Multi-NSX Support For a single Compute Manager (vCenter)

Products

• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

To improve operational efficiency, administrators may require the ability to manage different clusters within the same vCenter using separate NSX Managers. Starting with NSX 3.2.2, support for multiple NSX Managers managing a single vCenter (referred to as Multi NSX Mode) is available. This feature allows different NSX Managers to own and prepare different clusters under the same vCenter.

Enabling the Multi NSX feature allows multiple NSX Managers to interact with a single vCenter, thereby allowing a shared vCenter environment where clusters can be partitioned and managed by different NSX instances.

Environment

• NSX Version: NSX 3.2.2 and later.
• vCenter Version: vCenter 7.0 and later.

Resolution

To enable, verify, and manage the Multi NSX feature:

 

1. Enabling Multi NSX

• Enable the Multi NSX flag on Compute Manager configuration of the NSX UI.
• All NSX Managers registered to the same vCenter must have the Multi NSX flag enabled; mixed mode (enabled on one, deactivated on another) is not supported.
• Do not register the same vCenter with an NSX 3.2.1 or any previous release if Multi NSX is enabled.
• Ensure the desired user roles have permissions to update Global.ManageCustomFields in vCenter.

 

2. Service Impact and Limitations

The following service impacts and limitations should be considered in a Multi NSX environment:

• Ownership Constraints: Objects (cluster, host, DVS) managed by one NSX Manager cannot be owned by a second manager until the first manager explicitly gives up ownership or ownership is forcefully passed.
• Host Movement:
  • If a host is moved from Cluster-1 (NSX-1 managed) to Cluster-2 (NSX-2 managed), NSX-1 will uninstall its VIBs, remove ownership, and only then will NSX-2 begin installation.
  • Blocking Scenario: If a host is a static member of an NSGroup in NSX Manager-1 and is moved to Cluster-2, NSX cannot be removed from the host, and it cannot be prepared by NSX Manager-2.
• NSX Edge VM Traffic: Only the NSX Manager that deployed the NSX Edge VM can use it for routing and Inter TEP communication. If the Edge VM is moved to an ESXi host prepared by a different NSX Manager, the second manager treats it as a regular VM, and DFW rules configured for workloads may be applied to the Edge VM, potentially causing traffic disruption.
• Feature Incompatibility: You cannot enable Kubernetes cluster or vLCM cluster to work on the same vCenter with Multi NSX enabled.
• Collapsed Cluster Support: Collapsed cluster environments (NSX managers and edges and workloads on the same ESXi host) are not supported.