Search icon CANCEL
Arrow left icon
Explore Products
Best Sellers
New Releases
Books
Videos
Audiobooks
Learning Hub
Conferences
Free Learning
Arrow right icon
Learning VMware NSX, Second Edition
Learning VMware NSX, Second Edition

Learning VMware NSX, Second Edition: Next-generation network administration skills revealed , Second Edition

eBook
€17.99 €26.99
Paperback
€32.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at €18.99p/m

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital eBook copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
Table of content icon View table of contents Preview book icon Preview Book

Learning VMware NSX, Second Edition

NSX Core Components

This chapter begins with a brief introduction to NSX core components followed by a detailed discussion of these core components. We will go over the three different control planes and how each of these NSX core components fits into that architecture. Next we go over the VXLAN architecture and transport zones that allow us to create and extend overlay networks across multiple clusters. We will also look at NSX Edge and the distributed firewall in greater detail and take a look at the newest NSX feature: multi-vCenter or cross-vCenter NSX deployment. By the end of this chapter, you will have a thorough understanding of NSX core components and also their functional inter-dependencies.

In this chapter, we will cover:

  • Introduction to NSX core components
  • NSX manager
  • NSX controller clusters
  • VXLAN architecture overview
  • Transport zones
  • NSX Edge
  • Distributed firewall...

Introduction to NSX core components

The foundational core components of NSX are divided across three different planes. The core components of a NSX deployment consist of an NSX manager, controller clusters, and hypervisor kernel modules. Each of these is crucial for your NSX deployment; however, they are decoupled to a certain extent allowing for resiliency during failure of multiple components. For example, if your controller clusters fail, your virtual machines will still be able to communicate with each other without any network disruption. You have to always ensure that NSX components are always deployed in a clustered environment so they are protected by vSphere HA.

The high-level architecture of NSX primarily describes three different planes wherein each of these core components fits in. They are the Management Plane, the Control Plane, and the Data Plane. The following...

NSX manager

The NSX manager allows us to create, configure, and manage NSX components in an environment. The NSX manager provides a graphical user interface and also the REST APIs that allow you to interact with various NSX components. NSX manager is a virtual machine that you can download as an OVA and deploy it on any ESX host managed by vCenter.

The NSX version at the time of writing is 6.3 and only supports 1:1 vCenter connectivity.

NSX manager, once deployed and configured, can then deploy controller clusters and prepare the ESXi host, which involves installing various vSphere installation bundles (VIB) that allow for network virtualization features such as VXLAN, logical switching, and logical routing. The NSX manager can also deploy and configure Edge gateway appliances and its services.

Because NSX manager is deployed as a single virtual machine, it relies on VMware&apos...

NSX controller clusters

NSX controller provides a control plane functionality to distribute logical routing and VXLAN network information to the underlying hypervisor. Controllers are deployed as virtual appliances and should be deployed in the same vCenter NSX manager is connected to. In a production environment it is recommended to deploy a minimum of three controllers. For better availability and scalability we need to ensure DRS ant-affinity rules are configured to deploy controllers on a separate ESXI host. Control plane to management and data plane traffic is secured by certificate-based authentication.

It is important to note that controller nodes employ a scale-out mechanism where by each controller node uses a slicing mechanism that divides the workload equally across all the nodes. This renders all controller nodes active at all times. If one controller node fails...

VXLAN architecture overview

One of the most important functions of NSX is enabling virtual networks. These virtual networks or overlay networks have become very popular due to that fact that they can leverage an existing network infrastructure without the need to modify it in any way. The decoupling of logical networks from the physical infrastructure allows users to scale rapidly. Overlay networks or VXLANs were developed by a host of vendors that include Arista, Cisco, Citrix, Red Hat, and Broadcom. This allows the VXLAN standard to be implemented by multiple vendors due to this joint effort in developing its architecture.

VXLAN is a layer 2 over layer 3 tunneling protocol that allows for logical network segments to extend on routable networks. This is achieved by encapsulating the Ethernet frame with additional UPD, IP, and VXLAN headers. Consequently, this increases the...

Transport zones

A group of ESXi hosts that are able to communicate with one another over the physical network by means of VTEPs is said to be in the same transport zone. A transport zone defines the extension of a logical switch across multiple ESXi clusters that span across multiple virtual distributed switches.

A typical environment has more than one virtual distributed switch that spans across multiple hosts. A transport zone enables a logical switch to extend across multiple virtual distributed switches and any ESXi hosts that are part of this transport zone can have virtual machines as part of that logical network. A logical switch is always created as part of a transport zone and ESXi hosts can participate in them.

The following figure shows a transport zone that defines the extension of a logical switch across multiple virtual distributed switches:

A universal transport...

NSX Edge Services Gateway

The NSX Edge Services Gateway (ESG) offers a feature-rich set of services that include NAT, routing, firewall, load balancing, L2/L3 VPN, and DHCP/DNS relay. NSX API allows each of these services to be deployed, configured, and consumed on-demand. You can install the NSX Edge as an ESG or as a DLR.

The number of Edge appliances including ESGs and DLRs is limited to 250 on a host.

The Edge Services Gateway is deployed as a virtual machine from the NSX manager, which is accessed using the vSphere web client. Four different form factors are offered for different-sized environments. It is important that you factor in enough resources for the appropriate Edge Services Gateway when building your environment.

Edge Services Gateway can be deployed in different sizes. The following are the available size options for Edge Services Gateway appliances:

  • X-Large:...

Distributed firewalls

NSX provides L2-L4 stateful firewall services by means of a distributed firewall that runs in the ESXi hypervisor kernel. Because the firewall is a function of the ESXi kernel it provides massive throughput and performs at near line rate. When the ESXi host is initially prepared by NSX, the distributed firewall service is installed in the kernel by deploying the kernel VIB—VMware internetworking service insertion platform (VSIP). VSIP is responsible for monitoring and enforcing security policies on all the traffic flowing through the data plane. The distributed firewall (DFW) throughput and performance scales horizontally as more ESXi hosts are added.

DFW instances are associated to each vNIC and every vNIC requires one DFW instance. A virtual machine with 2 vNICs has two DFW instances associated with it, each monitoring its own vNIC and applying security...

Cross-vCenter NSX

Beginning from NSX 6.2, you can manage multiple vCenter NSX environments using the cross-vCenter functionality. This allows you to manage multiple vCenter NSX environments from a single primary NSX manager. This allows ease of management and also enables many new functions that include extending networks and other features such as distributed logical routing. Cross-vCenter NSX deployment also allows for centralized management and also eases disaster recovery architectures.

In a cross-vCenter deployment, multiple vCenters are all paired with their own NSX manager per vCenter. One NSX manager is assigned the primary while other NSX managers become secondary. This primary NSX manager can now deploy a universal controller cluster that provides the control plane. Unlike a standalone vCenter-NSX deployment, secondary NSX managers do not deploy their own controller...

Summary

We began this chapter with a brief introduction to NSX core components and looked at management, control, and the data plane. Next we discussed the NSX manager and NSX controller clusters. This was followed by a VXLAN architecture overview discussion where we looked at the VXLAN packet. We then discussed transport zones and NSX Edge gateway services. The chapter ended with NSX Distributed firewall services and also an overview of Cross-vCenter NSX deployment.

In the Chapter 3, NSX Installation and Configuration, we will start deploying our NSX environment and deploy all of its components starting with the NSX manager. We will configure the NSX manager using its user interface and build our control plane by deploying controller clusters.

Left arrow icon Right arrow icon

Key benefits

  • Install, manage, monitor and configure your NSX deployment.
  • Understand VMware NSX's components and discover best practices to help you manage VMware NSX
  • A step by step guide that will help you elevate your skills in deploying NSX to your environment

Description

VMware NSX is a platform for the software-defined data center. It allows complex networking topologies to be deployed programmatically in seconds. SDNs allow ease of deployment, management, and automation in deploying and maintaining new networks while reducing and in some cases completely eliminating the need to deploy traditional networks. The book allows you a thorough understanding of implementing Software defined networks using VMware’s NSX. You will come across the best practices for installing and configuring NSX to setup your environment. Then you will get a brief overview of the NSX Core Components NSX’s basic architecture. Once you are familiar with everything, you will get to know how to deploy various NSX features. Furthermore, you will understand how to manage and monitor NSX and its associated services and features. In addition to this, you will also explore the best practices for NSX deployments. By the end of the book, you will be able to deploy Vmware NSX in your own environment with ease. This book can come handy if you are preparing for VMware NSX certification.

Who is this book for?

The book is intended for network and system administrators that have hands on experience with VMware vSphere suite of products and would like to learn more about software defined networking and implementation of NSX. The readers are also expected to have basic networking knowledge and aware of basic switching and routing fundamentals.

What you will learn

  • Understand software-defined networks
  • Deploy and configure VXLAN-enabled logical switches
  • Secure your environment using Distributed Firewall and Data Security
  • Configure third-party services in NSX
  • Manage, configure, and deploy edge gateway services
  • Perform various Edge operations including configuring CA certificates
  • Explore the different monitoring options to check their traffic flow
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Denmark

Premium delivery 7 - 10 business days

€17.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Country selected
Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Aug 24, 2017
Length: 254 pages
Edition : 2nd
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781788398985
Vendor :
VMware
Concepts :
Tools :

What do you get with Print?

Product feature icon Instant access to your digital eBook copy whilst your Print order is Shipped
Product feature icon Paperback book shipped to your preferred address
Product feature icon Download this book in EPUB and PDF formats
Product feature icon Access this title in our online reader with advanced features
Product feature icon DRM FREE - Read whenever, wherever and however you want
Estimated delivery fee Deliver to Denmark

Premium delivery 7 - 10 business days

€17.95
(Includes tracking information)

Product Details

Publication date : Aug 24, 2017
Length: 254 pages
Edition : 2nd
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781788398985
Vendor :
VMware
Concepts :
Tools :

Packt Subscriptions

See our plans and pricing
Modal Close icon
€18.99 billed monthly
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Simple pricing, no contract
€189.99 billed annually
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just €5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts
€264.99 billed in 18 months
Feature tick icon Unlimited access to Packt's library of 7,000+ practical books and videos
Feature tick icon Constantly refreshed with 50+ new titles a month
Feature tick icon Exclusive Early access to books as they're written
Feature tick icon Solve problems while you work with advanced search and reference features
Feature tick icon Offline reading on the mobile app
Feature tick icon Choose a DRM-free eBook or Video every month to keep
Feature tick icon PLUS own as many other DRM-free eBooks or Videos as you like for just €5 each
Feature tick icon Exclusive print discounts

Frequently bought together


Stars icon
Total 111.97
Mastering VMware vSphere 6.5
€41.99
VMware NSX Network Essentials
€36.99
Learning VMware NSX, Second Edition
€32.99
Total 111.97 Stars icon

Table of Contents

9 Chapters
Introduction to Network Virtualization Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
NSX Core Components Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
NSX Installation and Configuration Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
NSX Functional Services Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Edge Services Gateway Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Service Composer Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Monitoring Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Managing NSX Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Conclusion Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Most Recent
Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 2.5
(6 Ratings)
5 star 33.3%
4 star 0%
3 star 0%
2 star 16.7%
1 star 50%
Filter icon Filter
Most Recent

Filter reviews by




Nagi Reddy Aug 04, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 2
For begginers
Amazon Verified review Amazon
BERTRAND BORDEREAU Jun 11, 2018
Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 1
Déçu trop de copie d’ ecran les concepts ne sont pas détaillés
Amazon Verified review Amazon
J tut May 08, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Passed my VCP6-NV last week. Along with other study material, this book was a big help.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Suraj p. Apr 13, 2018
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Good Book buy it from Amazon website
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Dino Monde Dec 11, 2017
Full star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon Empty star icon 1
A waste of money and time, even as a beginner you will not learn anything. This book is no more than a collection of screenshots associated with vague explanations. I wish I could get a refund, I am willing to forget the few useless screenshots I saw :-).
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Get free access to Packt library with over 7500+ books and video courses for 7 days!
Start Free Trial

FAQs

What is the delivery time and cost of print book? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela
What is custom duty/charge? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customs duty are charges levied on goods when they cross international borders. It is a tax that is imposed on imported goods. These duties are charged by special authorities and bodies created by local governments and are meant to protect local industries, economies, and businesses.

Do I have to pay customs charges for the print book order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The orders shipped to the countries that are listed under EU27 will not bear custom charges. They are paid by Packt as part of the order.

List of EU27 countries: www.gov.uk/eu-eea:

A custom duty or localized taxes may be applicable on the shipment and would be charged by the recipient country outside of the EU27 which should be paid by the customer and these duties are not included in the shipping charges been charged on the order.

How do I know my custom duty charges? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

The amount of duty payable varies greatly depending on the imported goods, the country of origin and several other factors like the total invoice amount or dimensions like weight, and other such criteria applicable in your country.

For example:

  • If you live in Mexico, and the declared value of your ordered items is over $ 50, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 19% which will be $ 9.50 to the courier service.
  • Whereas if you live in Turkey, and the declared value of your ordered items is over € 22, for you to receive a package, you will have to pay additional import tax of 18% which will be € 3.96 to the courier service.
How can I cancel my order? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Cancellation Policy for Published Printed Books:

You can cancel any order within 1 hour of placing the order. Simply contact customercare@packt.com with your order details or payment transaction id. If your order has already started the shipment process, we will do our best to stop it. However, if it is already on the way to you then when you receive it, you can contact us at customercare@packt.com using the returns and refund process.

Please understand that Packt Publishing cannot provide refunds or cancel any order except for the cases described in our Return Policy (i.e. Packt Publishing agrees to replace your printed book because it arrives damaged or material defect in book), Packt Publishing will not accept returns.

What is your returns and refunds policy? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Return Policy:

We want you to be happy with your purchase from Packtpub.com. We will not hassle you with returning print books to us. If the print book you receive from us is incorrect, damaged, doesn't work or is unacceptably late, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com with the order number and issue details as explained below:

  1. If you ordered (eBook, Video or Print Book) incorrectly or accidentally, please contact Customer Relations Team on customercare@packt.com within one hour of placing the order and we will replace/refund you the item cost.
  2. Sadly, if your eBook or Video file is faulty or a fault occurs during the eBook or Video being made available to you, i.e. during download then you should contact Customer Relations Team within 14 days of purchase on customercare@packt.com who will be able to resolve this issue for you.
  3. You will have a choice of replacement or refund of the problem items.(damaged, defective or incorrect)
  4. Once Customer Care Team confirms that you will be refunded, you should receive the refund within 10 to 12 working days.
  5. If you are only requesting a refund of one book from a multiple order, then we will refund you the appropriate single item.
  6. Where the items were shipped under a free shipping offer, there will be no shipping costs to refund.

On the off chance your printed book arrives damaged, with book material defect, contact our Customer Relation Team on customercare@packt.com within 14 days of receipt of the book with appropriate evidence of damage and we will work with you to secure a replacement copy, if necessary. Please note that each printed book you order from us is individually made by Packt's professional book-printing partner which is on a print-on-demand basis.

What tax is charged? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Currently, no tax is charged on the purchase of any print book (subject to change based on the laws and regulations). A localized VAT fee is charged only to our European and UK customers on eBooks, Video and subscriptions that they buy. GST is charged to Indian customers for eBooks and video purchases.

What payment methods can I use? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

You can pay with the following card types:

  1. Visa Debit
  2. Visa Credit
  3. MasterCard
  4. PayPal
What is the delivery time and cost of print books? Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Shipping Details

USA:

'

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the US within 10-15 business days

Premium: Trackable Delivery to most addresses in the US within 3-8 business days

UK:

Economy: Delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 7-9 business days.
Shipments are not trackable

Premium: Trackable delivery to most addresses in the U.K. within 3-4 business days!
Add one extra business day for deliveries to Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands and islands

EU:

Premium: Trackable delivery to most EU destinations within 4-9 business days.

Australia:

Economy: Can deliver to P. O. Boxes and private residences.
Trackable service with delivery to addresses in Australia only.
Delivery time ranges from 7-9 business days for VIC and 8-10 business days for Interstate metro
Delivery time is up to 15 business days for remote areas of WA, NT & QLD.

Premium: Delivery to addresses in Australia only
Trackable delivery to most P. O. Boxes and private residences in Australia within 4-5 days based on the distance to a destination following dispatch.

India:

Premium: Delivery to most Indian addresses within 5-6 business days

Rest of the World:

Premium: Countries in the American continent: Trackable delivery to most countries within 4-7 business days

Asia:

Premium: Delivery to most Asian addresses within 5-9 business days

Disclaimer:
All orders received before 5 PM U.K time would start printing from the next business day. So the estimated delivery times start from the next day as well. Orders received after 5 PM U.K time (in our internal systems) on a business day or anytime on the weekend will begin printing the second to next business day. For example, an order placed at 11 AM today will begin printing tomorrow, whereas an order placed at 9 PM tonight will begin printing the day after tomorrow.


Unfortunately, due to several restrictions, we are unable to ship to the following countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. American Samoa
  3. Belarus
  4. Brunei Darussalam
  5. Central African Republic
  6. The Democratic Republic of Congo
  7. Eritrea
  8. Guinea-bissau
  9. Iran
  10. Lebanon
  11. Libiya Arab Jamahriya
  12. Somalia
  13. Sudan
  14. Russian Federation
  15. Syrian Arab Republic
  16. Ukraine
  17. Venezuela