Note:

• This tutorial requires access to Oracle Cloud. To sign up for a free account, see Get started with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Free Tier.
• It uses example values for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure credentials, tenancy, and compartments. When completing your lab, substitute these values with ones specific to your cloud environment.

Configure VMware NSX Advanced Load Balancer on Oracle Cloud VMware Solution SDDC

Introduction

In the first tutorial, we have deployed VMware NSX Advanced Load Balancer (NSX ALB) controller and cluster on the NSX overlay segment.

• Communication from overlay segment to the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution vSphere VLAN was enabled.
• Created DNS records.
• VMware NSX ALB (Avi) controllers were deployed and cluster was setup.
• We were able to access the Avi cluster over virtual IP (VIP).

This is the second tutorial where we will configure VMware NSX ALB (Avi) controller and create additional NSX-T overlay segments on the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC).

Objectives

• Administrators will be able to configure NSX-T Cloud connector on the NSX ALB (Avi) controller along with IP Address Management (IPAM) and Domain Name System (DNS) configuration.

Prerequisites

• Deploy NSX ALB (Avi) controller and configure a cluster. For more information, see Tutorial 1: Deploy VMware NSX Advanced Load Balancer on Oracle Cloud VMware Solution SDDC.

Task 1: Add vCenter and NSX-T Credentials

Oracle Cloud VMware Solution SDDC supports adding NSX-T as cloud connector on NSX ALB (Avi) controller. We need to add vCenter and NSX-T credentials as it is required to establish connectivity later.

1. Log in to the OCI Console, navigate to Hybrid, VMware Solution and click Oracle Cloud VMware Solution SDDC name. Note down the credentials.

   

2. Log in to the NSX ALB (Avi) controller portal, navigate to Administration, User Credentials and click CREATE.

   • Name: Enter the name.
   • Credential Type: Select credentials type as vCenter.
   • Username and Password: Enter the username and the password noted above in step 1 from the OCI Console.

3. Repeat step 2 and save credentials for NSX-T also.

   

Task 2: Create a Content Library on Oracle Cloud VMware Solution vCenter

NSX ALB (Avi) controllers requires a content library to place related files.

1. Log in to the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution vCenter portal, open navigation menu and click Content Libraries.

2. Click Create and enter the name.

3. Select Local content library and click Next.

4. Follow the wizard and click Finish.

Task 3: Create DNS and IPAM profile on the NSX ALB (Avi) Controller

We will deploy web servers which will host a demo website. The website that we are hosting in our tutorial will have domain demoocvs.xyz as parent.

We will use NSX ALB (Avi) controller to assign IP addresses to its components that is virtual service and service engines. NSX ALB (Avi) controller supports hosting of local IPAM server and we will configure the same.

1. To create IPAM profile, log in to the NSX ALB (Avi) controller portal and navigate to Templates tab. Expand Profiles section and click IPAM/DNS Profiles.

2. Click on the Create drop-down list and then IPAM Profile.

3. Enter the following information and click Save.

   • Name: Enter IPAM profile name.
   • Type: Select type as Avi Vantage IPAM.

   

4. To create a DNS profile for hosting DNS records, log in to the NSX ALB (Avi) controller portal and navigate to the Templates tab. Expand the Profiles section and click IPAM/DNS Profiles.

5. Click on the Create drop-down list and then DNS Profile.

6. Enter the following information.

   • Name: Enter DNS profile name.
   • Type: Select type as Avi Vantage DNS.

7. Under DNS Service Domains, click Add and enter the Domain Name as demoocvs.xyz and click Save.

   

Task 4: Create a NSX-T Overlay Segment to Host Web Server and NSX ALB Virtual Services

We need to create a NSX-T overlay segment to connect the web server.

1. Log in to the Oracle Cloud VMWare Solution NSX-T portal, navigate to Networking and Segments. Under NSX tab, click Add Segment.

2. Enter the following information and click Save.

   • Name: Enter the name.
   • Connected Gateway: Select Tier-1 Gateway.
   • Transport Zone: Select Overlay-TZ transport zone.
   • Subnets: Enter the CIDR.
   • We will not enable DHCP as the web servers will have static IP.

   

3. We need to create another overlay segment where the NSX ALB virtual services will be placed. Repeat steps 1 to 2 for the same.

   

   Overlay virtual service segment 172.28.11.0/24 should be reachable to the backend web servers overlay segment 172.28.12.0/24 to establish connectivity. This connectivity by default will be allowed as they point to the same tier-1 router.

   

Task 5: Add NSX-T as Cloud Connector

NSX ALB (Avi) controller supports NSX-T as cloud connector when establishing connection with Oracle Cloud VMware Solution vCenter.

1. Log in to the NSX ALB (Avi) controller portal. Under the Infrastructure tab, click the clouds link.

2. Click Create, NSX-T Cloud and enter the name and an object name prefix.

3. Under NSX-T section, click Change Credentials tab and enter the following information. Click Connect.

   • NSX-T Manager Address: Enter the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution NSX-T manager address URL that we see on the OCI VMware portal.
   • NSX-T Manager Credentials: Click the drop-down and select the earlier saved information.

   

4. In the Management Network, enter the following information.

   • Transport Zone: Select Overlay-TZ.
   • Tier1 Logical Router Select Tier-1.
   • Overlay Segment: Select avi-mgmt.

5. In the Data Networks section, enter the following information and click Add.

   • Transport Zone: Select Overlay-TZ.
   • Logical router: Select Tier-1.
   • Overlay Segment: Select avi-vs.

   

6. In vCenter Servers, click Add.

7. In General, enter the appropriate name and click Change Credentials.

8. The wizard should automatically recognize the IP for the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution vCenter. Select the vCenter IP address from the drop-down menu and select Oracle Cloud VMware Solution vCenter in vCentre Credential that we saved in Task 1. Click Connect and select Content Library that populate the content library created in Task 2.

   

9. Scroll down and select the custom IPAM and DNS profiles created in Task 3 and click Save.

   

   After few minutes, the Oracle Cloud VMware Solution NSX-T cloud connector should be in green or available state.

   

Next Steps

To configure DNS virtual service on NSX Advanced Load Balancer on Oracle Cloud VMware Solution, see Tutorial 3: Configure DNS Virtual Service on NSX Advanced Load Balancer on Oracle Cloud VMware Solution.

Acknowledgments

• Author - Vaibhav Tiwari (Cloud VMware Solutions Specialist)

More Learning Resources

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Title and Copyright Information

Configure VMware NSX Advanced Load Balancer on Oracle Cloud VMware Solution SDDC

F93335-01

February 2024

Copyright © 2024, Oracle and/or its affiliates.