Resize NSX Edge Node

Products

• VMware NSX
• VMware NSX-T Data Center

Issue/Introduction

• This document explains how to resize an NSX Edge node with higher form factor.
• This is applicable when Support has advised you to resize an NSX Edge node due to performance issues, resource usage exceeding the threshold or any other reason.

This present article is applicable only in non VCF deployed NSX environments, using the NSX Management UI.
For VCF, please refer to the following article for Edge node resize tool: VMware Cloud Foundation NSX-T Edge Node Virtual Machine Resizing Tool.
Alternatively, NSX Edge nodes can be replaced/resized via API call: Using API calls to Redeploy Edge Node.

Environment

VMware NSX

Resolution

If you are using VMware NSX 4.2.2 or higher, Edge Transport Node(s) can be resized directly in the NSX UI and will utilize the same edge name and edge IPs. Please refer to the NSX Administration Guide: Redeploy an NSX Edge Node.

 

Alternatively (if UI method cannot be used, or in NSX versions earlier than 4.2.2), please follow the steps below to replace Edge Nodes in cluster with Edge Nodes deployed in higher form factor:

STEP 1: Deploy new Edge Nodes in desired size:

• 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:
  • Management IP of the Edge VM
  • Management Interface
  • 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 NSX Edge node switches are configured.

• Configure the following settings:
  • Edge switch name
  • Transport Zone
  • Uplink Profile
  • IP Assignment
  • IP Pool
  • Virtual Nic

• Select Add switch and configure the following settings:
  • Edge switch name
  • Transport Zone
  • Uplink Profile
  • Virtual Nic

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 Node 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:

• We have swapped the old Edge with a new Edge. This can take several minutes so keep refreshing until the new edge is displayed. If there is a DNS record associated with this edge node, you need to update the record to reflect the new FQDN:

• 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.