HOWTO: Configure VMware NSX Load Balancing

VMware NSX-V VCAP6-NV VCIX6-NV HOWTO

Published on 2 August 2017 by Christopher Lewis. Words: 882. Reading Time: 5 mins.

This post is one of a number of posts created as part of the VCAP6-NV Deployment Study Guide ,

Overview

There are multiple component steps in configuring NSX Load Balancing:

Deployment of an VMware NSX Edge Service Gateway (ESG).
Enabling Load Balancing on the ESG.
Creating Application Profile(s)
(optional) Create Service Monitors
Creating Server Pool(s).
(optional) Create Application Rules.
Creating Virtual Server(s).

In this example, we’re going to use the Load Balancer configuration for deploying VMware vRealize Automation following the Load Balancing Guide .

Deploying a VMware NSX Edge Services Gateway (ESG)

See Deploy a VMware NSX Edge Services Gateway (ESG) HOWTO .

Enabling Load Balancing on the VMware NSX ESG

Note: These steps assume you are not even logged into vCenter Server. Skip the first few steps if you are!

Using your favourite web browser, navigate to the vCenter Server login page (https://vcenter.fqdn).

Enter appropriate User name and Password and click Login.

Click Networking and Security.

Click NSX Edges.

Double-Click on the target Edge Services Gateway (ESG).

Select the Manage tab (if not automatically selected), then click Load Balancer, and select Global Configuration.

At Load balancer global configuration, click Edit.

Check the Enable Load Balancer checkbox, (optionally) check the Enable Acceleration checkbox (for L4 Load Balancing) and (optionally) check the Logging checkbox (to enable logging to SYSLOG for the Load Balancer logs). When choosing a Log Level, Debug and Info options log end-user requests. Warning, Error, and Critical options do not log end-users requests.

Note: The Enable Service Insertion checkbox enables the use of third party services.

Click OK.

Creating Application Profiles

Note: These steps assume you are not even logged into vCenter Server. Skip the first few steps if you are! Using your favourite web browser, navigate to the **vCenter Server** login page ( https://vcenter.fqdn `).

Enter appropriate User name and Password and click Login.

Click Networking and Security.

Click NSX Edges.

Double-Click on the target Edge Services Gateway (ESG).

Select the Manage tab (if not automatically selected), then click Load Balancer, and select Application Profiles.

Click Add(+).

Enter the Name of the new Application Profile and amend settings as required.

Click OK.

Create additional Application Profiles as required.

Creating Service Monitor(s)

Note: These steps assume you are not even logged into vCenter Server. Skip the first few steps if you are!

Using your favourite web browser, navigate to the vCenter Server login page (https://vcenter.fqdn).

Enter appropriate User name and Password and click Login.

Click Networking and Security.

Click NSX Edges.

Double-Click on the target Edge Services Gateway (ESG).

Select the Manage tab (if not automatically selected), then click Load Balancer, and select Service Monitors.

Click Add(+).

Enter the Name of the monitor, adjust the values for the monitor as required.

Click OK.

Create additional Service Monitor(s) as required.

Creating Server Pool(s)

Note: These steps assume you are not even logged into vCenter Server. Skip the first few steps if you are!

Using your favourite web browser, navigate to the vCenter Server login page (https://vcenter.fqdn).

Enter appropriate User name and Password and click Login.

Click Networking and Security.

Click NSX Edges.

Double-Click on the target Edge Services Gateway (ESG).

Select the Manage tab (if not automatically selected), then click Load Balancer, and select Pools.

Click Add(+).

Enter the Name for the new Pool, (optionally) enter a Description, select an Algorithim from the dropdown, and (optionally) select a Monitor from the dropdown.

Click Add(+) to add a new member to the Server Pool.

Enter the Name (restrictions on naming conventions apply) and then, at IP Address / VC Container, click Select.

Select Virtual Machine from the Object Type dropdown.

Locate and highlight the Virtual Machine and click OK.

(Optional) Enter a value for Port, Monitor Port, Weight, Max Connections and Min Connections as required.

Click OK.

Add additional Members as required.

Click OK.

Create additional Server Pools as required.

Create Application Rules

Whilst not required for the VRA Load Balancing I thought I should still cover the creation of these.

Note: These steps assume you are not even logged into vCenter Server. Skip the first few steps if you are!

Using your favourite web browser, navigate to the vCenter Server login page (https://vcenter.fqdn).

Enter appropriate User name and Password and click Login.

Click Networking and Security.

Click NSX Edges.

Double-Click on the target Edge Services Gateway (ESG).

Select the Manage tab (if not automatically selected), then click Load Balancer, and select Application Rule****s.

Click Add(+)

Enter the Name and the Script.

Click OK.

Create Virtual Server(s)

Note: These steps assume you are not even logged into vCenter Server. Skip the first few steps if you are!

Using your favourite web browser, navigate to the vCenter Server login page (https://vcenter.fqdn).

Enter appropriate User name and Password and click Login.

Click Networking and Security.

Click NSX Edges.

Double-Click on the target Edge Services Gateway (ESG).

Select the Manage tab (if not automatically selected), then click Load Balancer, and select Virtual Servers.

Click Add(+).

Select the correct Application Profile (dropdown), enter the Name for the Virtual Server, select the Protocol (dropdown), select the Default Pool (dropdown) and then click Select IP Address.

Select the appropriate vNIC (dropdown), select the IP Address and then click OK.

(optional) Click Advanced.

Click Add(+).

Check the checkbox for the rules that are required, then click OK.

Click OK.

Published on 2 August 2017 by Christopher Lewis. Words: 882. Reading Time: 5 mins.

Blog Categories: VMware NSX NSX-V Certification