NSX Manager information missing from vSphere Distributed Switch Summary page in vCenter

Products

• VMware NSX
• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

In environments running VMware NSX, the vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) Summary section in vCenter may not display the associated NSX Manager information. This occurs despite a successful cluster deployment and configuration within NSX.

Symptoms:

• The VDS Summary page in vCenter does not list the associated NSX Manager.
• Comparison with existing, active VDS instances shows the field is populated on those switches but missing on newly prepared ones.
  DVS with no virtual machines connected to NSX segments.
  
  DVS with virtual machines connected to the NSX segments.
  
• No error messages are present in NSX Manager or vCenter regarding host preparation.

Environment

VMware NSX
VMware vCenter server

Cause

This is expected behavior by design. The vCenter Server UI only populates the NSX Manager association on the VDS Summary page once the switch is actively carrying NSX traffic or managing NSX objects. Specifically, if no Overlay Segments have been created or if no Virtual Machines are currently connected to NSX segments on that particular VDS, the metadata identifying the NSX Manager will not be displayed.

Resolution

No corrective action or troubleshooting is required as the system is functioning as designed. To verify the association and trigger the display:

1. Log in to the NSX Manager UI.
2. Navigate to Networking > Segments and create at least one Overlay Segment on the affected Transport Zone/VDS.
3. In vCenter, migrate or deploy a Virtual Machine and connect its network interface to the newly created NSX segment.
4. Navigate to Inventory > Networking, select the affected VDS, and click the Summary tab.
5. The NSX Manager information will now be visible.

Additional Information

Verification can be performed by checking the Host Transport Node status in NSX Manager > System > Fabric > Nodes, which should show "Success" or "Up" despite the missing info in the vCenter VDS Summary.