NSX Manager 9.0.2 Cluster is Not Shareable When Importing a Second vCenter to Create a Workload Domain

Products

• VCF Operations

Issue/Introduction

During a Brownfield import in the "Import a vCenter" wizard, the NSX validation has the error Nsx cluster with fqdn 'example.example.com' is present in the inventory and is not shareable.  

 

Environment

VCF 9.x

Cause

This issue is caused by an architectural restriction in VCF 9.x. When an NSX Manager instance is created as part of a Management Domain (or imported into one during a brownfield conversion), it is bound to that management stack. VCF 9.x does not support "joining" or sharing this specific management-bound NSX instance during the initial import of a subsequent, standalone vCenter for a new Workload Domain.

As noted in the VCF 9 documentation: "You cannot join the existing NSX Manager instance for an imported or newly deployed management domain."

• Import an Existing vCenter to Create a Workload Domain

Resolution

To resolve this issue, you must deploy a new, dedicated NSX Manager instance for the second vCenter being imported.

Step 1: Provision a New NSX Instance

1. Deploy a new NSX Manager cluster that is not yet registered to any VCF domain.
2. DNS Requirement: Ensure the new NSX Manager FQDN is entered in lowercase within DNS and matches the Certificate Common Name (CN) exactly. VCF 9 validation is case-sensitive.

Step 2: Re-run the Import Wizard

1. Navigate to the SDDC Manager UI and restart the Import a vCenter wizard.
2. When prompted for NSX details, provide the FQDN and credentials for the newly deployed NSX Manager instance.
3. Do not select the option "Join existing NSX manager instance" if that instance is already part of the Management Domain.
4. Complete the validation and proceed with the import.

Step 3: Post-Import Configuration

1. Once the import is complete, verify the Transport Node Profile (TNP) is correctly applied to the newly imported hosts.
2. If TEP (Tunnel Endpoint) VMkernel ports are not automatically instantiated, manually update the TNP to sync the networking configuration.