WEBVTT 1 00:00.000 --> 00:05.440 So for the NSX manager, even though it can be deployed, for example, on our A, 2 00:05.440 --> 00:06.480 B, or 3 00:06.480 --> 00:11.680 manager ESXi host, which are running as VMs in our nested environment, I have 4 00:11.680 --> 00:13.040 had less than 100% 5 00:13.040 --> 00:17.050 success in doing that. And there's a couple of reasons. Number one, the NSX 6 00:17.050 --> 00:18.720 manager by default 7 00:18.720 --> 00:22.640 doesn't like snapshots, and they're not allowed by default. Now we can override 8 00:22.640 --> 00:23.200 that default 9 00:23.200 --> 00:27.200 behavior, and we can say snapshots are allowed, but we're adding a little bit 10 00:27.200 --> 00:28.400 additional problem 11 00:28.400 --> 00:34.600 if we try to run the NSX manager on a VM, which is actually ESXi host running WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 11 00:28.400 --> 00:34.600 if we try to run the NSX manager on a VM, which is actually ESXi host running 12 00:34.600 --> 00:35.440 as a VM. 13 00:35.440 --> 00:40.200 So in that case, we'd have this VM running in this VM, and then if we're trying 14 00:40.200 --> 00:40.800 to also make 15 00:40.800 --> 00:44.880 sure we have correct snapshots of that as well and snapshots of these, that can 16 00:44.880 --> 00:45.680 lead to additional 17 00:45.680 --> 00:49.110 problems. So what I'd recommend is instead of trying to run the NSX manager and 18 00:49.110 --> 00:50.000 deploying it 19 00:50.000 --> 00:54.320 on one of our nested ESXi hosts, we're going to go ahead and deploy it as 20 00:54.320 --> 00:55.920 another VM right here on 21 00:55.920 --> 00:59.540 one of our physical hosts. So in our physical host environment here, we'd be 22 00:59.540 --> 01:01.120 running the VMs for WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 22 00:59.540 --> 01:01.120 running the VMs for 23 01:01.120 --> 01:06.890 ESXi A, and also for ESXi B, and also for the ESXi manager, which is running 24 01:06.890 --> 01:08.240 our vCenter server. 25 01:08.240 --> 01:13.230 And in addition to that, we'd also run our NSX manager also on our physical ES 26 01:13.230 --> 01:14.000 Xi hosts. 27 01:14.000 --> 01:16.880 And the benefit of that is we're going to have some better response time with 28 01:16.880 --> 01:17.920 the NSX manager, 29 01:17.920 --> 01:23.460 and I haven't yet had any problems in my lab environment by creating snapshots 30 01:23.460 --> 01:24.240 of the NSX 31 01:24.240 --> 01:28.080 manager. Also, because these snapshots can become quite large for the NSX 32 01:28.080 --> 01:28.720 manager, 33 01:28.720 --> 01:32.000 putting it directly on hardware, as opposed to putting it in a nested WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 33 01:28.720 --> 01:32.000 putting it directly on hardware, as opposed to putting it in a nested 34 01:32.000 --> 01:32.720 environment, 35 01:32.720 --> 01:35.920 is going to make that part perform better as well. So let me show you my 36 01:35.920 --> 01:37.040 existing topology, 37 01:37.040 --> 01:41.680 which includes the NSX manager running directly on one of my physical hosts. So 38 01:41.680 --> 01:42.400 again, light mode 39 01:42.400 --> 01:46.110 here is my nested environment, and the dark mode here is the parent physical 40 01:46.110 --> 01:47.040 environment. 41 01:47.040 --> 01:53.070 So here in this folder called nested NSX blue, I've got ESXi A running as a VM, 42 01:53.070 --> 01:54.160 ESXi B is a VM, 43 01:54.160 --> 01:58.980 ESXi management running as a VM, and I also have deployed when it came time to 44 01:58.980 --> 01:59.280 do it, 45 01:59.280 --> 02:04.480 I deployed the NSX manager 01 here. So let's also talk for a moment about how WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 45 01:59.280 --> 02:04.480 I deployed the NSX manager 01 here. So let's also talk for a moment about how 46 02:04.480 --> 02:05.520 we can overcome 47 02:05.520 --> 02:11.230 the issue of this little VM, the NSX manager, not wanting to allow snapshots. 48 02:11.230 --> 02:11.920 To get around that, 49 02:11.920 --> 02:15.790 we go ahead and go to that VM, and we click on data stores to see where he's 50 02:15.790 --> 02:16.720 stored. It's stored 51 02:16.720 --> 02:21.290 on this iSCSI network shared drive, so we'll click on that and click on files, 52 02:21.290 --> 02:21.840 and then scroll 53 02:21.840 --> 02:26.770 down till I find the folder with the same name. So there's NSX manager 01 local 54 02:26.770 --> 02:27.680 right there, 55 02:27.680 --> 02:31.220 and if we open that up, I go ahead and collapse the left hand side here, and we WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 55 02:27.680 --> 02:31.220 and if we open that up, I go ahead and collapse the left hand side here, and we 56 02:31.220 --> 02:31.840 scroll down, 57 02:31.840 --> 02:36.260 there's the VMX file for us. What did it was? I just downloaded the VMX to my 58 02:36.260 --> 02:36.960 local management 59 02:36.960 --> 02:41.240 computer, and I might add I did this while that VM was not powered on. So I 60 02:41.240 --> 02:42.160 downloaded this to 61 02:42.160 --> 02:46.930 my local computer, I then went in and edited the file and specified that for 62 02:46.930 --> 02:48.000 snapshots instead of 63 02:48.000 --> 02:52.130 saying zero, which means snapshots are not allowed, I changed it to a two, 64 02:52.130 --> 02:53.520 meaning up to two snapshots 65 02:53.520 --> 02:57.440 are allowed. Then I renamed the original file that was in the data store here 66 02:57.440 --> 02:58.240 to something else, 67 02:58.240 --> 03:02.220 and then I uploaded the edited file, which allowed the snapshots, and then with WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 67 02:58.240 --> 03:02.220 and then I uploaded the edited file, which allowed the snapshots, and then with 68 03:02.220 --> 03:03.280 that modified VMX 69 03:03.280 --> 03:07.560 file that allows the snapshots, I could then go ahead and do snapshots on that 70 03:07.560 --> 03:08.560 VM. And for all 71 03:08.560 --> 03:12.050 the snapshots, granted my nested environment, I'm not doing any of them while 72 03:12.050 --> 03:13.120 they're powered on. 73 03:13.120 --> 03:16.950 I want to make sure everything is nice and gracefully shut down, then I'll do 74 03:16.950 --> 03:17.920 the snapshot, 75 03:17.920 --> 03:22.010 and then as I go forward, if I need to revert back, I can revert back to that 76 03:22.010 --> 03:23.120 snapshot. And then as 77 03:23.120 --> 03:27.000 I proceed through, I'll delete the older snapshots and create new snapshots as 78 03:27.000 --> 03:27.920 I continue to walk 79 03:27.920 --> 03:31.600 through the process of configuring and building on the lab environment. So if WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 79 03:27.920 --> 03:31.600 through the process of configuring and building on the lab environment. So if 80 03:31.600 --> 03:32.640 we go back to our 81 03:32.640 --> 03:37.440 VMs and templates here, here's the NSX manager, and if we go to snapshots, 82 03:37.440 --> 03:38.800 there is the last snapshot 83 03:38.800 --> 03:42.170 I took. So I gracefully powered it down, I'll walk through that as well, I 84 03:42.170 --> 03:43.760 gracefully powered it down, 85 03:43.760 --> 03:47.830 I deleted the old snapshot, created a new snapshot, and then moved forward. And 86 03:47.830 --> 03:48.800 I also do the same thing 87 03:48.800 --> 03:53.440 for ESXIA and B and the management ESXI host. So that way they're all in lock 88 03:53.440 --> 03:54.400 step with each other. 89 03:54.400 --> 03:58.160 So when I did a snapshot for the NSX manager, at that same time, I also did 90 03:58.160 --> 04:00.000 snapshots for ESXIA, WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 91 04:00.000 --> 04:04.750 B and management, which it looks like was on December 31st, 2023, Happy New 92 04:04.750 --> 04:06.240 Year at around 301. 93 04:06.240 --> 04:09.760 And because I do all those in close proximity, they all should have a timestamp 94 04:09.760 --> 04:10.560 very close to 95 04:10.560 --> 04:15.040 each other, which they do. Fantastic. Also, just be aware that when you do 96 04:15.040 --> 04:16.160 clean up the snapshots, 97 04:16.160 --> 04:19.680 for example, like on the NSX manager, sometimes it may take anywhere between 98 04:19.680 --> 04:21.440 five and 30 minutes 99 04:21.440 --> 04:25.720 for it to clean up or delete an old snapshot as it merges all the disks. So my 100 04:25.720 --> 04:26.640 process is to go 101 04:26.640 --> 04:29.620 ahead, gracefully shut everything down, delete all the snapshots. If I'm 102 04:29.620 --> 04:30.720 comfortable with where I'm WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 102 04:29.620 --> 04:30.720 comfortable with where I'm 103 04:30.720 --> 04:35.050 at now, then I create the new snapshots and then move forward. So the result is 104 04:35.050 --> 04:36.080 the nested environment 105 04:36.080 --> 04:40.750 here, the OGI T dot lab in light mode. If I go to the host and clusters view, 106 04:40.750 --> 04:41.600 here I have the two 107 04:41.600 --> 04:46.300 ESXI hosts that are nested, and B in this cluster. And I've also got the ESXI 108 04:46.300 --> 04:48.000 management VM in a 109 04:48.000 --> 04:50.790 cluster all by itself. And you don't have to put them in a separate cluster, 110 04:50.790 --> 04:51.840 but it makes it easier 111 04:51.840 --> 04:55.190 when you want to go ahead and deploy NSX. We can just grab the entire cluster. 112 04:55.190 --> 04:55.760 In this case, 113 04:55.760 --> 05:00.400 this one to deploy and roll out NSX to all the hosts in this cluster, again, WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000 113 04:55.760 --> 05:00.400 this one to deploy and roll out NSX to all the hosts in this cluster, again, 114 05:00.400 --> 05:01.280 not required, 115 05:01.280 --> 05:04.320 just a little bit easier. So now that we've taken a look at the deployment of 116 05:04.320 --> 05:04.960 the NSX 117 05:04.960 --> 05:09.040 manager also as a virtual machine on the physical servers. In the next video, 118 05:09.040 --> 05:09.840 let me walk you through 119 05:09.840 --> 05:14.320 my implementation of the host transport nodes in the nested environment.