioned: Defining the Infrastructure; General NKP Resource Requirements; Supported Operating Systems --- ## Section 2 — Manage Building an NKP Cluster ### Objective 2.1 — Customize and deploy clusters - Use NKP CLI to build and deploy a cluster - Given a use case, determine when/how to employ the various Cluster API components for customization - Determine steps to diagnose a cluster deployment issue (which CAPI resources to analyze) - Determine when and how to use a custom manifest for deploying clusters (corresponding CAPI resources + configuration parameters) - Analyze the NKP CLI parameters required for a specific cluster deployment use case - Refs: Prerequisites for Installation; Installing NKP; Pro and Ultimate Cluster Minimum Requirements; Nutanix Air-gapped Installation; Nutanix Air-gapped Environment Creating a New Cluster; Project Applications; NKP Insights Guide; AWS Installation Options; Creating vSphere Node Pools; Creating a New AWS Air-gapped Cluster ### Objective 2.2 — Customize and deploy Kommander and apply appropriate licenses - Use NKP CLI to build and deploy Kommander - Determine steps to diagnose a Kommander deployment issue - Determine when/how to use a custom manifest for deploying Kommander (platform application resources + configuration parameters) - Analyze the NKP CLI parameters required for a specific Kommander deployment use case - Refs: FIPS Support in NKP; Using KIB with vSphere; BaseOS Image Requirements; Installing Kommander in a Small Environment; Additional Kommander Configuration --- ## Section 3 — Perform Day 2 Operations ### Objective 3.1 — Configure authentication and authorization - Configure identity provider and groups - Differentiate between Kommander roles and cluster roles - Configure custom roles and role bindings - Use tokens to authenticate users - Environment contexts and role inheritance - Using RBAC authorization - Refs: NKP Security; Enforcing Policies Using Gatekeeper; External LDAP Directory Configuration; Access Control ### Objective 3.2 — Configure logging - Understand the logging stack; enable logging stack applications - Configure and manage the logging stack application - Manage logging in a multitenant environment - Gather logs; integrate persisting data to Nutanix Unified Storage; scale the logging stack - Refs: NKP Logging; Logging Operator; Logging Stack Operator; Customizing Logging Stack Applications; Multi-Tenant Logging; Configuring Loki to Use AWS S3 Storage in NKP ### Objective 3.3 — Configure cluster backup and recovery - Recognize dependencies for cluster backup and recovery - Determine target storage requirements for cluster backup - Configure Velero (schedule backups, enable) - Use Velero CLI to perform backups and restores - Configure storage/volume snapshot classes for backup - Diagnose and address backup issues; perform a cluster restore - Refs: NKP License Support for Backup & Restore; Backup Operations; Velero Configuration; Velero Installation Using CLI ### Objective 3.4 — Conduct performance and health monitoring - Understand the monitoring stack; configure/enable it - Centralize monitoring in a multi-cluster environment - Customize service- and system-level metrics; use custom dashboards - Diagnose and address performance and health issues - Configure monitoring alerts and endpoints; configure backend storage for a monitoring application - Refs: Centralized Metrics; Cluster Metrics; Monitoring and Alerts; NKP Insights Guide; Nutanix Management Tools ### Objective 3.5 — Configure cluster autoscaling - Recognize the purpose and use cases for enabling/configuring cluster autoscaling - Demonstrate how to enable and configure cluster autoscaling - Refs: Configuring Nutanix Cluster Autoscaler; Configuring AWS Cluster Autoscaler; Configuring vSphere Cluster Autoscaler ### Objective 3.6 — Conduct lifecycle management functions - Upgrade clusters; given a scenario, determine when/how to update cluster configurations - Manage node pools; manually scale clusters; use the NKP CLI to delete clusters - Refs: Upgrade Prerequisites; Upgrade: For Air-gapped Environments Only; Upgrade NKP Ultimate; Upgrade NKP Pro; Upgrading Kubernetes Version on a Managed Cluster --- ## Section 4 — Conduct NKP Fleet Management ### Objective 4.1 — Configure workspaces - Given a use case, determine workload cluster workspace assignment - Purpose and use cases for a workspace; configure infrastructure provider - Configure access control at workspace level; deploy application to a workspace - Purpose and use case of Insights - Refs: Creating a Workspace; Deleting a Workspace; Workspace Applications; Enabling an Application per Cluster; Generating a Dedicated Login URL per Tenant; Multi-Tenancy in NKP; NKP Insights Overview; Installing NKP Insights Ultimate License ### Objective 4.2 — Deploy workload clusters to a workspace - Impact of target provider environments on workload cluster deployments - Purpose/use cases for deploying workload clusters; given a scenario, determine how to deploy - Troubleshoot the deployment of a workload cluster - Refs: Workspaces; Workspace Applications; Creating a Managed Cluster on VCD Through the NKP UI; vSphere Creating Managed Clusters Using the NKP CLI; Infrastructure Providers; Managing Access; Creating Workspace Role Bindings ### Objective 4.3 — Attach clusters to a workspace - Purpose and use case for attaching clusters; given a scenario, determine how to attach - Recognize capabilities of attached clusters; troubleshoot cluster attachments - Configure and update attached clusters - Refs: Basic Requirements for Attaching Existing Clusters; Requirements for Attaching Existing AKS, EKS, and GKE Clusters; Attaching an Existing Kubernetes Cluster; EKS: Preparing the Cluster; Prerequisites for a Tunneled Attachment; Creating a Default StorageClass ### Objective 4.4 — Detach or delete clusters from a workspace - Purpose and use case of decommissioning - Use the Kommander dashboard to delete a cluster from the GUI - Troubleshoot a cluster detachment/deletion issue - Refs: Disconnecting or Deleting Clusters; Delete an NKP Cluster with One Command; Deleting EKS Cluster from the NKP UI ### Objective 4.5 — Configure projects - Purpose and use cases for a project; given a use case, determine workload cluster project assignments - Configure access control at the project level; deploy applications at the project level - Configure CD deployment; add clusters to a project; federate resources - Refs: Creating a Project Using the UI; Continuous Deployment; Continuous Delivery with GitOps; Managing Access to Projects; Project Quotas and Limit Ranges ### Objective 4.6 — Configure platform applications - Recognize platform application dependencies - Customize a platform application deployment from the Kommander dashboard - Differentiate between global and cluster scope application configuration - Troubleshoot platform application configurations - Modify, disable, or enable platform applications via CLI - Refs: Platform Applications; Platform Application Dependencies; Ultimate: Enabling an Application Using the UI; Deployment Scope; Deploy Platform Applications Using CLI; Kommander Installation Based on Your Environment --- ## Recommended training (official) **Nutanix Kubernetes Platform Administration (NKPA)**, free online or paid instructor-led: NKP concepts/install (air-gapped + connected), licensing, lifecycle (workspaces, create/attach/scale clusters, projects, upgrades), access control (IdPs, groups, workspace/project roles, bindings), platform applications, backup/restore, logging stack, monitoring (metrics, cost, Grafana, alerts). ## Additional resources (official) Nutanix Community Edition; Test Drive; Nutanix Community cert forum; additional cloud-native resources listed in the blueprint.