VMware NSX Advanced Load Balancer (formerly Avi Vantage Platform) is the designated external Load Balancer. The NSX Advanced Load Balancer deployment involves creating an Avi Service Engine (SE) that is programmed through Avi Controller to advertise Virtual IP Address (VIP) to upstream Routers using BGP and to forward requests backend to the underlying VRO and VMware Cloud Director products.

Avi Controller is the single point of management and control for NSX Advanced Load Balancer and high availability. The NSX Advanced Load Balancer deployment is managed from the Avi Controller, regardless of the number of applications being load balanced or the number of Service Engines required.

For more information, see Cloud Creation and other sections in the Avi Vantage Infrastructure page.

Procedure

  1. Download Avi Controller OVA version 22.1.3.
  2. Deploy the Avi Controller on a vCenter Server. For more information, see Installing Avi Vantage for VMware vCenter.
  3. From the Avi Controller UI, create a user account and log in to the Avi Controller UI using the user credentials.
  4. Add the cloud infrastructure of type VMware vCenter and configure the Port group for Management connectivity.
  5. Configure IP Address Management (IPAM) and DNS profiles for the cloud infrastructure.
  6. Verify that the Cloud infrastructure is added successfully to the Avi Controller.
  7. Create a Service Engine Group on the Infrastructure page.
    Note:

    You must have a unique Service Engine Group per Workload Cluster.

  8. Under the Networks tab, add a network pool for the cloud infrastructure. This pool is used for Virtual IP and Service Engine IP assignments.
  9. Configure NSX Advanced Load Balancer (AVI) for VMware Cloud Director cells:
    1. Navigate to Applications > Configure Pools and specify the following details.

      1. General: Specify a Name, choose the Cloud where you want to deploy the NSX ALB service, provide a value for the Default Server Port, select the Load Balancer Algorithm, leave the remaining parameters to default values, and save.

      2. Servers:   Specify the cloud director cell details.

      3. Health Monitor: Specify a name, select HTTPS as the Type, specify 443 for the Health monitor port, and select TCP-Health-Monitor from the drop-down list.

      4. Profiles/Policies: Select “System-Persistence-Client-IP” as the Persistence Profile and “System-Analytics-Profile” as the Analytics Profile.

      5. SSL: Specify “System Standard” as the SSL profile.

    2. Configure VIP: Specify a Name, choose the cloud, and specify the VIP address.
    3. Configure Virtual Server:

      1. Select Advanced Setup from the Create Virtual Service drop-down list.

      2. Choose the cloud.

      3. Specify name, services, TCP/UDP Profile, and Application Profile.

      4. Choose the virtual server and the pool.

    AVI Service Engines are deployed on the selected Cloud.

    VMware Cloud Director can be accessed after the SSL CA Signed or Self Signed certificates are configured and the Load Balancer address is enabled as Public Address for the Web Portal and API.