Resize NSX Edge Node

Products

• VMware NSX
• VMware NSX-T Data Center

Issue/Introduction

• This document explains how to resize the edge node with higher form factor
• This is applicable when Support has advised you to resize the edge node due to performance issues, resource usage exceeding the threshold or any other reason
• This is applicable only in non VCF deployed NSX environments

Environment

VMware NSX-T Data Center
VMware NSX

Resolution

Follow the below steps to replace edge nodes in cluster with higher form factor

 

STEP 1: Deploy Edge Nodes

• Login to NSX-T and select System > Nodes > Edge Transport Nodes and click ADD EDGE VM
• In this example we want to replace large edge nodes with XL so we set the node as XL size:

• Specify the passwords for admin, system root and audit and choose next.
• Select the Compute manager, Cluster, NSX resource pool and Datastore to which this edge will be deployed and choose next:

• Select static IP address and specify the following settings:
  • Mgmt IP of the Edge VM
  • Management Interface: edge-mgmt
  • Search domain names
  • DNS Servers
  • Time servers

Choose next:

 

STEP 2: Configure NSX.

Please note the following example is specific to older environments that have been upgraded from NSX 2.x as it is configured with N-VDS rather than native VDS so two edge node switches are configured.

• Configure the following settings:
  • Edge switch name:  xx-nsxt0x-nvds
  • Transport Zone: xx-nsxt0x-esx-overlay
  • Uplink Profile: edge-uplink-overlay
  • IP Assignment: Use IP Pool
  • IP Pool: r0x-edge-tep-pool (We use the same edge tep pool as we did for the smaller node as this is a straight replacement)
  • Virtual Nic: edge-overlay

• Select Add switch and configure the following settings:
  • Edge switch name:  xx-nsxt0x-edge-nvds
  • Transport Zone: xx-nsxt0x-edge-vlan
  • Uplink Profile: edge-uplink-data
  • Virtual Nic:
  • Uplink1: edge-data
  • Uplink1: edge-data

Click Finish

 

STEP 3: Replace Cluster Edge Node

• Select System > Nodes > Edge Clusters
• Select the edge cluster
• Click actions and replace edge member:

• Specify the node you want to replace from the drop down and then specify the new larger edge:

This process will replace the edge in the cluster and also update the T0 interface to associate the new edge with the uplink ip address used with the previous edge. We need to confirm the T0 is updated before proceeding this can be done as follows:

• Select networking > Tier-0 Gateways
• Expand the T0 gateway > Expand Interfaces and select the number next to external and service interfaces to display the uplink interfaces:

• In the example below we have swapped the edge01 with a new edge ending edge03. This can take several minutes so keep refreshing until the new edge is displayed. There is a DNS record associated with this uplink so we need to update the record to reflect the new edge name:

• We need to now repeat the edge node replacement on the 2nd node.
• Once both nodes have been updated and we can see that the smaller nodes are no longer part of the cluster we should delete the smaller nodes.

Alternatively, NSX edge nodes can be replaced/resize using the API call: https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/379046/using-api-calls-to-redeploy-edge-node.html 

Additional Information

Please refer to the following KB for Edge node resize tool if the NSX infra is VCF deployed : https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/312196/