ESXi lockdown mode support with NSX for vSphere

Products

• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

To increase the security of your ESXi hosts, you can put them in lockdown mode. This article provides information on enabling or disabling lockdown mode on an ESXi host when used with VMware NSX for vSphere 6.x.

 

VMware NSX for vSphere supports lockdown mode starting with NSX version 6.1.3.

Environment

VMware NSX for vSphere 6.2.x
VMware NSX for vSphere 6.1.x
VMware NSX for vSphere 6.3.x

Resolution

Lockdown support with VMware ESXi 5.5.x hosts and NSX for vSphere

 

Workflow	Lockdown Mode Support
Install and execute host preparation workflow on an unprepared cluster with hosts in lockdown mode	Supported
Upgrade of NSX with hosts in lockdown mode	Supported**
Add host to existing cluster	Supported
Perform operations and troubleshooting on the host	Not supported

 

Lockdown support with VMware ESXi 6.0.x / ESXi 6.5.x hosts and NSX for vSphere

 

Workflow	Lockdown Mode Support
Install and execute host preparation workflow on an unprepared cluster with hosts in lockdown mode	Supported
Upgrade of NSX with hosts in lockdown mode	Supported**
Add host to existing cluster	Supported
Perform operations and troubleshooting on the host	Not supported

 

Notes:

 

To upgrade NSX hosts with lockdown mode:

1. Install and execute the ESXi host preparation process on an unprepared cluster with hosts in lockdown mode.
2. Upgrade NSX for vSphere with the ESXi hosts already in lockdown mode
3. Add ESXi hosts to an existing cluster.

Additional Information

For more information, see Enabling or disabling Lockdown mode on an ESXi host (1008077).

ESXi lockdown mode support with NSX for vSphere