Flows not available in AON when multiple NSX datasources are configured with a single vCenter datasource

Products

• VCF Operations for Networks

Issue/Introduction

• In environments where multiple NSX instances are deployed across different sites (multi-site setup) and are configured to manage the same vCenter Server, this is a supported topology within NSX itself. However, VMware Aria Operations for Networks (AON) does not support configurations where two or more NSX data sources manage the same vCenter that is also added as a data source in AON.
• In such scenarios, flow data from the second NSX data source added to AON will not be ingested or displayed. 
• Within the AON UI, the following search query returns multiple NSX Managers for a single vCenter IP.
  
  NSX Manager where  VC Managers = 'VC IP'
  
  
• Within the collector logs you may see dropped flows due to IPFIX_ENABLED_ON_ANOTHER_COLLECTOR
  
  /var/log/arkin/flow-processor/flow-processor.[Timestamp].log
[Timstamp] INFO v2.helpers.IpfixRawFlowValidator five_tuple_task-2 printAndResetRejectionStats:426 Raw Ipfix Record Rejection Stats [file=/var/flows/vds/nfcapd/nfcapd.[Timestamp]]: DENY_FLOWS:0 WRONG_REPORTING_POINT:0 DATA_SOURCE_DISABLED:0 SESSION_NOT_ESTABLISHED:0 NO_METRIC_DATA_4:0 NO_METRIC_DATA_6:0 ADDSTATE_WRONG_FLOW_TYPE:0 IPV6_LINK_LOCAL:0 NON_DOMAIN_NSXT_FLOWS:0 UNSUPPORTED_IPV6_FLOW_TYPE:0 IPFIX_ENABLED_ON_ANOTHER_COLLECTOR:100 DENY_NSX_INTERNET_FLOWS:0 DENY_NSX_FLOWS_RULE_ID_BASED:0 DENY_NSX_FLOWS_PORT_THRESHOLD_BASED:0

Environment

VCF Operations for Networks
vRealize Network Insight

Resolution

NSX multi site is currently not supported in AON/vRNI.

Scenario 1: Monitoring flows from both NSX environments

If you need to monitor network flows from both NSX environments, the recommended approach is to deploy a second vRNI/AON instance. This involves:

• Setting up a new vRNI platform and collector.

• Removing one of the existing NSX data sources from the current vRNI instance.

• Adding that NSX and its associated vCenter as data sources in the new vRNI instance.

This separation ensures each vRNI instance monitors a single NSX environment, enabling complete flow visibility per site.

 

Scenario 2: Monitoring flows from only one NSX environment

If monitoring flows from only one NSX environment is sufficient, follow these steps to switch flow visibility:

1. Remove all three data sources — vCenter, NSX1, and NSX2 — from the existing vRNI setup.

2. Wait for approximately 2 hours to allow internal cleanup of flow data.

3. Re-add the vCenter and the desired NSX data source (the one you want flow data from).

4. Allow up to 24 hours for flow data to be fully populated.