Nutanix Files is the correct solution as it is a software-defined, scale-out file storage service designed to address the specified requirements. It provides a distributed file system that can be scaled out by adding more nodes. It supports both Server Message Block (SMB) for Windows clients and Network File System (NFS) for Linux clients. Crucially, it integrates with Microsoft Active Directory for authentication and access control, which is a key requirement for managing permissions in a mixed-workstation environment. This combination of features directly matches the company's needs for a distributed, AD-integrated, and scalable file storage solution.

A. Mine: Nutanix Mine is a secondary storage solution for data protection and backup, not a primary file storage service for end-user workstations.

B. Objects: Nutanix Objects is an S3-compatible object storage platform. It is not a traditional file system and does not support native SMB or NFS protocols for workstation access.

C. Volumes: Nutanix Volumes provides scale-out block storage via the iSCSI protocol. It presents storage as raw block devices (LUNs), not as a file system with shares or exports.

1. Nutanix Files v4.4 Documentation: In the "Nutanix Files Solution Guide

" the introduction states

"Nutanix Files is a software-defined

scale-out file storage solution that provides a repository for unstructured data... Nutanix Files supports Server Message Block (SMB) and Network File System (NFS) protocol versions... Nutanix Files supports user authentication with Microsoft Active Directory (AD)." (Section: Introduction to Nutanix Files)

2. Nutanix University - Nutanix Unified Storage (NUS) 6.5 Administration: The course material describes Nutanix Files as a service that "provides a highly available and scalable file storage solution for a wide range of use cases... It supports SMB... and NFS... protocols" and highlights its "integration with Active Directory for authentication." (Module: Nutanix Files Architecture)

3. Nutanix Volumes Guide v6.8: "Nutanix Volumes provides block-based storage and exposes it to the guest virtual machines or physical hosts through the iSCSI protocol." (Section: Volumes Overview

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4. Nutanix Objects User Guide v4.2: "Nutanix Objects is a software-defined Object Store solution that is S3-compatible... You can store and retrieve objects from anywhere on the web by using the S3 API." (Section: Objects Overview

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5. Nutanix Mine with HYCU Administration Guide v6.8: "Nutanix Mine with HYCU is an integrated data protection solution for applications running on Nutanix." (Section: About Nutanix Mine with HYCU

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