The administrator is attempting to scale out a Nutanix Files deployment by adding more File Server Virtual Machines (FSVMs) to a multi-node FSVM deployment on a three-node AHV cluster, but the operation has failed. The first step the administrator should take is toexpand the AHV cluster. Nutanix Files requires a minimum number of nodes in the cluster to support a scale-out operation, and a three-node cluster may not have sufficient resources (nodes) to accommodate additional FSVMs.
TheNutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA)course states, “Nutanix Files scale-out operations require sufficient cluster nodes to host additional FSVMs, and a minimum of four nodes is recommended for scaling out a multi-node FSVM deployment.” In a three-node cluster, each node typically hosts one FSVM (for a total of three FSVMs), and scaling out to add more FSVMs requires additional nodes to distribute the new FSVMs. If the cluster does not have enough nodes, the scale-out operation will fail, as there are no available nodes to host the new FSVMs.
TheNutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US)study guide further elaborates that “when a Nutanix Files scale-out operation fails on a small cluster, the first step is to verify the cluster size and expand the AHV cluster by adding more nodes to support the additional FSVMs.” Expanding the cluster to at least four nodes provides the necessary capacity to host a new FSVM, allowing the scale-out operation to succeed.
The other options are incorrect:
Add RAM to the physical hosts: While insufficient RAM could cause issues, the failure of a scale-out operation is more likely due to a lack of nodes rather than RAM, especially since FSVMs have specific node placement requirements.
Failover to secondary site: Failover to a secondary site is relevant for disaster recovery (e.g., using Smart DR), not for resolving a scale-out failure within the primary cluster.
Add DNS entries: DNS entries may be needed for client access to Nutanix Files, but they are not directly related to the scale-out operation of FSVMs within the cluster.
The NUSA course documentation emphasizes that “a common cause of Nutanix Files scale-out failures in small clusters is insufficient nodes; expanding the AHV cluster to at least four nodes is the first step to ensure successful scaling.”
[References:, Nutanix Unified Storage Administration (NUSA) Course, Section on Nutanix Files: “Scaling out Nutanix Files and cluster requirements.”, Nutanix Certified Professional - Unified Storage (NCP-US) Study Guide, Topic 4: Troubleshoot Nutanix Unified Storage, Subtopic: “Troubleshooting Nutanix Files scale-out failures.”, Nutanix Documentation (https://www.nutanix.com), Nutanix Files Administration Guide: “Cluster sizing for Nutanix Files scale-out operations.”, ]
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