RTEP High Availability and Dedicated Interfaces on NSX Edge Nodes

Products

• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

This article explains how RTEP resiliency is achieved on NSX Edge nodes in high availability (HA) scenarios. It also outlines the configuration steps to create a dedicated interface for RTEP, enabling it to operate with a unique MAC address for improved traffic isolation and control.

Environment

VMware NSX

Resolution

To assign a dedicated interface for RTEP, create a separate N-VDS and select the appropriate interface or port group for RTEP from the Edge Node edit page. For example, the screenshot below shows a dedicated N-VDS named nsxHostSwitch3, configured specifically for the RTEP interface.

Update the existing RTEP configuration on the Edge Node to use the newly created N-VDS by following the steps below. This will assign a dedicated RTEP interface to the specified N-VDS.

1. Select System > Fabric > Nodes > Edge Transport Nodes.
2. Select an Edge node, then click Tunnels. If an RTEP is configured, it is displayed in the Remote Tunnel Endpoint section.
3. Click Edit to modify the RTEP configuration to use the newly created N-VDS.

For more information, refer to the TechDocs guide: Configure Edge Nodes for Stretched Networking

RTEP high availability (HA) is achieved by deploying an Edge Cluster with multiple Edge Nodes and configuring an HA uplink teaming policy on the Distributed Virtual Switch (DVS) for each Edge Node VM. This setup includes mapping RTEP port groups to multiple vmnics per Edge Node VM, ensuring resilient connectivity and failover capability.

Each Edge Node in the cluster is configured with a RTEP interface. In the event of an Edge Node failure or disruption in RTEP connectivity, remote traffic is rerouted either through another Edge Node’s RTEP interface within the cluster or via an alternate vmnic, as determined by the uplink teaming policy on the Distributed Virtual Switch (DVS). This ensures continuous and uninterrupted network service.