NSX configuration options are greyed out in vSphere Configuration Profiles (VCP) enabled clusters

Products

• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

In a VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) environment, after adding new hosts to a vCenter cluster and performing a successful inventory sync, you may find that NSX configuration options are greyed out and unavailable. This typically occurs in clusters where vSphere Configuration Profiles (VCP) is enabled.

• NSX configuration settings are non-interactive (greyed out) in the vSphere Client.
• Inventory sync completes successfully, but hosts remain unconfigurable for NSX.
• Cluster is VCP-enabled and managed by VCF Operations

Environment

VMware NSX 9.x

Cause

This is expected behavior by design. Once vSphere Configuration Profiles (VCP) is enabled on a cluster, it cannot be disabled. In this mode, the cluster assumes control over host configurations to ensure consistency. If no cluster-level configuration draft has been created or applied, manual configuration options for certain services like NSX may be restricted in the UI.

Resolution

To configure NSX or modify host settings in a VCP-enabled cluster, you must utilize the draft configuration workflow.

1. Create a Draft Configuration: Navigate to the cluster in the vSphere Client and initiate the creation of a draft configuration to capture the current state or import from a reference host.

2. Edit Host Settings: Within the draft, modify the necessary settings to reflect your desired NSX configuration.

3. Manage Overrides: Review the Host Overrides tab to identify settings where specific hosts differ from the reference configuration.

4. Apply Configuration: Remediate the cluster by applying the draft configuration. This will push the settings to all hosts and enable the required services.

Additional Information

vSphere Configuration Profiles is a declarative management tool; manual changes at the host level are intentionally limited to prevent configuration drift.