In this series of blog posts, we will take a look at deploying the NSX-T 3.2 Manager, preparing the network for setting up NSX-T and using NSX-T features such as NAT, Firewall and IDS/IPS.
The series will be divided into following parts, I will add hyperlink to each of them, as and when the parts are created:
Part-1: Deploying the NSX Unified appliance OVA
Part-4: Setting Up T0 NATing and firewall.
NSX-T is VMware’s branch for implementing network virtualization. VMware NSX-T is designed to address application frameworks and architectures that have heterogeneous endpoints and technology stacks. In addition to vSphere, these environments may include other hypervisors, containers, bare metal operating systems, and public clouds. It offers one-stop solution for network infrastructure and security management with capabilities ranging from switching and routing to NAT, firewall and IDS/IPS solutions.
Let’s take a look at the steps involved in deploying the NSX-T Manager to an ESXi host. We will be using the NSX unified appliance 3.2 (Build 19067359) OVA for this.
1- Right-click on the host where you want to deploy the NSX manager and select “Deploy OVF Template”
2- Select the Data center and enter your preferred name for the virtual machine.
3- Select the host where you would want to deploy the VM.
4- Select “Small” under “Configuration”, since we are setting this up in a Home Lab only; for testing purposes. DO NOT select “ExtraSmall” as this configuration only supports “nsx-cloud-serice-manager role.”
5- Select the datastore for the VM
6- Select the NW which you would use to manage the NSX-manager and the NSX environment.
7- Enter the following information under “Customize template”:
System root Password: Root account password for the VM.
CLI admin user password: Password for CLI admin user.
CLI admin username: Admin username.
CLI audit username: Audit username.
Hostname: Hostname of your NSX manager.
Rolename: Select “NSX Manager” from the drop down as we are deploying this role here.
Management IPv4 address: Enter the IP address you want to set to the management interface of the NSX-manager VM. Note: The same IP would be used for accessing the NSX-Manager Web-Client.
Enable SSH and allow root SSH logins
Make sure you do not set any of these properties:
8- Review all your configurations and click “Finish”:
9- You can open the VM console and view the initial VM configurations and services startup
10- If you try to access the Web-Client before the configurations are complete, you would see the “Error code 101:Some appliance components are not functioning properly” error. That is okay, it takes a while for the configurations to complete and the services to start-up, especially in a Home lab environment, since we work on limited resources.
11- Once all the services start, you would be able to access the web-client.
11- After successful login, you would see the EULA and the CEIP page.
12- Click on “Manage Licenses”
13- Add you license details here:
This completes the setup of the NSX-T 3.2 Manager appliance on the ESXi host.
In the next post, we will be taking a look at NSX fundamentals and terminologies, preparing home lab and interfacing the vCenter with NSX manager.