NSX managers are inaccessible by direct IP or VIP

Products

• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

• Attempts to access the NSX managers using the VIP fails to connect.
• Attempts to access the NSX managers using their direct IP address fails to connect.
• The managers can be accessed by their console or SSH client.
• They are powered up in vCenter.

Environment

VMware NSX all versions

Cause

• NSX managers and Edges are virtual machines (VM) with the exception of Bare Metal Edges.
• Virtual machines utilize storage arrays to hold their virtual disks (vmdk) files.
• The VM has to have access to its vmdk files to operate.
• The vmkd files are the virtual representation of hard disks for the virtual machine.
• The ESXi hosts are the conduit for the VMs to the Storage array. The hosts access the storage array and provide the storage to the VMs. 
• When the host cannot access or is unhealthy, the VMs cannot perform optimally and will be victims of poor storage performance.
• When a host cannot READ or WRITE to the array the VMs will suffer latency that can result in low performance minimally up to appearing freezing.  The negative effects of the array being unhealthy on the performance of VMs is totally dependant on the severity of the storage issue.
  
  
• Latency can be observed in the performance charts of vCenter for the host.
  
• Storage datastore connectivity issue are evidence when "state in doubt" entries are seen.  This is the host looking for a healthy connection to the storage array.
• This along with failed read or write command are definite symptoms of an unhealthy array.
• There can also be "Checking liveness" entries indicating that the host is not able to get control and access to a disk(Not seen in this screen capture).
  
  
  

Resolution

• The storage array must be investigated by the storage administrator or storage vendor.

Additional Information

Storage latency causes NSX Manager cluster instability