Starting with NSX-T Data Center 3.2.2, topologies now support vCenter Server as a compute manager with multiple NSX-T Data Center instances. You might have to follow different procedures to restore these environments from backup because of the multi NSX-T Data Center flag.

Prior to release 3.2.2, a single NSX Manager managed support for a vCenter Server. For operational behavior changes with the Multi NSX-T Data Center feature, see the Multiple NSX Managers Managing a Single vCenter Server topic in the NSX-T Data Center Installation Guide.

To determine which troubleshooting actions to perform, see the Multi NSX-T Data Center Backup and Restore Scenarios table.

Multi NSX Backup and Restore Scenarios

Scenario Action/Result
  • NSX Manager connects to a vCenter Server set up using release 3.2.1 or before.
  • No Multi NSX-T Data Center feature was available for these releases.
  • As a result, NSX-T Data Center keeps the legacy extension key (for example, com.vmware.nsx.management.nsxt).
  • Deploy the NSX-T Data Center 3.2.1 setup.
  • Register vCenter Server.
  • Upgrade to NSX-T Data Center 3.2.2.
  • Perform a new NSX-T Data Center backup.
  • Enable multi_nsx=true.
  • Perform the NSX-T Data Center restore.

During or after the restore process, the compute manager connection status might go down with an invalid extension error. Click Resolve to resolve the issue by providing the vCenter Server credentials.
  • NSX Manager connects to a vCenter Server set up using release 3.2.2 or later.
  • Multi NSX-T Data Center flag is set to false during the vCenter Server registration with NSX-T Data Center as a compute manager.
  • As a result, NSX-T Data Center keeps the legacy extension key (for example, com.vmware.nsx.management.nsxt).
  • Register vCenter Server with multi_nsx=false.
  • Perform a new NSX-T Data Center backup.
  • Update vCenter Server to include multi_nsx=true.
  • Perform the NSX-T Data Center restore.

During or after the restore process, the compute manager connection status might go down with an invalid extension error. Click Resolve to resolve the issue by providing the vCenter Server credentials.
  • NSX Manager connects to a vCenter Server set up using release 3.2.2 or later.
  • Multi NSX-T Data Center flag is set to true during the vCenter Server registration with NSX-T Data Center as a compute manager.
  • As a result, NSX-T Data Center creates a new extension key on the vCenter Server (for example, com.vmware.nsx.management.nsxt.<cm-id>).
  • Register vCenter Server with multi_nsx=true.
  • Perform a new NSX-T Data Center backup.
  • Update vCenter Server to include multi_nsx=false.
  • Perform the NSX-T Data Center restore.

During or after the restore process, the compute manager connection status might go down with an invalid extension error. Click Resolve to resolve the issue by providing the vCenter Server credentials.

For more details on how the Multi NSX flag is enabled in vCenter Server as an NSX-T Data Center compute manager, see Add a Compute Manager.