VMware NSX - Detailed Review
Networking Tools
VMware NSX - Detailed Review Contents
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VMware NSX - Product Overview
VMware NSX Overview
VMware NSX is a comprehensive network virtualization and security platform that revolutionizes how organizations manage and secure their digital infrastructure. At its core, NSX achieves complete network virtualization by utilizing network automation and encapsulation, such as Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE), to decouple logical network services from the underlying physical network infrastructure.Primary Function
The primary function of VMware NSX is to provide a software-defined approach to networking, allowing organizations to create, provision, and manage complex networks entirely through software. This approach enables the virtualization of various networking elements, including firewalls, VPNs, load balancing, and routing, which can be managed and controlled centrally.Target Audience
The primary target audience for VMware NSX includes large enterprises, cloud service providers, and organizations with complex, multi-site networking needs. These organizations often have extensive virtualization infrastructure and require advanced network functionalities, high levels of automation, and robust security features. Key verticals include healthcare, finance, and retail, as well as regional medical centers, small banks, and small retail businesses.Key Features
VMware NSX offers several key features that enhance networking capabilities:Logical Switching and Distributed Routing
Provides logical switching capabilities and distributed routing, allowing for the isolation of workloads across multiple virtual networks and efficient connectivity between hosts.Load Balancing
Distributes incoming network traffic across different backend servers to manage heavy traffic loads and ensure smooth network performance.VPN and Distributed Firewall
Offers L2 and L3 VPN solutions and distributed firewall capabilities, enabling secure connections between isolated data centers and enforcing fine-grained security policies attached to virtual machines.Network Function Virtualization
Replaces network hardware with virtual machines, allowing virtual networks to operate on standard servers via hypervisors, which is more cost-effective than investing in hardware devices.Micro-Segmentation
Delivers network security inside the data center with automated, fine-grained policies tied to virtual machines, ensuring better security and containment of security breaches through network isolation and segmentation.Automation and Agility
Reduces the time for provisioning multi-tier networking and security services from weeks to seconds, abstracting virtual networks from the underlying physical network and enabling faster deployment and greater agility. Overall, VMware NSX provides a flexible, scalable, and highly secure network virtualization platform that streamlines network operations, enhances security, and supports the needs of modern, software-defined data centers and hybrid cloud environments. VMware NSX - User Interface and Experience
User Interface Enhancements in VMware NSX
The user interface of VMware NSX, particularly in its later versions, has undergone significant enhancements to improve ease of use and overall user experience.Modern and Responsive UI
VMware NSX for vSphere 6.4.1 introduced a new HTML5-based UI, which replaced the older Flash-based interface. This change provides a more modern, responsive, and minimalistic look-and-feel that loads faster and does not require browser plugins.Simplified and Intuitive Design
The new UI is designed to display key relevant information prominently, making it easier for users to manage NSX installation and security functionality. For example, security administrators can now easily determine where a Security Group is used, including in which firewall rules or Service Composer security policies. Additionally, the UI shows security group members in terms of VMs, IPs, MACs, and vNICs, providing a comprehensive view.Integration with vSphere Client
The NSX UI is tightly integrated with the vSphere Client, allowing users to view NSX-related information alongside their virtual machines. This integration enables users to see which Firewall Rules, Guest Introspection policies, and Network Introspection policies apply to a particular VM, all within the vCenter interface.Simplified vs Advanced UI in NSX-T
For NSX-T, VMware introduced a simplified UI alongside the existing advanced UI. The simplified UI aligns with the declarative policy API, making it easier to define and manage network configurations using a desired state approach. This UI is more aligned with automation and desired state configuration, although it may not yet support all functions available in the advanced UI. The advanced UI, on the other hand, aligns with the imperative management API and is still necessary for certain tasks.User-Friendly Features
Session Management
The Application Rule Manager includes a new Session Management page that displays sessions and their status, making rule management more efficient.Status Bar
During the Rule Planning stage, a new Status Bar summarizes the number of grouping objects and firewall rules, streamlining the review and publishing process.Display Themes
Users can switch between light and dark display themes in the NSX Network Detection and Response UI, enhancing visual comfort.Automation and API Integration
NSX supports extensive automation through its API-first approach. The hierarchical API structure allows for multiple operations to be consolidated into a single API call, simplifying workflows. Additionally, NSX APIs are based on the OpenAPI standard, ensuring compatibility with a wide range of third-party tools like Terraform and Ansible.Community and Support
VMware NSX benefits from a thriving user community and ecosystem. Users can access various support services, forums, and resources, including sample code and automated use cases on GitHub, which helps in getting started and managing NSX configurations. Overall, the user interface of VMware NSX is designed to be simple, efficient, and modern, with a focus on ease of use and integration with other tools and platforms. This makes it easier for network and security administrators to manage and automate their network infrastructure effectively. VMware NSX - Key Features and Functionality
VMware NSX Overview
VMware NSX is a comprehensive network virtualization and security platform that offers a wide range of features and functionalities, making it a powerful tool in the networking and security landscape.Distributed Routing and Switching
NSX provides distributed routing and switching capabilities, allowing for the creation of logical networks that are decoupled from the physical infrastructure. This includes logical distributed routers that create routes between virtual networks at the hypervisor kernel level, and logical switches that use Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) to extend Layer 2 networks over Layer 3.Distributed Firewalling
The NSX distributed firewall is embedded in the hypervisor kernel and spreads across VMware ESXi hosts. This allows network administrators to create custom firewall policies that are enforced at the virtual network interface card level, providing stateful firewall services for virtual machines (VMs) and enhancing visibility and control over virtualized networks and workloads.Micro-Segmentation
Micro-segmentation is a key security feature in NSX, enabling the firewalling of network traffic between VMs, even when they are on the same network or located on different hosts or regions. This fine-grained control helps in isolating and securing specific segments of the network.Load Balancing
NSX includes a feature-rich load balancer that supports both Layer 4 (L4) and Layer 7 (L7) load balancing. The L4 load balancer performs packet-based load balancing, while the L7 load balancer establishes client- and server-facing connections for each request. This improves enterprise application availability and scalability and includes support for Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) offload and server health checks.Virtual Private Network (VPN)
NSX offers site-to-site and remote access VPN capabilities, as well as unmanaged VPN for cloud gateway services. This ensures secure and encrypted communication between different sites and remote users.Multi-cloud Networking
NSX allows for the extension of on-premises networking to the cloud, providing a single pane of glass to manage both public and private cloud data center networking. This ensures consistent networking and security policies across different cloud environments.Automation
NSX integrates with VMware vRealize Automation and supports tools like AWS Terraform and PowerShell cmdlets. This automation capability simplifies the configuration of VPNs, firewall rules, load balancers, and other NSX features, enhancing operational efficiency.API and Integration
NSX comes with a fully functional API based on representational state transfer (REST), which simplifies integration with third-party products and services. This API enables automation and integration with cloud management platforms, making it easier to manage and automate network and security services.Dynamic Security Policy
Using NSX Service Composer, network administrators can provision and assign network and security services to applications dynamically. This includes creating custom security groups with filters based on VMware vCenter objects, OS type, and Active Directory, among others.Cross-vCenter Networking and Security
NSX supports Cross-vCenter Networking and Security (Cross-VC NSX), which scales NSX across vCenter and data center boundaries. This feature simplifies data center migration, enables long-distance vMotions, and supports disaster recovery (DR) operations.Log Management
NSX integrates with vRealize Log Insight, which processes log entries from ESXi hosts and identifies issues within the NSX deployment. This helps in proactive monitoring, analytics, and troubleshooting of the network and security infrastructure.AI Integration
While NSX itself is not primarily an AI-driven product, it can be integrated with other solutions that leverage AI for enhanced security and visibility. For example, Vectra Networks collaborates with VMware to use AI for detecting and mitigating cyber attacks within virtualized environments. Vectra’s AI capabilities help in automatically detecting cyber-attack behaviors such as command and control, lateral movement, internal reconnaissance, and data exfiltration, allowing security teams to respond quickly to unknown and known threats.Conclusion
In summary, VMware NSX is a powerful network virtualization and security platform that offers a wide array of features to enhance network flexibility, security, and automation. While it does not inherently include AI-driven features, it can be integrated with AI-powered solutions to further enhance its capabilities. VMware NSX - Performance and Accuracy
Performance
VMware NSX has demonstrated impressive performance capabilities, particularly in virtualized data center environments. Here are some highlights:Throughput
NSX Data Center can achieve high throughput, often limited by the physical ports on the host rather than the NSX software itself. For example, it has been shown to drive upwards of 100 Gbps of throughput per node for typical data center workloads.Optimizations
NSX leverages TCP optimizations such as TSO (TCP Segmentation Offload), LRO (Large Receive Offload), and RSS (Receive Side Scaling) to enhance throughput. These optimizations allow NSX to handle large data segments efficiently, similar to using jumbo MTU, but with even larger segment sizes (up to 64K bytes).Bare Metal Edge Performance
In bare metal deployments, an NSX Edge Node can achieve speeds of up to 388 Gbps for North-South traffic, and an entire cluster can reach up to 3 Tbps.Accuracy and Efficiency
The accuracy and efficiency of NSX are largely driven by its software-defined networking approach:Network Automation
NSX automates network provisioning, deployment, and operations, reducing manual errors and speeding up application deployment. It uses advanced workflows and agile templating tools like VMware Aria Automation, Terraform, and Ansible to manage network resources dynamically.Overlay Services
NSX efficiently deploys new services using overlay tunneling and protocol acceleration, which enhances network performance and reduces latency. It also integrates with critical VMware capabilities like vMotion and Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS).Limitations and Areas for Improvement
Despite its strong performance and accuracy, there are several areas where VMware NSX can be improved:Scalability and Stability
Users have noted that NSX needs significant improvement in scalability and stability, especially in large environments. This includes better support for multiple clouds and more seamless workload federation across different control panels.Security Features
NSX has some security vulnerabilities and lacks the feature richness of next-generation firewalls. Users have requested more detailed security products and better integration with other security solutions.Ease of Deployment and Maintenance
Many users find the initial setup and maintenance of NSX challenging. There is a need for a more streamlined setup process and better troubleshooting tools.Integration with Other Platforms
NSX could improve its integration with other vendors and platforms, including support for more hypervisors like Hyper-V. Additionally, there is a need for better integration with public clouds and Kubernetes.Automation and Orchestration
While NSX offers significant automation capabilities, there is still room for improvement in workload management, orchestration, and automation across multiple clouds and environments. In summary, VMware NSX delivers strong performance and accuracy in virtualized networking, leveraging advanced TCP optimizations and automation. However, it faces challenges in scalability, security, ease of deployment, and integration with other platforms, which are areas that VMware is continually working to address. VMware NSX - Pricing and Plans
VMware NSX Pricing Model
VMware NSX offers a structured pricing model with several licensing tiers, each providing a different set of features to cater to various organizational needs.
Licensing Tiers
1. NSX Professional
- This tier is aimed at organizations requiring network agility and automation.
- Features include distributed switching and routing, as well as integration with vRealize Suite and OpenStack.
2. NSX Advanced
- This midrange edition includes all the features of the Professional license.
- Additional features include microsegmentation for enhanced data center security, NSX Edge load balancing, and distributed firewalling.
3. NSX Enterprise Plus
- This is the highest tier, offering all the features of the Advanced license.
- It also includes networking and security across multiple domains with features like Cross-VC NSX.
4. NSX Remote and Branch Offices (ROBO)
- This edition is licensed on a per-VM basis, unlike the other tiers which are per-host.
- It includes most of the features from the Advanced tier.
Pricing
The prices for VMware NSX vary based on the licensing tier and any additional programs or discounts:
NSX Data Center Enterprise Plus
- The list price for NSX Data Center Enterprise Plus per processor is $8,495.00.
- There are various discounted prices available through different programs, such as the VMware Purchase Program (VPP) and Customer Purchasing Program, ranging from $7,730.45 to $8,070.25.
NSX Data Center Advanced
- The list price for NSX Data Center Advanced per processor is $5,495.00.
- Similar to the Enterprise Plus tier, there are discounted prices through various programs, ranging from $4,780.65 to $5,495.00.
Upgrades
- Upgrades from lower tiers to higher tiers are also available. For example, upgrading from NSX Data Center Standard to NSX Data Center Advanced per processor costs $3,850.00, with discounts available for existing VPP customers.
Additional Options
NSX-T and NSX Cloud
- NSX-T provides networking and security management for non-vSphere environments, including multiple Kernel-based VM distributions and OpenStack environments.
- NSX Cloud integrates NSX-T components with public cloud services, offering a multi-tenant dashboard and consistent network and security profiles across environments.
Add-on Licenses
- Additional distributed security features can be obtained through NSX add-on licenses, such as the Distributed IDS/IPS add-on, which costs $5,985.00 for a 3-year term license including production support and subscription.
Free Options
There are no free versions of VMware NSX for general use. However, NSX for vShield Endpoint is included for free when you install NSX-T version 3 and above. This is specifically for use with third-party AV solutions and is not a standalone free version of NSX.
VMware NSX - Integration and Compatibility
VMware NSX Overview
VMware NSX is a comprehensive network virtualization solution that integrates seamlessly with a variety of tools and platforms, enhancing the management and operation of network infrastructure.
Integration with VMware Products
NSX is tightly integrated with other VMware products, particularly within the VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) ecosystem. It works in conjunction with vSphere (compute) and vSAN (storage) to provide a complete software-defined data center (SDDC) solution. This integration allows for the streamlined provisioning and management of networking services, independent of the underlying hardware.
Compatibility with ESXi and vCenter
For NSX to function, it must be compatible with specific versions of ESXi and vCenter. Currently, NSX versions up to 3.2.3 can run on ESXi 6.7, but it is recommended to upgrade to ESXi 7.x or later, as ESXi 6.7 is end of life. For newer versions of NSX, such as NSX 4.1.2, you need to be on at least ESXi 7.x.
Cloud and Multi-Cloud Support
NSX extends its capabilities across multiple cloud environments, including private, public, and hybrid clouds. It enables consistent networking and security policies across different cloud platforms, regardless of the underlying physical topology. This multi-cloud support allows for seamless connectivity and management of network services across various cloud boundaries.
Automation and DevOps Tools
NSX integrates natively with various automation and DevOps tools, such as VMware Aria Automation, Terraform, Ansible, and PowerShell. These integrations enable automated network provisioning, deployment, and operations, significantly reducing manual tasks and improving operational efficiency. The RESTful API based on JSON further facilitates integration with cloud management platforms and custom automation scripts.
Container Networking
NSX supports container networking through the VMware NSX Container Plugin, which works with platforms like VMware Tanzu Kubernetes Grid, VMware Tanzu Application Service, and upstream Kubernetes. This integration provides in-cluster networking, Kubernetes network policy management, and centralized connectivity troubleshooting.
Third-Party Integrations
NSX also supports integration with a wide range of third-party partners across various categories, including switching, operations, visibility, and distributed network introspection. This broad ecosystem enables enhanced functionality and flexibility in network management and security.
Network Services and Features
NSX offers a comprehensive set of logical networking capabilities, including logical switching, routing, distributed load balancing, VPN, quality of service (QoS), and monitoring. These services can be provisioned in virtual networks and extended across data centers, public and private clouds, and physical servers. Features like the NSX gateway and Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) provide complete data plane isolation and edge firewall support.
Conclusion
In summary, VMware NSX integrates seamlessly with various VMware and third-party tools, ensuring a highly automated, scalable, and secure network environment across diverse platforms and cloud environments.
VMware NSX - Customer Support and Resources
VMware NSX Customer Support Options
VMware NSX provides a comprehensive set of customer support options and additional resources to help users manage and troubleshoot their network virtualization environments effectively.Technical Support
VMware offers various levels of technical support for NSX, including assistance from experienced engineers. This support includes configuration help, troubleshooting, problem diagnosis, and answers to “how-to” questions. Users can manage tickets from initial reporting through to remediation, ensuring issues are resolved efficiently.Access to Tech Support Mode
For advanced troubleshooting, NSX for vSphere 6.x allows users to access a Tech Support Mode. This mode provides a Unix command line interpreter, enabling lower-level Unix commands and diagnostics. However, it is recommended to use this mode only in conjunction with a support call to avoid unintended changes to the virtual appliance.Documentation and Guides
VMware provides extensive documentation, including solution briefs, datasheets, and technical articles. These resources cover key features, use cases, and operational guidelines for NSX. For example, the solution brief for NSX in VMware Cloud Foundation details network automation, multi-cloud policy, and advanced troubleshooting capabilities.API and Automation Tools
NSX supports an API-first model with RESTful APIs, allowing for scripting, integration with third-party tools, and DevOps consumption. This includes OpenAPI specifications and SDKs in languages like Python and Java, facilitating automation and integration with other systems.Centralized Management and Monitoring
NSX offers centralized management through tools like the Central CLI, Switch Port Analyzer, and IP Flow Information Export. It also integrates with VMware vRealize Suite for proactive monitoring, analytics, and troubleshooting. This centralized approach simplifies network performance monitoring, scalability, and alerts.Training and Certifications
While not explicitly mentioned in the provided sources, VMware generally offers training programs and certifications for its products, including NSX. These resources help users gain the necessary skills to manage and optimize their NSX deployments.Community and Additional Resources
VMware has a vibrant community and various forums where users can share knowledge, ask questions, and get help from peers and experts. Additionally, third-party support options, such as those from Park Place Technologies, are available for users who need alternative support arrangements.Conclusion
By leveraging these support options and resources, users of VMware NSX can ensure their network virtualization environments are well-managed, secure, and highly performant. VMware NSX - Pros and Cons
Advantages of VMware NSX
VMware NSX offers several significant advantages that make it a valuable tool in the networking and security domain:
Automation and Speed
- NSX automates the deployment of network resources, significantly reducing the time required to set up networking infrastructure in virtual environments. This automation speeds up application deployment and eliminates manual, error-prone network provisioning tasks.
Microsegmentation
- NSX enables microsegmentation, which allows for the creation of a zero-trust security perimeter around specific resources, such as workloads and network segments. This granular segmentation enhances network security by isolating workloads and reducing the attack surface.
Network Virtualization
- NSX achieves complete network virtualization by encapsulating network traffic within protocols like VXLAN, allowing the division of physical networks into separate and independent virtual networks. This eliminates the need for expensive in-house equipment and enables the use of physical networking hardware through gateways.
Load Balancing and VPN
- NSX includes advanced load balancing capabilities, distributing incoming network traffic across different backend servers to ensure smooth network performance. It also provides L2 and L3 VPN solutions for secure connections between isolated data centers and remote networks.
Distributed Firewalling
- The distributed firewall in NSX is embedded in the hypervisor kernel, allowing for stateful firewall services at the virtual network interface card level. This enhances visibility and control over virtualized networks and workloads.
Multi-Cloud Support
- NSX supports multi-cloud environments, enabling the management of security and networking policies across public and private clouds through a single pane of glass. This includes support for applications running on VMs, in containers, and on bare metal.
Integration and Automation
- NSX integrates with various tools like vRealize Automation, OpenStack, and orchestration tools such as vSphere Site Recovery Manager (SRM), which automates failover and disaster recovery processes. It also supports advanced workflows and agile templating using tools like VMware Aria Automation, Terraform, and Ansible.
Disadvantages of VMware NSX
While VMware NSX offers numerous benefits, there are also some challenges and considerations:
Migration Complexity
- The migration process can be complicated, especially due to the data collector creating a significant amount of data that may not be transmitted. This can make the environment risky if not managed correctly.
Interoperability Issues
- In multi-vendor environments, ensuring interoperability between different components can be essential but sometimes challenging. Incorrectly configured rules can prevent communication between hosts, vCenter, and NSX components, leading to long recovery times.
Data Collector Overload
- The data collector can generate a lot of data, which may not all be transmitted, potentially complicating the migration and management process.
Rule Configuration Risks
- If network rules are configured incorrectly, it can prevent communication between hosts, vCenter, and NSX components, resulting in long recovery times and potential downtime.
By understanding these advantages and disadvantages, organizations can better evaluate whether VMware NSX aligns with their networking and security needs.
VMware NSX - Comparison with Competitors
When Comparing VMware NSX with Other Networking Tools
When comparing VMware NSX with other networking tools that incorporate AI and advanced networking capabilities, several key points and alternatives come into focus.VMware NSX Unique Features
VMware NSX stands out for its comprehensive network virtualization and security features. Here are some of its unique aspects:- Network Virtualization: NSX achieves complete network virtualization using network automation and encapsulation techniques like Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) and Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN). This allows for the creation of separate and independent virtual networks without the need for expensive hardware.
- Distributed Firewalling: NSX includes a distributed firewall embedded in the hypervisor kernel, providing stateful firewall services at the virtual network interface card level. This enhances visibility and control over virtualized networks and workloads.
- Load Balancing and VPN: NSX offers advanced load balancing capabilities (L4-L7) and site-to-site, remote access, and unmanaged VPN services. The NSX Edge gateway provides additional features like L3 routing, firewall, and load balancing.
- Integration and Automation: NSX integrates with various VMware products like vRealize Automation and OpenStack, and it uses REST APIs and other automation tools for seamless integration with cloud management systems.
Competitors and Alternatives
Juniper Networks AI-Native Networking Platform
Juniper’s platform is notable for its unified AI engine that manages campus, branch, and data center networking. It promises significant reductions in trouble tickets, operational expenses, and incident resolution time. This platform uses AI to ensure reliable, measurable, and secure connections for all devices and applications.Nile AI Services Platform
Nile’s platform focuses on automating network design, configuration, and management using AI. It includes features like AI-based network design, automated network deployment, and AI-powered network monitoring and operations. Nile’s platform is particularly strong in integrated security and cloud-native service delivery.Key Differences
- AI Integration: While VMware NSX is strong in network virtualization and security, it does not inherently include AI-driven monitoring or automation like Juniper’s or Nile’s platforms. Juniper and Nile leverage AI for predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and automated network management, which are not core features of NSX.
- Scope of Automation: Juniper and Nile offer more extensive automation capabilities, including AI-driven network design and deployment, which are not primary features of NSX. NSX focuses more on virtual network management and security.
- Integration with AI Tools: If AI-driven network monitoring and automation are critical, tools like LogicMonitor, Auvik, or NinjaOne might be considered as complementary solutions. These tools provide AI-driven insights, anomaly detection, and predictive analytics that can enhance network performance and reliability.
VMware NSX - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about VMware NSX
Can I connect externally configured vCenter or NSX instances to a VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) deployment?
No, connecting externally configured vCenter or NSX instances to VCF is not supported. VCF requires that these components be managed within the VCF environment itself.
What are the key benefits of using VMware NSX in a cloud environment?
VMware NSX offers several key benefits, including reducing network provisioning time from days to seconds, improving operational efficiency through automation, and ensuring consistent management of network policies across data centers and public clouds. It also enhances network infrastructure and services resiliency with simplified disaster recovery and reduces the total cost of ownership (TCO) of private cloud deployments.
What are the different licensing models available for VMware NSX?
VMware NSX offers several licensing models:
- NSX Standard Edition: Provides basic networking capabilities and is priced approximately at $1,900 per processor.
- NSX Advanced Edition: Includes additional features such as security, micro-segmentation, distributed firewall, VPN options, and load balancing, priced approximately at $4,500 per processor.
Does NSX Federation support VxRail deployments?
Yes, NSX Federation is supported in VxRail deployments starting from VCF 4.3. However, this support is only available for greenfield deployments and not for brownfield environments prior to VCF 4.3.
What are NSX Edge clusters and when should they be used?
NSX Edge clusters connect the virtual network domain to the physical domain, providing ingress and egress access as well as other networking services such as load balancing and firewalling. They should be used when you need to integrate your virtual network with the physical network infrastructure.
How does NSX support automation and integration with other tools?
VMware NSX supports automation through various tools and APIs. It integrates with cloud management platforms and automation tools like VMware Aria Automation, Terraform, Ansible, and PowerCLI. This allows for the automation of network and security services, reducing manual tasks and improving operational efficiency.
What are the limitations of NSX Federation in VMware Cloud Foundation deployments?
There are several limitations to be aware of:
- VCF Operations fleet management functions do not support the NSX Global Manager.
- VCF Operations cannot collect data from the Global Manager, and VCF Automation cannot provision workloads with Global Managers.
- NSX Federation between a VI WLD in one VCF instance and a Mgmt WLD in another VCF instance is not supported.
- NSX Federation in VCF 4.2 or later releases only supports greenfield deployments.
Can I use NSX to manage network infrastructure as code?
Yes, VMware NSX allows you to manage network infrastructure as code. You can create complex network topologies and address security requirements programmatically using APIs and tools like Ansible and Terraform. This integrates well with CI/CD pipelines, enabling network and security infrastructure to be managed as code.
How does NSX support high-performance networking?
VMware NSX uses Enhanced Data Path (EDP) to deliver high-performance network services for workloads running on vSphere. Additionally, implementing NSX network services on Data Processing Units (DPUs) connected to application hosts frees up host computing resources and enables high-throughput, low-latency switching and routing.
Can I configure High Availability (HA) for NSX Edges?
In environments managed by providers like OVHcloud, NSX Edges are already configured for High Availability (HA) following VMware best practices, so additional configuration is not necessary.
How does NSX support migration from NSX-v to NSX-T?
Migration from NSX-v to NSX-T involves a discovery and assessment phase of the NSX-v infrastructure and a design phase for NSX-T. The migration itself is relatively short and can be facilitated by creating an extended network, VPN, or using tools like Terraform to ease the transition.