The VMware Aria Operations Management Pack for HCX extends VMware Aria Operations to hybrid capabilities presented by HCX. With this management pack, you can collect metrics, change events, and resource topology information from HCX and display this information in your VMware Aria Operations Manager residing on-premises. Now, you can monitor, isolate, and resolve performance bottlenecks on your HCX Interconnects, Migrations, or Protected workloads faster by leveraging your existing VMware Aria Operations capabilities that are already in use and providing a consistent user experience across both your source and destination vSphere environment.

System Requirements

Before installing and configuring the Management Pack, ensure your system meets the following requirements.

For compatibility between products, please refer to:

VMware Aria Operations Interoperability for HCX

-OR-

Third Party Solution Interoperability for HCX

HCX Requirements

Connection

The Management Pack collects data via a REST API

Credentials

vCenter username and password

Installing the Management Pack

The Management Pack for HCX is an add-on integration that must be installed on top of the core VMware Aria Operations platform using a PAK file available through Customer Connect.

On-premises Installation

For the on-premises deployment of VMware Aria Operations managed by end users, the Management Pack for HCX must be downloaded and installed on this instance. This can be done in a few simple steps.

Prerequisites

  • Verify that you have the latest version of the management pack and the management pack is compatible with your version of VMware Aria Operations.

  • Ensure that you have the privileges to install a management pack.

Procedure

  1. Download the PAK file for the management pack from VMware Marketplace

  2. Log in to the VMware Aria Operations with administrator privileges.

  3. From the left menu, click Data Sources > Integrations. Go to the Repository tab in the right pane.

  4. On the Repository tab, click Add.

  5. The Add Solutions Wizard Options appears. The wizard includes three pages where you locate and upload a PAK file, accept the EULA and install, and review the installation. Click Browse to locate the temporary folder and select the PAK file.

  6. While upgrading to the latest version, you can select the Install the PAK file even if it is already installed and the Reset Default Content options.

  7. Click Upload. The upload might take several minutes.

  8. Read and accept the EULA, and click Next.

  9. When the Management Pack for HCX is installed, click Finish.

    You can now configure this integration from the Data Sources -> Integrations-> Accounts tab.

Cloud Installation

Prerequisites

  • To install the Management Pack for HCX, you must have login credentials to the VMware Aria Operations Cloud.

  • Ensure that you have the privileges to install a management pack.

Procedure

  1. Log in to the VMware Aria Operations Cloud with the relevant credentials.

  2. From the left menu, click Data Sources > Integrations, and then the Repository tab.

  3. Browse and select the Management Pack for HCX.

  4. Click Get.

  5. Once the download is complete, click Next.

  6. Read and accept the EULA, and click Next.

  7. When the Management Pack for HCX is installed, click Finish.

    You can now configure this integration from the Data Sources -> Integrations-> Accounts tab.

Configuring the Management Pack

Creating a Credential

One of the required configuration tasks for the Management Pack is to create a set of credentials in VMware Aria Operations.

Installing the Management Pack

  1. From the top navigation bar, select Administration. In the left panel, expand the Management category and select Credentials.

  2. Click the Add icon. In the Manage Credential window that appears, enter the following information:

    Credential name: A name for this set of credentials

    User Name: HCX User Name

    Password:HCX Password

Caution:

The least-privileged user (LPU) for the management pack must must have a minimum of read-only access.

Creating an Adapter Instance

Before you can begin using the Management Pack, you must create an adapter instance to identify the host from which the Management Pack will retrieve data.

  1. Log in to VMware Aria Operations as an admin user.

  2. Click the Administration icon. In the right panel, the Solutions view will be displayed.

  3. From Other Accounts  select the Add Account option

  4. The New Account window will appear.

  5. In the Manage Solution window, enter the following information:

    1. Adapter Settings:

      • Display Name: A name for this particular instance of the Management Pack.

      • Description: Optional, but it can be helpful to describe multiple adapter instances of the Management Pack.

    2. Basic Settings:

      • Host: Enter the hostname of your HCX Manager 

      • Credential: Select the credential you created›

  6. Click Test Connection to test the configured connection information. Click Save Settings and Close to save your adapter instance.

Validating Data Collection

After you add an adapter instance, you will most likely want to validate the data that it collects in VMware Aria Operations. Wait until one collection cycle is complete and the Collection Status for the adapter instance on the Solutions page shows as "Data Receiving".

  1. Select the Environment navigation shortcut.

  2. Under Inventory Trees, select All Objects, then expand the HCX Adapter objects list.

  3. Select a resource from the list, then click the All Metrics tab to select metrics and validate values against the data source.

Using the Management Pack

The Management Pack for HCX includes the following out-of-the-box features, harnessing the power of the VMware Aria Operations user interface:

  • Resource Kinds

  • Dashboards

  • Reports

  • Alerts

  • Metrics

Resource Kinds

The Management Pack for HCX creates Resource Kinds and Relationships (associations) for critical resources in your HCX environment.

Resource Kinds

Performance, health, and availability data are collected for the following HCX resource kinds:

  • Site Connection

  • Migration

  • vMotion

  • RAV

  • OsAssistedMigration

  • HCX DR Replication

Dashboards

Descriptions for the VMware Aria Operations HCX dashboards that are added when the MP for HCX is installed.

Table 1. HCX Environment Overview

Widget 1

HCX Environments

Widget 2

Interconnect Topology

Widget 3

Metrics

Widget 4

Alerts
Table 2. HCX Extended Networks

Widget 1

HCX Environments

Widget 2

Extended Networks Topology

Widget 3

Metrics
Note:

Only vCenter Distributed Virtual Port Groups (DVPGs) that are extended display in the VMware Aria Operations HCX Extended Networks dashboard.

Table 3. HCX Migrations

Widget 1

Recent Completed Migrations

Widget 2

Ongoing Migrations

Widget 3

Recent Error Migrations

Widget 4

Mobility Groups
Table 4. HCX Disaster Recovery

Widget 1

Incoming Replications

Widget 2

Outgoing Replications

Widget 3

Replications by Status

Widget 4

Replications with RPO Violation

Reports

  • Incoming Replications: View of all ongoing incoming replications into HCX.

  • Migrations list on site connection: Migrations list on site connection:Migrations

  • Outgoing Replications: View of all outgoing replications from HCX that are ongoing.

  • Weekly Migrations Summary: View of the weekly migrations summary for site connection

Alerts

Alert Name

Severity

Network Extension Service System State is Critical

critical

Network Extension Service Tunnel status is degraded

automatic

Hybrid Interconnect Service status is degraded

info

Incoming Replication has an RPO violation

warning

High Throughput Network Extension service is not running

critical

Hybrid Interconnect Service Tunnel status is degraded

automatic

Hybrid Interconnect Service service is not running

critical

Network Extension Service System State is Fatal

critical

Hybrid Interconnect Service status is degraded

info

Hybrid Interconnect Service Tunnel status is unknown

automatic

Hybrid Interconnect Service Encryption Tunnel Status is degraded

info

Replication Assisted Vmotion Migration Service Status is Down

critical

Network Extension Service Transport Status is unknown

warning

Hybrid Interconnect Service Transport Status is down

critical

Network Extension Service Encryption Tunnel Status is unknown

warning

Network Extension Service Status is Down

critical

All tunnels on High Throughput Network Extension are down

automatic

Disaster Recovery Service Status is Down

critical

Network Extension Service Transport Status is down

critical

All tunnels on Hybrid Interconnect Service are down

automatic

Outgoing Replication is in error state

automatic

Network Extension Service Transport Status is degraded

info

Hybrid Interconnect Service status is unknown

warning

Network Extension Service Pipeline Status is degraded

info

Hybrid Interconnect Service Transport Status is unknown

warning

HCX system is deactivated : Please contact your administrator for assistance.

critical

HCX services are using trial period limits. Activate HCX to remove the limits.

warning

Bulk Migration Service Status is Down

critical

High Throughput Network Extension service status is unknown

warning

Network Extension Service Encryption Tunnel Status is down

critical

Hybrid Interconnect Service Encryption Tunnel Status is down

critical

Incoming replication is in error state

automatic

Hybrid Interconnect Service System State is Fatal

critical

Outgoing Replication has an RPO violation

warning

Hybrid Interconnect Service System State is Critical

critical

Network Extension Service Encryption Tunnel Status is degraded

info

The HCX Manager has failed to reach https://connect.hcx.vmware.com beyond the grace period. Restore this connection to resume HCX services.

critical

Hybrid Interconnect Service Transport Status is degraded

info

Cross-cloud Vmotion Migration Service Status is Down

critical

Hybrid Interconnect Service Status is Down

critical

Hybrid Interconnect Service Pipeline Status is down

critical

Network Extension Service status is degraded

info

Network Extension Service Pipeline Status is down

critical

Hybrid Interconnect Service Tunnel is down

automatic

Hybrid Interconnect Service Pipeline Status is degraded

info

High Throughput Network Extension Tunnel status is unknown

automatic

Network Extension Service Pipeline Status is unknown

warning

High Throughput Network Extension Tunnel is down

automatic

WAN Optimization Service is not running

critical

VM Migration status is FAILED

automatic

The HCX trial period has ended. Activate HCX to continue using services.

critical

The HCX Manager is unable to reach https://connect.hcx.vmware.com. This connection is required for authorization

HCXAdapter Instance

WAN Optimization Service Status is Down

critical

VM Migration status is FAILED

automatic

VM Migration status is FAILED

automatic

WAN Optimization Service status is unknown

warning

VM Migration status is FAILED

automatic

Metrics

Descriptions for the VMware Aria Operations HCX Metrics available with the MP for HCX.

Table 5. Site Connection

Metric Group

Metric Name

Cold and Bulk Migration

Average Rate of Data Migrated

Cold and Bulk Migration

Average Time Taken per Migration (mins)

Cold and Bulk Migration

Distribution of Successful Migrations

Cold and Bulk Migration

Distribution of Failed Cold and Bulk Migrations
Table 6. Cold and Bulk Migration

Metric Group

Metric Name

LWD, LWD In Progress, NFC, NFC In Progress

Received Traffic

LWD, LWD In Progress, NFC, NFC In Progress

Received Operations

LWD, LWD In Progress, NFC, NFC In Progress

Received Throughput

LWD, LWD In Progress, NFC, NFC In Progress

Transmitted Traffic

LWD, LWD In Progress, NFC, NFC In Progress

Transmitted Operations

LWD, LWD In Progress, NFC, NFC In Progress

Transmitted Throughput

LWD, LWD In Progress, NFC, NFC In Progress

Error Count

Progress Info

Progress

Summary

Instances Completed

Summary

Instances Aborted

Summary

Images Created

Summary

Disks Configured

Summary

Group Errors

Summary

Source Migration State

Summary

Destination Migration State

Summary (P)

Migration Start Time

Summary (P)

Migration End Time

Summary (P)

Source Datacenter Name

Summary (P)

Destination Datacenter Name

Summary (P)

Time Taken (minutes)

Summary (P)

VM Size

Summary (P)

Status

Summary (P)

Protocol

Summary (P)

Latest State at Source

Summary (P)

Latest State at Destination
Table 7. vMotion

Metric Group

Metric Name

Progress Info

Progress

Summary (P)

Migration Start Time

Summary (P)

Migration End Time

Summary (P)

Source Datacenter Name

Summary (P)

Destination Datacenter Name

Summary

Time Taken (minutes)

Summary

VM Size

Summary (P)

Estimated Completion Time

Summary (P)

Status

Summary (P)

Protocol
Table 8. RAV

Metric Group

Metric Name

Progress Info

Progress

Summary (P)

Migration Start Time

Summary (P)

Migration End time

Summary (P)

Source Datacenter Name

Summary

Time Taken (minutes)

Summary

VM Size

Summary (P)

Estimated Completion Time

Summary (P)

Status

Summary (P)

Protocol
Table 9. OsAssistedMigration

Metric Group

Metric Name

Progress Info

Progress

Summary (P)

Migration Start Time

Summary (P)

Migration End Time

Summary (P)

Source Datacenter Name

Summary (P)

Destination Datacenter Name

Summary

Time Taken (minutes)

Summary

VM Size

Summary (P)

Estimated Completion Time

Summary (P)

Status

Summary (P)

Protocol
Table 10. HCX DR Replication

Metric Group

Metric Name

Summary

Replication State

Summary (P)

RPO Violation

Summary (P)

No. of Snapshots

Summary (P)

Quiesce Guest Activated

Summary (P)

Compression Activated

Summary (P)

Source

Summary (P)

Target

Summary (P)

Datacenter

Summary (P)

Storage

Summary

Instances Completed

Summary

Instances Aborted

Summary

Images Created

Summary

Disks Configured

Summary

Group Errors

Summary (P)

Guest OS

Summary (P)

RPO

Summary (P)

Cluster

Summary (P)

No. of CPUs

Summary (P)

Detailed Status