Team Leader - Nutanix Technology Champion - Nutanix NTC Storyteller

Julien DUMUR
Infrastructure in a Nutshell

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Nutanix Technology Champion (NTC) 2026: A 3rd Star on the Jersey!

Published: 18 December 2025
Written by Julien D.
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Categories: Nutanix

You might think that over time, you get used to it. That after two years, opening the email announcing the results becomes a mere administrative formality. Well, I must confess: not at all.

It is with immense pride – and undisguised relief – that I announce my nomination as a Nutanix Technology Champion (NTC) for the year 2026. This is the third consecutive year that I have the honor of joining this group of passionate experts.

To be completely transparent, I never take this distinction for granted. In the IT world, technologies evolve fast, and so do we. Staying relevant requires work, curiosity, and above all, the desire to share. Seeing my name once again on the official NTC 2026 list is a beautiful validation of the efforts put into the blog throughout the year.

What is an “NTC”? (Spoiler: It’s not just a LinkedIn badge)

I am often asked if it is an exam I passed, like an NCP-MCI certification. The answer is no, and that is precisely the beauty of this program.

The Nutanix Technology Champion program does not just reward passing a technical multiple-choice quiz. It is a distinction that recognizes community engagement. Basically, Nutanix spots those who spend their free time testing, breaking, fixing, and above all explaining their technologies to others. Whether through blog posts (like here), forum contributions, or talks at events.

For the purists, it is the equivalent of the vExpert at VMware or the MVP at Microsoft. It is the validation of what we call technical “Soft Skills”: the ability to evangelize a solution not because we are paid to do so, but because we master its intricacies and we love it. It is a recognition by peers and by the vendor, and that is what makes it so rewarding.

Under the Hood: Why this nomination matters for the blog

Beyond the shiny logo to put in a signature, being an NTC has a direct impact on the quality of what I can offer you on juliendumur.fr. It is not an honorary title devoid of meaning; it is a key that opens interesting doors.

Concretely, this status gives me privileged access behind the scenes. I have the opportunity to exchange directly with Product Managers and Nutanix engineering teams. This means that when I write a technical article, I can validate my hypotheses at the source, avoiding approximations.

Furthermore, we have access to roadmap briefings and Beta versions. Even if this information is often under NDA (I can’t reveal everything to you in advance!), it allows me to understand the direction the technology is taking. I can thus better anticipate topics to cover and offer you more relevant analyses as soon as features reach General Availability (GA). It is the assurance for you to read content that is not only technically accurate but also in phase with market reality.

Retrospective and 2026 Goals: Full Steam Ahead

This third nomination is the fruit of consistency. But above all, it marks the beginning of a new year of “lab”. The goal is not to collect stars, but to continue exploring the Nutanix Cloud Platform from every angle.

For 2026, I intend to keep offering practical tutorials and field feedback. While the AHV hypervisor remains the unavoidable foundation, I really want to move up the software stack a bit more this year. Expect to see topics covering container orchestration with NKP (Nutanix Kubernetes Platform), automation, and probably a stronger focus on security with Flow. The objective remains the same: dissecting the tech to make it accessible.

A huge thank you to the community for the daily exchanges, and of course to the NTC program team (shout out to Angelo Luciani) for their renewed trust. It is a pleasure to be part of this virtual family.

Now, the ball is also in your court: are there specific topics or features of the Nutanix ecosystem that you would like to see me cover this year? The comments are open!

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Nutanix Technology Champion: 3rd Place Top Blogger 2025

Published: 10 December 2025
Written by Julien D.
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Categories: Nutanix

I won’t lie to you: when you’ve had a taste of gold, bronze has a peculiar flavor. Last year, I had the immense pride of finishing first in the “Top Bloggers” ranking of the Nutanix Technology Champion (NTC) program.

This year, the verdict is in on the official community blog: I ranked 3rd.

Did I slow down? No. Did I share less? On the contrary. But in tech, just like in sports, staying at the top is often harder than getting there. This 3rd place is, above all, a signal that the competition has intensified. And honestly? It’s exactly what I needed to motivate me to get back in the fight for 2026.

The NTC Program is Not Just a Badge

For those new to the ecosystem, being a Nutanix Technology Champion (NTC) isn’t just about slapping a logo on your LinkedIn profile. It is a commitment. It means being part of a technical vanguard that tests, breaks, fixes, and—above all—documents Nutanix solutions. The “Top Blogger” ranking is the barometer of this activity.

1st in 2024, 3rd in 2025: Analyzing the Logs

So, what happened? I pulled my logs to compare. If my performance had dropped, I would have accepted this 3rd place with a shrug. But the data shows otherwise: my publication volume is equivalent to last year’s. Even better, my strategy was cleaner: instead of doing “bursts” (flurries of articles), I maintained a metronomic consistency, spread evenly over the 12 months.

The conclusion is simple and undeniable: the overall bar has been raised. My peers were absolute beasts this year. They produced more. This is excellent news for the Nutanix community: the ecosystem is alive, dense, and increasingly sharp. But for the competitor in me, it’s a wake-up call. Consistency is no longer enough; just like in cycling, I’m going to have to up the intensity.

Why Publish?

Beyond the rankings and the competition, why continue writing with such discipline? The answer is pragmatic. My blog is primarily my external memory. In our line of work, we don’t remember everything. We test, we configure, we hit a critical error, we resolve it… and six months later, we’ve forgotten how we did it. Blogging is about documenting my own “struggles” so I never have to look for the solution twice. It’s about transforming obscure troubleshooting into a clear tutorial. But make no mistake: every article is born from a real technical need, from a real infra that I built or fixed. No fluffy theory, just experience from the field. The icing on the cake: the feedback from our clients who stumble upon my blog and tell me, “We found a solution on your site.” That is the real reward.

Conclusion: See You at the Finish Line

Bravo to the two peers who finished ahead of me this year. You set the bar very high, and that is exactly what I like. The level of the NTC program is what makes it credible. But the message has been received. The consistency of 2025 was a good foundation, but for 2026, I’m shifting gears. I’m going to chase more specific topics, dig deeper into the guts of Nutanix AOS and AHV, and perhaps explore use cases that no one has documented yet.

The bronze medal is nice. But it will serve primarily as a reminder on my desk: next year, I’m aiming for the yellow jersey.

See you soon for the next technical article.

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Nutanix Technology Champion 2025: registrations are open!

Published: 2 October 2024
Written by Julien D.
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Categories: Nutanix
Nutanix Technology Champion NTC

It has been a year since I first applied to join the exclusive Nutanix Technology Champion program. After my application was deemed admissible, I had the immense privilege of being included in the very select group of NTC 2024 by Angelo Luciani, the NTC program manager at Nutanix.

This year, I was able to meet incredible professionals from the sector with whom I was able to discuss Nutanix and the world of infrastructure in general. I was invited to exclusive online sessions reserved for members of the NTC program but especially to .NEXT in Barcelona during which we were able to benefit from privileged access (front row seats at the conferences, meeting with Rajiv Ramaswami (the president and CEO of Nutanix) or Sebastian Vettel (one of the personalities invited to the event), dedicated space…).

Nutanix .NEXT Barcelona 2024

As is the case every year, registration is open again for the 2025 Nutanix Technology Champion class.

Introducing the NTC Program

This program recognizes Nutanix hybrid multicloud experts for their continued external contributions to the community and industry. Our Nutanix Technology Champions are our technology advocates and ambassadors, influencing change with practical advice and bold ideas.

The NTC program provides unique opportunities for individuals to enhance their knowledge, build their brand, and help shape the future of hybrid multicloud.

Program members receive the following benefits:

  • Early access information on Nutanix products and announcements.
  • Private beta testing and insight into product development are available.
  • Participation in exclusive meetings with engineering teams.
  • Access to discussions with internal teams on the Nutanix NTC Slack channel.
  • Unique activities at our annual .NEXT conference include pre-show briefings.
  • Career development and guidance for those aiming for NCP, NCM, and NCX.

To be considered for the program, candidates must complete and submit the online NTC application form.

The following criteria will be considered:

  • Be involved in the Nutanix community forums and actively contribute content.
  • Speak at community events and industry user groups.
  • Hands-on experience with our products and services.
  • Blogging, podcasting, YouTube videos, and being active on social media.
  • A desire to contribute to the IT community.
  • Demonstrate how to develop, deploy, and scale Nutanix environments.

The activity is held externally for others to see and learn from, as the NTC program is a community-driven program.

When accepted into the program, we expect you to:

  • Share best practices with your peers on our Slack channel.
  • Participate in discussions and research on products, brand, and other topics.
  • Join us for our monthly live meetings.
  • Contribute blogs or videos to the online community or your personal blog.
  • Participate in customer stories, case studies, and other marketing activities.
  • Interact with attendees and share your story on .NEXT.
  • Participate in user group or industry events.
  • Help people find answers in the online community.

We want to foster an active and collaborative group of experts, so space is limited.

If you think you have what it takes and are interested in joining the program, please fill out the application form on the official website.

Official article: https://next.nutanix.com/community-blog-154/nutanix-technology-champion-2025-applications-are-open-43601

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Nutanix CE 2.1: create your homelab in 2024

Published: 30 September 2024
Written by Julien D.
3 Comments
Categories: Community Edition, Nutanix

Since not everyone is lucky enough to have clusters on which to do their tests in the company, creating your homelab to be able to test and manipulate or even host services can be a serious alternative. But it is never an easy thing and it can often be expensive…

What use?

Having your own homelab under Nutanix CE is one thing, having the use of it is another. The first question you must ask yourself is: a homelab under what to do?

Is the purpose of your cluster to carry out tests with ephemeral virtual machines to improve your skills and discover new technologies? Or to host services for you, your family and other people? Will you need to back it up? Or to have redundancy? Do you have a lot or on the contrary little space to host it?

These are all questions to ask yourself in advance. It is obvious that depending on the answers to all these questions, the architecture and sizing of your homelab will not be the same. Another element to take into account: the electricity consumption which can represent a significant operating cost.

For my part, the main interest of having my homelab under Nutanix is ​​to be able to test new things and to improve my skills on a technology that I particularly like.

Sizing your homelab

Depending on the answers you have given to the various questions concerning the intended use of your homelab, you should start to have an idea of ​​what architecture and sizing you need.

In order to give a little more substance to the sizing part, it is important to take a look at the prerequisites necessary for installing a 1-node cluster under Nutanix CE 2.1:

  • a processor with at least 4 cores and embedded virtualization technology
  • 32Gb of RAM (64Gb recommended)
  • a 1Gb network card
  • 1 disk of at least 32Gb for the hypervisor
  • 2 disks for the data

If you plan to set up a cluster with several nodes, be aware that each node in the same cluster will have to be similar in terms of configuration.

Obviously, the more virtual machines you want to host or features you want to activate on Nutanix, the more resources you will need, thus increasing costs.

Setting up your homelab

Option 1: recovery

An often forgotten option for setting up your homelab is the recovery of old hardware to create a new infrastructure under Nutanix CE. Indeed, it often happens that companies get rid of their old equipment by simply throwing it away or reselling it at a low price.

This is often an ideal opportunity to recover an old server capable of running Nutanix CE 2.1, even if it means transforming several servers into a single, somewhat muscular one.

For my part, this is the option I chose for my Nutanix CE 2.1 cluster because I was lucky enough to be in this situation during one of my previous professional experiences.

Option 2: used servers

If the company has decided to resell its old equipment to brokers, you can find these servers on sales sites specializing in reconditioning.

There are plenty of them on the Internet, with quite disparate stocks and prices, I am thinking in particular of:

These sites allow you to build some pretty edgy configurations for a homelab at often reasonable prices. For example, a SuperMicro chassis can be negotiated for less than 600 euros:

On the configuration side, we will find:

  • an Intel Xeon E5-2697A 16-core processor @ 2.60GHz
  • 128Gb of RAM
  • 4 512Gb SDD
  • onboard RJ45 network ports
  • a dual power supply

The only constraint will be to add a SATA disk of about 64Gb to install the hypervisor (count about 40 euros) if you do not want to use a 512Gb disk unnecessarily. Note that you can even upgrade the configuration in the future by adding disks or RAM.

The 2 big drawbacks of this type of server are:

  • the noise (good luck negotiating to have it in the house)
  • the format because it is a bit restrictive to install

Option 3: NUC type PCs

With their small format and often the silence that characterizes them, NUCs are ideal candidates for setting up a homelab at home. If we can find NUCs with processors capable of running correct infrastructures, it is at the level of RAM and storage that the shoe pinches.

Indeed, RAM is most of the time limited to 32Gb without the possibility of expansion, which can quickly prove insufficient depending on the use to which you dedicate your cluster. On the storage side, most of the time NUCs only offer an additional port allowing you to connect a disk in addition to the basic embedded one where Nutanix requires 3. A workaround can be to deploy the hypervisor on a fast USB key connected via USB3.

The other disadvantage is the cost of this type of machine which is often at the same level as a used server but with much lower hardware configurations and power consumption.

Option 4: Assembled PC

The last viable option in my eyes is assembling a more traditional PC from A to Z. This will allow you to select each component of your server and thus be able to have a truly personalized cluster.

From the Grand Tour case to the mini ITX case, you will also have the choice of format, which can be practical if you only have a small space to install your equipment (example: the cupboard in the entrance where the Internet box is located).

In terms of cost, depending on the configuration chosen, it should not be much higher than that of a refurbished server or a NUC with moderate power consumption.

Conclusion

I hope that you will see more clearly in the path that will lead you to the start of your homelab. Be aware that apart from having substantial financial means, there is no miracle solution to setting up a lab and it is often a question of opportunities that will present themselves to you. Take the time to think carefully and explore all possible avenues before you start.

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Presentation of my Nutanix Homelab

Published: 30 September 2024
Written by Julien D.
No comments
Categories: AHV, Community Edition, Nutanix

This is a question I am regularly asked: “with which cluster do you perform your tests for your articles?”. So here is what my Nutanix homelab looks like…

My network infrastructure

Before talking about my Nutanix cluster, I will present my home infrastructure that I installed 4 years ago when the house was built.

I based my network infrastructure on Ubiquiti brand equipment. The hardware is very good, silent, robust, easy to use… but for the configuration it is really very particular and we are very far from what we are used to practicing on a daily basis in a data center.

So I set up:

a Ubiquiti Dream Machine Pro for the entire network / filtering part with

  • 2 SFP+ 10Gb ports
  • 8 1Gb ports

a Ubiquiti USW Pro 24 PoE switch which has

  • 2 10Gb SFP+ ports
  • 24 1Gb PoE ports

Ubiquiti Flex switches in various parts of the home

My internet access is currently a Free connection which relies on the Freebox Delta and which offers me a theoretical speed of 10Gb/s:

On the program:

  • a 10Gb fiber arrival
  • 4 RJ45 ports in 1Gb (B, C, D, E)
  • 1 SFP+ 10Gb port (F)

A well-stocked box to allow latency-free Internet access.

The network topology therefore looks like this:

As you can see, no professional type infrastructure at home so if you only have consumer type equipment, don’t hesitate to get started, it will do the trick.

My Nutanix cluster

My Nutanix cluster is nothing exceptional, it is quite old hardware since it is based on an Intel S2600WTTR chassis that was launched by the manufacturer in 2016!

Link to the technical sheet: https://www.intel.fr/content/www/fr/fr/products/sku/88281/intel-server-board-s2600wttr/specifications.html

I recovered it in a previous professional experience, the cluster had a hardware failure that the administration did not want to deal with given the age of the hardware and the fact that the existing infrastructure was being replaced by brand new Nutanix clusters.

I carried out the repair at my own expense so that the server would be operational again. In terms of the physical installation, the cluster is not allowed to stay in the house (due to noise), so it is in the garage, installed in an unconventional way:

The hardware configuration of my cluster is as follows:

  • 2 Intel Xeon E5-2640 v4 @ 2.4Ghz processors
  • 384 Gb of RAM
  • 1 120Gb SDD for the OS
  • 4 800Gb SAS SDDs
  • 6 1.6Tb SAS HDDs
  • 2 10Gb RJ45 network ports

This hardware configuration allows me to have disk redundancy. This is not the ideal scenario but it is already much better than no redundancy at all. The amount of CPU / RAM allows me to faire tourner un grand nombre de machines virtuelles sans que les performances ne soient dégradées :

If I had to make a hardware change to my cluster, I think I would opt for a 10Gb fiber network card in order to have a 10Gb connection from one end of the chain to the other Internet > Router > Firewall > Switch > Cluster.

The cluster is now installed with a Nutanix CE 2.1 in the latest versions available:

This allows me to test the latest features, to perform configuration tests and it also serves as a support for writing all the blog articles, each subject covered being obviously tested on the Lab before publication.

Although the Lab is essential for writing my articles, I do not leave it on permanently because it consumes a significant amount of electricity as I already mentioned in one of my previous articles.

That’s my infrastructure, hoping that it makes you want to get started and set up your own Nutanix CE cluster.

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Nutanix AHV : post-install operations – Part 1

Published: 10 September 2024
Written by Julien D.
1 Comment
Categories: AHV, Community Edition, HowTo, HowTo-AHV, Nutanix
Nutanix Blog Header

After a successful installation of Nutanix AHV, all passwords configured on the cluster are the default passwords “nutanix/4u” and it is imperative to change them for maximum security.

Recommendations regarding passwords complexity

You must choose strong passwords to secure your infrastructure and that they are unique!

The minimum complexity required by Nutanix is:

  • 8 characters
  • 1 lowercase letter minimum
  • 1 uppercase letter maximum
  • 1 number minimum
  • 1 special character

Some cluster passwords will also require you to respect certain constraints related to the password history.

Generally speaking, I would recommend that you use a password generator often integrated into your password management software to create your passwords and apply a length of at least 16 characters while respecting the complexity rules indicated above.

Prism Element admin password

This step is essential and you cannot bypass it. If this is your first time logging in, the login is “admin” and the password is “nutanix/4u”. You will be ask to configure a new password respecting the complexity criteria.

CVM “Nutanix” password

If you leave the default password, you will have critical alert messages on your Prism Element interface.

To fix this, connect to the IP of one of the CVMs in your cluster in SSH with the nutanix identifier and the default password nutanix/4u. Then, a simple “passwd” will allow you to configure a new password:

nutanix@NTNX-99110c89-A-CVM:~$ passwd
Changing password for user nutanix.
Current password:
New password:
Retype new password:
passwd: all authentication tokens updated successfully.
nutanix@NTNX-99110c89-A-CVM:~$

Enter the current password, then the new password twice in a row and that’s it!

Hosts passwords

Just, after an installation the passwords of the Nutanix hosts are always the default ones and this will generate critical alerts on the cluster.

To change the “root” password of the hosts, connect to one of the CVMs and type the associated command:

nutanix@NTNX-99110c89-A-CVM:192.168.2.200:~$ echo -e "CHANGING ALL AHV HOST ROOT PASSWORDS.\nPlease input new password: "; read -rs password1; echo "Confirm new password: "; read -rs password2; if [ "$password1" == "$password2" ]; then for host in $(hostips); do echo Host $host; echo $password1 | ssh root@$host "passwd --stdin root"; done; else echo "The passwords do not match"; fi

The system will then ask you to enter the new password twice:

CHANGING ALL AHV HOST ROOT PASSWORDS.
Please input new password:
Confirm new password:
Host 192.168.2.199
Nutanix AHV
Changing password for user root.

To change the “admin” password of the hosts, connect to one of the CVMs and type the associated command:

nutanix@NTNX-99110c89-A-CVM:192.168.2.200:~$ echo -e "CHANGING ALL AHV HOST ADMIN PASSWORDS.\nPlease input new password: "; read -rs password1; echo "Confirm new password: "; read -rs password2; if [ "$password1" == "$password2" ]; then for host in $(hostips); do echo Host $host; echo $password1 | ssh root@$host "passwd --stdin admin"; done; else echo "The passwords do not match"; fi

The system will then ask you to enter the new password twice:

CHANGING ALL AHV HOST ADMIN PASSWORDS.
Please input new password:
Confirm new password:
Host 192.168.2.199
Nutanix AHV
Changing password for user admin.
passwd: all authentication tokens updated successfully.

To change the “nutanix” password of the hosts, connect to one of the CVMs and type the associated command:

nutanix@NTNX-99110c89-A-CVM:192.168.2.200:~$ echo -e "CHANGING ALL AHV HOST NUTANIX PASSWORDS.\nPlease input new password: "; read -rs password1; echo "Confirm new password: "; read -rs password2; if [ "$password1" == "$password2" ]; then for host in $(hostips); do echo Host $host; echo $password1 | ssh root@$host "passwd --stdin nutanix"; done; else echo "The passwords do not match"; fi

The system will then ask you to enter the new password twice:

CHANGING ALL AHV HOST NUTANIX PASSWORDS.
Please input new password:
Confirm new password:
Host 192.168.2.199
Nutanix AHV
Changing password for user nutanix.
passwd: all authentication tokens updated successfully.

Official resources

Passwords modifications : https://portal.nutanix.com/page/documents/kbs/details?targetId=kA00e000000LKXcCAO

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Nutanix Community Edition 2.0 : Install

Published: 15 April 2023
Written by Julien D.
1 Comment
Categories: Community Edition, Nutanix

As mentioned in my previous article, the Nutanix Community Edition 2.0 has just been made available by the publisher. This is the perfect opportunity to install or update your cluster.

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Nutanix Community Edition 2.0 : she’s finally here !

Published: 27 February 2023
Written by Julien D.
No comments
Categories: Community Edition, Nutanix

More than 2 years after the last version of the Nutanix Community Edition, the publisher gives us a v2.0 which will bring its share of new features!

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