A VM required on the hypervisor of every node in a Nutanix cluster, with AOS as its operating system. Every one needs a static IP address of its own.
Also called Controller VM.
Read more: Nutanix docs
In the Ultra Transcenders books
Each book explains CVM in context, with comparison tables and the common traps.
Terms in this definition
- Hypervisor
The virtualisation software allowing many isolated virtual machines to run on a single physical server. The cloud provider looks after it whichever service type is used.
- AOS
Software that runs inside the Nutanix Controller VM on the hypervisor and delivers the platform's functions. Joining a cluster requires a node to pair it with a hypervisor in a supported combination.
- OS
Operating system, which you manage yourself on IaaS VMs. PaaS offerings like App Service do not expose it.
Related terms
- CLI
A way of working by typing commands. On a Nutanix cluster, the CVM offers both nCLI and aCLI.
- Compute-only node
An AHV node without a Controller VM that offers processing power only; its VMs use storage supplied by the cluster's HCI nodes. Storage-only nodes do the reverse.
- CRAM-MD5
A way of authenticating to an SMTP server. When FIPS authentication is on, the CVM's SMTP client cannot work with servers that have this method enabled.
- CVM Foundation
A last resort for when neither the standalone Foundation VM nor the Foundation app can go in, running on the CVM of a node. Nutanix regards this version as the most restricted.
- CVM memory
How much RAM every CVM gets. The Prism Element web console offers a 1-click upgrade to increase it, starting from a default Foundation bases on platform category.
- DR network segmentation
Keeps disaster recovery replication on a separate logical network, using a CVM interface set aside for it, for example ntnx0.
- FIPS
US federal standards for cryptography, published as FIPS 140. Nutanix self-encrypting drives are validated against them, and turning on FIPS authentication on a CVM stops its SMTP client working with CRAM-MD5 servers.
- Foundation
Nutanix's own tool for building clusters, loading nodes first with AOS and a hypervisor that are supported together. Its three forms are the standalone VM, the app and the version in the CVM.