The migration process includes setting up a new NSX-T Data Center environment and running the migration coordinator. You also might need to change your existing NSX Data Center for vSphere environment to ensure that it can migrate to NSX-T Data Center.

Caution:

Deploy a new NSX-T Data Center environment to be the destination for the NSX Data Center for vSphere migration.

During the Import Configuration step, all NSX Edge node interfaces in the destination NSX-T Data Center environment are shut down. If the destination NSX-T Data Center environment is already configured and is in use, starting the configuration import will interrupt traffic.

During the end-to-end migration, you will complete the following steps:
  1. Create a new NSX-T Data Center environment.
    • Deploy a single NSX Manager appliance to create the NSX-T Data Center environment.
    • If you plan to use Maintenance Mode migration for hosts, configure a shared storage on the cluster to be migrated from NSX Data Center for vSphere to NSX-T Data Center. This enables automated vMotion for the migration process. Any VMs that do not meet this criterion must be manually powered off prior to migration or manually vMotioned.
    • Configure a compute manager in the NSX-T environment. Add the vCenter Server as a compute resource.
      Important: Use the exact IP or hostname specified in NSX Data Center for vSphere vCenter Server registration.
    • Start the migration coordinator service.
    • If you want to import users from NSX Data Center for vSphere, set up VMware Identity Manager.
    • If your NSX Data Center for vSphere topology uses Edge Services Gateways, create an NSX-T IP pool to use for the NSX-T Edge TEPs. These IPs must be able to communicate with all the existing NSX Data Center for vSphere VTEPs.
    • Deploy NSX Edge nodes.
      • Deploy the correct number of appropriately sized NSX-T Edge appliances.
      • Join the Edge nodes to the management plane from the command line.
    • If Security Policies in your NSX-v environment use third-party Guest Introspection or Network Introspection services provided by partners, the partner services must be registered with NSX-T Data Center.
  2. Import configuration from NSX Data Center for vSphere.
    • Enter the details of your NSX Data Center for vSphere environment.
    • The configuration is retrieved and pre-checks are run.
  3. Resolve issues with the configuration.
    • Review messages and the reported configuration issues to identify any blocking issues or other issues that require a change to the NSX Data Center for vSphere environment.
      • If you make any changes to the NSX Data Center for vSphere environment while a migration is in progress, you must restart the migration and import the configuration again.
    • Provide inputs to configuration issues that must be resolved before you can migrate your NSX Data Center for vSphere environment to NSX-T Data Center. Resolving issues can be done in multiple passes by multiple people.
  4. Migrate configuration.
    • After all configuration issues are resolved, you can migrate the configuration to NSX-T Data Center. Configuration changes are made on NSX-T Data Center, but no changes are made to the NSX Data Center for vSphere environment yet.
  5. Migrate Edges.
    • Routing and Edge services are migrated from NSX Data Center for vSphere to NSX-T Data Center.
      Caution: North-South traffic is interrupted during the Migrate Edges step. All traffic that was previously traversing through the Edge Services Gateways (North-South traffic) moves to the NSX-T Edges.
  6. Migrate Hosts.
    • NSX Data Center for vSphere software is removed from the hosts, and NSX-T software is installed. VM interfaces are connected to the new NSX-T Data Center segments.
      Caution: If you select In-Place migration mode, there is a traffic interruption for a few seconds during the Migrate Hosts step. However, if you select Maintenance migration mode, traffic interruption does not occur.
  7. Finish Migration.
    • After you have verified that the new NSX-T Data Center environment is working correctly, you can finish the migration, which clears the migration state.
  8. Perform post-migration tasks.
    • Deploy two additional NSX Manager appliances before you use your NSX-T Data Center environment in a production environment.
    • Uninstall NSX-v environment.

Note: Logical ports and switches that are created during migration are not deleted when the workload VMs are deleted. You must delete these ports and switches via the NSX Manager UI or the API.