Unable to select "Join Existing NSX Manager" option from Networking configuration menu while creating a new VI Workload Domain using SDDC Manager UI

Products

• VMware SDDC Manager

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Missing "Join Existing NSX Manager" option while selecting an existing VI NSX Manager from Networking Configuration Menu:
  
  
  
• Expected view:
  

Environment

VMware Cloud Foundation 5.x

Cause

The issue is caused by 

the https://<NSX_Manager_fqdn>/ui/api/v1/nsxt-clusters returns incomplete response. 

The UI expects a structure that looks like this (for voew1nxl41p.oneadr.net NSXT cluster):
{
    "id": "xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxx",
    "vipFqdn": "NSX_Manager_fqdn",
    ....
    "isShared": true,
    "isShareable": true,
    "isVlcmCompatible": false <-- this one is important
}

but gets back this

{
    "id": "xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxx",
    "vipFqdn": "NSX_Manager_fqdn",
    ....
    "isShared": true,
    "isShareable": true, 
}

The "isVlcmCompatible" property is missing from the data.

As the isVlcmCompatible is missing, the UI cannot correctly identify the existing nsxt cluster is suitable for new domain creation.

Resolution

Broadcom Engineering is aware about the issue and currently working to fix it.

Workaround:

1. Take a snapshot of the SDDC Manager
2. Download DomainCreationSpec json file from a Developer Center > API Explorer > Domain > POST /vi/domains ---> Create a domain.
3. Modified the DomainCreationSpec json based on your new VI Worload Domain details.
4. Provide your existing VI NSX Manager details from the "nsxTSpec":
   An example:
   "nsxTSpec" : {
       "nsxManagerSpecs" : [ {
         "name" : "sfo-w01-nsx01a",
         "networkDetailsSpec" : {
           "dnsName" : "sfo-w01-nsx01a.sfo.rainpole.io",
           "gateway" : "10.0.0.250",
           "subnetMask" : "255.255.255.0"
         }
       }, {
         "name" : "sfo-w01-nsx01b",
         "networkDetailsSpec" : {
           "dnsName" : "sfo-w01-nsx01b.sfo.rainpole.io",
           "gateway" : "10.0.0.250",
           "subnetMask" : "255.255.255.0"
         }
       }, {
         "name" : "sfo-w01-nsx01c",
         "networkDetailsSpec" : {
           "dnsName" : "sfo-w01-nsx01c.sfo.rainpole.io",
           "gateway" : "10.0.0.250",
           "subnetMask" : "255.255.255.0"
         }
       } ],
       "vipFqdn" : "sfo-w01-nsx01.sfo.rainpole.io",
       "licenseKey" : "XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX",
       "nsxManagerAdminPassword" : "xxxxxxxx",
       "nsxManagerAuditPassword" : "xxxxxxxx",
       "formFactor" : "large"
     },
   
   
5. Validate DomainCreationSpec json file to check if all information provided are correct from a Developer Center > API Explorer > Domain > POST /vi/domains/validations --> Validate the input spec for domains operations
6. Create a Domain from a Developer Center > API Explorer > Domain > POST /vi/domains ---> Create a domain.

Additional Information

Workload Domains in VMware Cloud Foundation
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/vmware-cis/vcf/vcf-5-2-and-earlier/5-1/getting-started-with-vcf-5-1/cloud-foundation-architecture/workload-domains-in-vmware-cloud-foundation.html

This is the create VI API documentation which you need to follow in order to prepare the creation VI json spec:
https://developer.broadcom.com/xapis/vmware-cloud-foundation-api/latest/domains/#_usecase_createdomain

Deploy a VI Workload Domain Using the VMware Cloud Foundation API
https://techdocs.broadcom.com/it/it/vmware-cis/vcf/vcf-5-2-and-earlier/4-5/administering/working-with-workload-domains-admin/about-virtual-infrastructure-workload-domains-admin/deploy-a-vi-workload-domain-using-the-vmware-cloud-foundation-api-admin.html