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VMware NSX Network Essentials
VMware NSX Network Essentials

VMware NSX Network Essentials: Join the revolution in Software Defined Networking

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eBook Sep 2016 274 pages 1st Edition
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eBook Sep 2016 274 pages 1st Edition
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VMware NSX Network Essentials

Chapter 2.  NSX Architecture

In this chapter, we will have a high-level discussion on NSX architecture. To properly install and configure NSX, we should understand the core components that are involved in the NSX solution. By the end of this chapter, we will have a good understanding of the following aspects:

  • Network planes
  • NSX core components
  • Identifying controller roles
  • The controller cluster
  • VXLAN architecture

Introducing network planes

In a traditional switch/router, routing and packet forwarding is ideally done on the same device. What does this mean? Let's take a classic example of configuring a router. We might configure SSH for managing the router and later configure routing protocols to exchange the routes with its neighbors. All these common tasks are done specifically on the same hardware device. So, in a nutshell, each and every router will take a forwarding decision based on the configuration of routers. The power of software-defined networking is decoupling the forwarding and control plane functionality to a centralized device called a controller and the end result is the controller maintaining the forwarding information and taking decisions rather than going via hop by hop in the traditional way. As shown in the following figure, the three functional planes of a network are the management plane, the control plane, and the data plane:

Introducing network planes

The three functional planes of a network...

NSX vSphere components

NSX uses the management plane, control plane, and data plane models. The components are represented diagrammatically in the following diagram:

NSX vSphere components

The management plane

The management plane contains the NSX Manager and vCenter Server. It is important to know that each NSX Manager should be registered with only one vCenter Server. The NSX Manager provides a management UI and API for NSX. We will be discussing NSX Manager and vCenter Server integration during NSX Manager installation and configuration modules. Once the integration is done, NSX Manager can be managed from a vSphere web client, which acts as a single pane of glass for configuring and securing the vSphere infrastructure. Immediate benefit is network administrators no longer need to switch between multiple management consoles. All network services can be configured and monitored from a single interface.

The control plane

The control plane primarily consists of NSX Controllers and the control VM, which allows...

Overlay networks

A virtual network which is built on top of a physical network is called an overlay network. Does that sound familiar by any chance? Most enterprise environments would have used VPN technology for securing private or public networks, which is an IP-over-IP overlay technology. However, it is very important to understand that not all overlay networks are built on top of IP networks. The real question is, why do we require an overlay network ? As we can see from the following figure, we have two data centers and each of these data centers is following a spine-leaf topology. Flexible workload placement and virtual machine mobility, along with strong multitenancy for each tenant, are common asks in a virtualized infrastructure:

Overlay networks

VXLAN, MPLS, NVGRE, VPN, and OTV are some of the classic examples of network-based overlays. Let's go back to the roots of server virtualization. Server virtualization virtualizes a physical server and allows multiple virtual machines to run...

The VLAN packet

Before trying to understand VXLAN, let's go back to the fundamentals of a VLAN packet. How does  tagging work in a VLAN packet? It's very simple concept: 4 bytes are inserted into the Ethernet header field (IEEE), which are a combination of a 2-byte Tag Protocol Identifier (TPID) and 2 bytes of Tag Control Information (TCI). The priority field is a 3-bit field that allows information priority to be encoded in the overall frame, 0 being the lowest priority and 8 the highest value. CFI is typically a bit used for compatibility between Ethernet and token ring networks and if the value is 0, those are Ethernet switches. Last but not the least, we have the VLAN field - VID:

The VLAN packet

The act of creating a VLAN on a switch involves defining a set of switch ports, and end devices get connected to these ports. They all become part of that VLAN domain which eventually stops a broadcast not to be forwarded to another set of VLANs. I know whatever we have discussed so far...

Introducing network planes


In a traditional switch/router, routing and packet forwarding is ideally done on the same device. What does this mean? Let's take a classic example of configuring a router. We might configure SSH for managing the router and later configure routing protocols to exchange the routes with its neighbors. All these common tasks are done specifically on the same hardware device. So, in a nutshell, each and every router will take a forwarding decision based on the configuration of routers. The power of software-defined networking is decoupling the forwarding and control plane functionality to a centralized device called a controller and the end result is the controller maintaining the forwarding information and taking decisions rather than going via hop by hop in the traditional way. As shown in the following figure, the three functional planes of a network are the management plane, the control plane, and the data plane:

The three functional planes of a network are explained...

NSX vSphere components


NSX uses the management plane, control plane, and data plane models. The components are represented diagrammatically in the following diagram:

The management plane

The management plane contains the NSX Manager and vCenter Server. It is important to know that each NSX Manager should be registered with only one vCenter Server. The NSX Manager provides a management UI and API for NSX. We will be discussing NSX Manager and vCenter Server integration during NSX Manager installation and configuration modules. Once the integration is done, NSX Manager can be managed from a vSphere web client, which acts as a single pane of glass for configuring and securing the vSphere infrastructure. Immediate benefit is network administrators no longer need to switch between multiple management consoles. All network services can be configured and monitored from a single interface.

The control plane

The control plane primarily consists of NSX Controllers and the control VM, which allows us...

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Key benefits

  • Experience the dynamism and flexibility of a virtualized software defined data center with NSX
  • Find out how to design your network infrastructure based on what your organization needs
  • From security to automation, discover how NSX’s impressive range of features can unlock a more effective and intelligent approach to system administration

Description

VMware NSX is at the forefront of the software-defined networking revolution. It makes it even easier for organizations to unlock the full benefits of a software-defined data center – scalability, flexibility – while adding in vital security and automation features to keep any sysadmin happy. Software alone won’t power your business – with NSX you can use it more effectively than ever before, optimizing your resources and reducing costs. Getting started should be easy – this guide makes sure it is. It takes you through the core components of NSX, demonstrating how to set it up, customize it within your current network architecture. You’ll learn the principles of effective design, as well as some things you may need to take into consideration when you’re creating your virtual networks. We’ll also show you how to construct and maintain virtual networks, and how to deal with any tricky situations and failures. By the end, you’ll be confident you can deliver, scale and secure an exemplary virtualized network with NSX.

Who is this book for?

If you’re a network administrator and want a simple but powerful solution to your network virtualization headaches, look no further than this fast-paced, practical guide.

What you will learn

  • Deep dive into NSX-v Manager, Controller deployment, and design decisions
  • Get to know the strategies needed to make decisions on each mode of VXLAN that is based on physical network design
  • Deploy Edge Gateway and leverage all the gateway features and design decisions
  • Get to grips with NSX-v Security features and automate security
  • Leverage Cross VC, identify the benefits, and work through a few deployment scenarios
  • Troubleshoot an NSX-v to isolate problems and identify solutions through a step-by-step process

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Sep 30, 2016
Length: 274 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781782172949
Vendor :
VMware
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Product Details

Publication date : Sep 30, 2016
Length: 274 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781782172949
Vendor :
VMware
Tools :

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Table of Contents

8 Chapters
1. Introduction to Network Virtualization Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. NSX Architecture Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. NSX Manager Installation and Configuration Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. NSX Virtual Networks and Logical Router Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. NSX Edge Services Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. NSX Security Features Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. NSX Cross vCenter Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. NSX Troubleshooting Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
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