Which configuration item is a hard requirement to deploy a Nutanix cluster?

A Nutanix cluster is composed of nodes, and each node runs a Controller VM (CVM). For a node to be discovered, imaged by Foundation, and participate in the cluster, its CVM must have a unique IP address on the management network. This IP address is the fundamental requirement for all internode communication, cluster services, and management. While a cluster name is also required during the creation process, the CVM IP is a prerequisite for the node's basic network connectivity, making it the most critical hard requirement.

A. Nutanix cluster name: While required to create the cluster, it's a logical identifier applied after the nodes are already communicating via their CVM IPs.
B. Cluster Virtual IP: This is a highly recommended best practice for management high availability but is an optional configuration during cluster creation.
C. Motion IP address: This is not a standard Nutanix term. The CVM and hypervisor communicate over a private, internal network, not a "Motion IP."

1. Nutanix University. (2023). Nutanix Hybrid Cloud Fundamentals Course. Section: Cluster Architecture. The courseware explains that each CVM requires an IP address to form the storage fabric and communicate with other nodes.

2. Nutanix. (2023). Field Installation Guide. Version 5.5. Section: "Information to Collect Before You Begin". This guide lists the CVM IP address, Hypervisor IP address, and IPMI IP address as mandatory information required for each node before starting Foundation.

3. Nutanix Prism Element Web Console Guide. (2023). Section: "Creating a Cluster". The cluster creation wizard in Foundation explicitly requires an IP address to be assigned to each CVM.