Episode-3: NSX and VCF 9 Networking capabilities

From now and onwards, we are focusing on VCF and its components. I will start from NSX and later we shall focus on 

1. VCF-NSX (Security, Networking)
2. VCF-Operations (and its sub components etc)
3. VCF-Automation 
4. Storage (vSAN ESA/OSA, VMFS, NFS)

So, lets talk about NSX first and then we shall move on to its in depth capabilities aligned with VCF. How can we utilize and have day 2 administration. It's high-level over view of services and integrations with VCF is as below highlighted. 

1. Network Virtualization

• VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) delivers integrated Software-Defined Networking (SDN) through NSX, enabling organizations to build self-service Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) with agility and consistency.
• This pillar empowers administrators and tenants to provision logical networks on demand, abstracting physical infrastructure and simplifying operations.
• Virtual distributed switching and routing ensure seamless east-west and north-south traffic flow across workloads, while consistent networking policies across sites support multi-region deployments and disaster recovery.
• The result is a scalable, programmable network fabric that aligns with modern cloud principles and accelerates application delivery.

2. Modern Apps Networking 

VCF networking stack is optimized for modern application platforms, especially Kubernetes. It offers simplified 

Kubernetes networking through NSX’s comprehensive policy model, which supports 

• Micro-segmentation, 
• Ingress/egress control, 
• Service chaining. 

The architecture is platform-agnostic, meaning it integrates with any Kubernetes like 

• Tanzu distribution 
• Upstream K8s (Open standard)  
• Third-party platforms—without requiring custom plugins. 

NSX provides a unified management plane, allowing operators to monitor and enforce policies across VMs and containers from a single interface. 

Note: This convergence of VM and container networking simplifies DevOps workflows and enhances security posture for cloud-native workloads.

3. Network Visibility and Troubleshooting

VCF includes powerful monitoring and visibility tools that span pre-deployment and runtime operations. How it works, lets discuss as below 

• Administrators can perform pre-deployment assessments to validate network readiness and compliance. 
• Application discovery features automatically map dependencies and traffic flows, helping teams understand workload behavior and optimize placement. 
• Network topology visualization and real-time metrics provide deep insights into performance, latency, and bottlenecks. 
• These capabilities reduce mean time to resolution (MTTR), improve operational efficiency, and support proactive capacity planning. 
• NSX Intelligence and vRealize Network Insight (now part of VMware Aria Operations for Networks) are key enablers in this pillar.

4. Workload Mobility

VCF supports large-scale workload mobility across vSphere environments, enabling seamless migration of VMs and applications. 

• Organizations can move workloads between clusters, regions, or even clouds with zero downtime, thanks to technologies like vMotion and HCX. 
• The architecture supports any-to-any vSphere version compatibility, allowing legacy systems to coexist with modern platforms during migration. 
• Multiple migration modes—bulk, scheduled, or live—offer flexibility based on business needs. 

This mobility ensures business continuity, simplifies hardware refresh cycles, and supports hybrid cloud strategies without rearchitecting applications.

5. Lateral Security

Security in VCF is deeply embedded at the network layer, with NSX providing stateful Layer 7 distributed firewalling across workloads. This enables granular east-west traffic protection, essential for preventing lateral movement of threats. 

Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) features—such as 

• Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS), 
• Network sandboxing
• Network Traffic Analysis/Detection and Response (NTA/NDR)—enhance threat visibility and response. 

Security analytics and rule recommendations help automate policy creation and tuning. 

Note that these advanced services are add-ons and not included by default in VCF, requiring separate licensing or subscriptions.

Episode-02 for Transitioning NSX as crucial component of VCF/VVF

NSX and VVF/VCF 9 Introduction

Why am I jumping directly from NSX to VVF/VCF?

The core reason behind this topic discussion is the consolidation of VMware product line under 2 separate strategic groups

VVF (VMware vSphere Foundation) More focused on Core virtualizations (Compute, vSAN, NSX Options).

·       Moreover, vSphere (compute) is mandatory, and licensing based on cores and managed by vSphere. Other components like vSAN and NSX are optional if you want to use separate physical SAN other than VMware provided HCI model, yes you can use it and same is true for NSX if you go with simple networking instead of NSX.

Component	VVF Requirement	Notes
vSphere (Compute)	Mandatory	Core virtualization platform; baseline for VVF
vSAN (Storage)	Mandatory	Licensing is TiB per Core and minimum license cap is 16 Core (even if you have 8 cores then it will be counted as 16 with additional 8 cores spare) For ref See KB
NSX (Networking/Security)	Optional	Add‑on for advanced networking & security; not required for basic deployments

For your reference, please, visit this Link (VVF Structure) 

VCF (VMware Cloud Foundation): Full stack of VMware private cloud architecture that start with

1. ESXi Hosts
2. vCenter Server Appliance
3. vSAN
4. NSX Architecture
5. VMware Aria Suite

In simple words, for SDDC you require above 4 points by all means (Compulsory) and for a functional private cloud you require VMware Aria (Operations and Automation). So, on contrary, you require all the components for VCF to run a private cloud in any organizations.

Can we move from VVF to VCF at any point, so, the answer is “Yes”. 

Under VCF, there is a big concept of public cloud relevant architecture adapted by VMware private cloud for infrastructure management across the globe for any organization that manages its own Infrastructure till data administration.

So, if I try to conclude above explanation then, I only need to summarize VMware products by Broadcom into two major groups

1.      If any organization is only focusing on Server Virtualization and consolidation with manual data center services then move your workload to VVF

2.      IF any organization is moving from private cloud of older versions from VCF 5.x to new version of cloud then VCF and the version would be 9.x

Note: The perpetual keys for individual products are now changed into subscription whether its VVF or VCF 😊

VVF architecture is simple and managed through vCenter Server Appliance under subscription based licensing but If we talk about VCF, It has been changed even from VCF 5.x (you can say from its predecessor).

For more clarity about licensing, you can visit. You can also see the FAQs by VMware 

Will discuss this detailed architecture in my next upcoming series and also in my vLog through my channel 😊.

Stay Tuned!

NSX 4.2.x Before you go for VCF 9

 

Hi Readers!

It was a long break and I myself got engaged in new dynamic skill upgrades that result in a long delay. It’s been a while since my last deep dive here — the IT landscape doesn’t wait, and neither should we!

So, Let’s pick up with one of the most important shifts in VMware’s networking and security stack: NSX 4.

Simplified Lifecycle Management

• NSX 4 integrates more tightly with vSphere Lifecycle Manager, making upgrades and patching smoother.

Enhanced Security Features

• Distributed Firewall improvements, including L7 application ID enhancements and context‑aware microsegmentation.
• Deeper integration with VMware Threat Prevention and IDS/IPS.

Networking Enhancements

• Better support for IPv6, multi‑tier routing, and federation improvements for multi‑site deployments.

Operational Visibility

• Expanded NSX Intelligence for real‑time flow visualization and policy recommendations.

Container & Cloud Alignment

• Stronger Kubernetes and Tanzu integration, aligning with multi‑cloud and containerized workloads

 Simplified Lifecycle Management

The release of VMware NSX 4 marks a significant evolution in how enterprises manage the lifecycle and operations of their networking and security infrastructure. Beyond incremental improvements, NSX 4 introduces a more streamlined, automated, and resilient operational model that directly addresses the challenges of hybrid cloud adoption, security compliance, and operational efficiency.

This section explores the key lifecycle and operations enhancements in NSX 4, why they matter, and how organizations can leverage them for smoother day‑to‑day management.

1. Tight Integration with vSphere Lifecycle Manager (vLCM)

• Unified Upgrade Experience: NSX 4 integrates deeply with vLCM, allowing administrators to manage both compute and networking components from a single pane of glass.
• Cluster‑Aware Upgrades: Instead of upgrading hosts individually, admins can now perform cluster‑level upgrades, reducing downtime and operational overhead.
• Rollback & Recovery: Built‑in rollback mechanisms ensure that if an upgrade encounters issues, the system can revert to a stable state quickly.

Why it matters: This reduces the risk of upgrade failures and aligns NSX lifecycle management with the broader VMware ecosystem, making it easier for IT teams to standardize processes.

 

2. Simplified Patch Management

• Automated Patch Deployment: Security and feature patches can be applied with minimal manual intervention.
• Granular Scheduling: Admins can schedule patch windows to align with business downtime, ensuring minimal disruption.
• Compliance Alignment: Automated patching helps organizations meet regulatory requirements for timely security updates.

Impact: This reduces the “patch fatigue” that often plagues IT teams and ensures environments remain secure without constant firefighting.

Federation & Multi‑Site Operations

• Centralized Policy Management: NSX Federation in version 4 has been enhanced to allow consistent policy enforcement across multiple sites.
• Disaster Recovery Alignment: Policies can now be replicated and enforced across DR sites, ensuring security posture remains intact during failover.
• Operational Consistency: Multi‑site enterprises can manage distributed environments as if they were a single logical fabric.

Why it matters: For global organizations, this reduces complexity and ensures that security and networking policies are not fragmented across regions.

4. Operational Visibility & Troubleshooting

• Enhanced Dashboards: NSX Manager now provides more intuitive dashboards for lifecycle events, upgrade progress, and compliance status.
• Pre‑Upgrade Checks: Automated compatibility and dependency checks reduce the likelihood of failed upgrades.
• Telemetry & APIs: Expanded APIs allow integration with monitoring tools (e.g., vRealize, Splunk, or third‑party SIEMs).

Impact: This empowers operations teams with predictive insights rather than reactive troubleshooting, cutting down mean time to resolution (MTTR).

5. Automation & Day‑2 Operations

• Declarative Configuration: Admins can define desired states, and NSX ensures the environment matches that state automatically.
• Self‑Healing Mechanisms: NSX 4 can detect drift from baseline configurations and remediate automatically.
• Integration with Infrastructure‑as‑Code (IaC): Native support for tools like Terraform and Ansible makes NSX lifecycle operations part of modern DevOps pipelines.

Why it matters: This aligns NSX with cloud‑native operational models, reducing manual effort and human error.

6. Upgrade Path & Backward Compatibility

• Smooth Transition from NSX‑T: NSX 4 provides a clear upgrade path for existing NSX‑T environments.
• Backward Compatibility: Legacy workloads can still be supported while organizations modernize their infrastructure.
• Future‑Proofing: VMware has positioned NSX 4 as the foundation for multi‑cloud and containerized environments, ensuring investments remain relevant.

Conclusion

The Lifecycle & Operations improvements in NSX 4 are not just technical conveniences — they are strategic enablers. By simplifying upgrades, automating patching, and enhancing federation, VMware has reduced the operational burden on IT teams while improving resilience and compliance.

For enterprises, this means:

• Faster adoption of new features
• Reduced downtime during upgrades
• Stronger alignment with hybrid and multi‑cloud strategies
• A more secure and compliant operational baseline

NSX 4.x Site Resiliency model - Continued...

 

Hello everyone!

Let’s continue our discussions about Site Resiliency model offered by NSX not through Multisite but through federation. What benefits we may have and what improvements we may have. This is all what we are going to discuss here in this topic.

NSX Federation (a Quick Brief)

Unlike Multisite NSX architecture, NSX Federation does not require to configure MTU over WAN or at provider side to be changed from typical (Default) value to 1700+. It’s a big change at infrastructure configuration or requirement level.

NSX Managers can be on different geographical locations despite of 10ms RTT problem. Because, the global objects will penetrate into local NSX Managers through Async Replicator Service through Application Proxy Hub (APH) offered by Global NSX Managers. It only replicates Clusters with other site clusters not amongst the nodes of one cluster (or inside a cluster). 

Whereas the distance in between Global managers (within same NSX Manager Cluster)  (Active / Standby instances) must not go beyond 10ms but NSX Managers Active and Standby instances can have upto 500ms RTT. As show in the figures below respectively for each scenario. Below Scenario is NSX Global Manager Stretch architecture (Active Global Manager Cluster only).

Fig 1.1

 Figure above shows the distance in mili-second time amongst the nsx manager instances. 

And below figure shows the cluster to cluster “Async Replicator” activity to synchronise and help assisting stretch architecture used in federation. 

Fig 1.2

Another major benefits you can have using federation is, you don’t need to configure bigger MTU (as required for VxLAN configs). It always go as default but within site (Local not stretched) , yes you need to configure the same MTU 9000+.

Even in between Edges across sites, these Edges are known as RTEPs to each other. These can further chunk down the MTU more less than 1500. So, below picture is going to explain a high level overview of a federation 

Fig 1.3

There are many different options or scenarios that we can explore to design a solution for NSX Federation. Below are some that I am going to explain in a bit details

Federation with Stretch Active Global NSX Manager Cluster

This scenario is useful and feasible only in cases where sites / regions are not so far but fall under the distance of 1ms to 10ms (or upto 150ms only incase of NSX 4). 

In such scenario, you can build Global Manager cluster (Active only) with each GM instance in each site making it Active per site with GSLB integration and LM (local NSX Managers) also in the same topological model as explained in Fig 1.1.

It doesn’t require additional vCenter server per-site and only one vCenter Server is sufficient in this scenario [Ref: NSX Design Guide 4.1 v.1.3 – Multisite page 27]. Best suitable for Metropolitan network-based scenarios or intera-city Branch/Data-center Availability zones. Even there is no need for vCenter server ELM.

Federation with Stretch Active/Stand-by Global NSX Manager Cluster

This scenario is useful and feasible only in case when your organization regions are quite far from one another having more than 150ms RTT. In this scenario, it is recommended to put all the NSX Managers (Global or Local) in same DC and connect (Local NSX Manager cluster per site) them at max 10ms/500ms RTT from one another as shown in above picture Fig 1.3

It is also worth noted that with the introduction of NSX 4.1.x now the maximum RTT amongst NSX Manager clusters is now 500ms instead of 10ms [Ref: NSX Design Guide – Multi-location page-81 ]  

Thanks for your valuable time 😊 My next topic would be how to recover NSX 4.x Global Manager (Active Cluster) if it is unavailable and replaced by Standby Global Manager.

Always, waiting for your valuable inputs for all my articles I am writing 😊

NSX Cross Site Design and Architecture

 

The NSX Multi-site Architecture 

By – Adnan  Hussain (VCIX – NV) 

Hi there, If you are looking for Multisite topologies based on applications availability across sites, may be in the form of stretch clusters or in the form of Active/Active Sites or Active/Stand-by sites architecture then you are at the right place. 

I am writing this article in series / episodes to have a connection with you all and can discuss different aspects using this portal to address your understanding and to learn more

In-order to have Applications available across multiple sites even from on-premise to public cloud tenancies, you keep your infrastructure ready and expandable or responsive to difference architectural challenges and changes. 

VMware being pioneer in providing Infrastructure relevant software like 

All above technologies run on top of software logics with no dependency on Hardware make and model (only needed x86 architecture).

I will discuss all above listed technologies individually in detail but first of all let’s start with NSX and its Multisite capability.

NSX-Multisite is still basically divided into two major topological Structures that you can choose one depending on your need or requirement.

1. Multisite – Traditional architecture 

2. Federation – Advanced architecture 

Multisite – Traditional Architecture 

This is simple to understand and deploy with maximum of upto 3 sites having two options to adapt in this topology implications

1. Single-site NSX Manager Architecture 

2. Multi-site NSX Manager Architecture 

So let’s discuss, single-site NSX Manager Architecture in more details.

In this case, all the instances of NSX Manager are required to be in the same site and Data Plane is needed to be spanned across multiple (Three) sites including ESXi Hosts and Edge Nodes.

• The Round Trip Time (RTT) between NSX Managers must not go beyond 10 millisecond if stretched across sites or Rack or Datacenter(s).

• The Round Trip Time (RTT) amongst Transport Nodes must not go beyond 150 milliseconds if stretched across sites or racks or DC(s).

• And, in this topology (Multi-site) you must follow to configure MTU 1700+ end to end. 

Below diagram can illustrate a high level construct of physical and virtual network binding with NSX provided traditional multi-site requirement.

In the light of above explanation, let’s dig-out some more options and probabilities. 

Let’s say, we have a requirement of high bandwidth (consumption) based application with Active/Active Instance requirement on two different sites located far off from each other of having 5000+ KM approx. (across countries). 

What would be the plan or deployment strategy of infrastructure services and network design in this case. Though the Applications are core internal business apps and are not required to be published through 3rd party ISP/Cloud services.

In the above explained example, application provided infrastructure should be designed as below or close to below design solution and justifications.

Above information is derived from VMware online resources for VCF.

There are more things to discuss with this design, which we can talk about one by one slowly to make up the pace and digest this information easily.

My Next topic in continuation to this series would be site resiliency models and their impact using multi-site architecture. Stay Tuned 😊 …

 

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