- It decides that you cluster you want to prepare.
- Which version of ESXi is running.
- Check health of agent installation.
- EAM install the VIBs in ESXi host.
- It automates the installation of VIBs, modules, and services of NSX.
- It gets VIB from NSX manager and install in ESXi.
- VIB: esx-nsxv
- Services: netcpad & vsfwd
- Modules: vdl2, vdrb, vsip, etc.. (mentioned above in module section)
- VXLAN tunnel endpoint.
- It’s VM kernel interface(vmk).
- We need an IP address for this port.
- This IP will be according to the physical subnet where virtual switch is connected.
- If Physical subnet of router is on VLAN 10 than VTEP IP should be on VLAN 10.
- It will be on each ESXi host of the cluster you want to be part of NSX.
- Number of VTEP on each ESXi host will depend on the NIC teaming policy you have defined on virtual switch or port group.
- If you choose VMKnic teaming policy Load Balance – SRMAC or Load Balance – SRCID, then it will create VTEP the number of uplinks we have on virtual switch.
- If you choose VMKnic teaming policy as Failover, Static EtherChannel, or Enhanced LACP then it will create only 1 VTEP kernel port.
- Segregation of network.
- We use 12 bits (212) in VLAN hence range is 4094, but we use 24 bits (224) in VXLAN hence range is approx. 16 million.
- You don’t need to make any change in your physical topology. Because it uses tunnel.
- Logical switch always uses VXLAN. It doesn’t use VLAN.
- VLAN range of VXLAN starts from 5000. We call it VNI (VXLAN Network Identifier).
- VXLAN communicates on port 4789 over UDP protocol.
- We need to define Segment ID which defines the range of VXLAN IDs.
- If we give 1000 range (5000-5999) than we can create 1000 numbers of L2 networks.
- If you say your physical topology supporting multicasting, and you want to take advantage of multicasting, then you can define multicast range in segment ID of VXLAN.
- Go to NSX Console > Installation and Configuration > Logical Network Preparation > Segment ID > Enable Multicast Address (Recommended range - 239.0.0.0-239.255.255.255).
- Defines the scope of VXLAN L2 network.
- It is an independent of physical network.
- It is logical identity required to define Logical switch.
- It defines that when you create your L2 network, then where it can expand.
- Which all host will participate in my VXLAN network. That is defined by transport zone.
- It is required at the time when you create the VXLAN network.
- There are certain considerations when you create transport zone;
- You must have to select all host in cluster which shares the same distributed switch. If you don’t do that than transport zone will be considered as misaligned transport zone.
- If both clusters are sharing same distributed switch, then we need only one transport zone. But if we have multiple distributed switch than we should create equal number of transport zone. Though you can also create one transport zone for multiple distributed switches.
- Replication Mode
- Go to NSX Console > Installation and Configuration > Logical Network Preparation > Transport Zone > Click on + icon.
- It’s virtual component which defines a L2 network.
- One Logical switch means one L2 network.
- But these L2 network will not be on VLANs, rather It will be on VXLAN.
- Logical switch in NSX is same as Port group in vSphere.
- When you create Logical switch, it creates in distributed switches based on the VTEP. It will create Logical switch in same distributed switch where VTEP is created.
- When we create logical switch, then you must select transport zone.
- Go to NSX Console > Logical Switches > Click on + icon.
