You can add NSX-V as a data source in vRealize Network Insight.

Prerequisites

  • You must add a vCenter as a data source.
  • If Central CLI is enabled, then you must know the system admin credentials.
  • You must have the following privileges:
    Table 1.
    NSX Version User
    NSX 6.4 and the further releases
    • You have to be a super user, an enterprise administrator, an auditor, or an NSX security administrator.
      Note: An NSX network administrator cannot add NSX Manager as a data source.
    NSX 6.2 and the further releases before NSX 6.4
    • The user credentials that need to be provided while adding NSX Manager as a data source must be of an enterprise admin or super user.
    • The user should be an administrator to enable the edge data population.
  • To run the NSX Central CLI commands required by vRealize Network Insight, you must be one of the users:
    • An Auditor
    • A super user
    • An NSX security administrator
  • To enable latency metric collection, you must be a super user or an enterprise administrator.

Procedure

  1. On the Settings page, click Accounts and Data Sources.
  2. Click Add Source.
  3. Under VMware Managers, click VMware NSX Manager.
  4. In the Add a New VMware NSX Manager Account or Source page, provide the required information.
    Option Action
    Collector VM Select a collector VM from the drop-down menu.
    Primary VMware vCenter Select the vCenter you want to add in vRealize Network Insight.
    Note: Ensure that the vCenter and the associated NSX Manager data source are added to the same collector. Otherwise, you will not see the denied flows (when NSX IPFIX is enabled) and the Applied Firewall Rule might not be available in some flows.
    IP Address/FQDN Enter the IP address or the FQDN details.
    Username Enter the user name.
    Password Enter the password.
  5. Click Validate.
  6. (Optional) If you want to collect NSX Controller data, then select Enable NSX Controller data collection check box.
    If you select this option, vRealize Network Insight collects controller data such as logical router interface, routes, logical switch mac table, vtep records, controller cluster status, and role. The data collection is done by NSX Central CLI or Controller-SSH session.
  7. (Optional) If you want to collect NSX Edge data, then select Enable NSX Edge data collection check box.
    The edge data collection is done by NSX Central CLI. So no edge data providers are created under NSX Manager. While enabling the edge population, the NSX user privileges are validated.

    Suppose that a user has the enterprise admin privilege in NSX 6.3 and is working on the current release of vRealize Network Insight, an Insufficient Privileges error comes up on the Accounts and Data Sources page for VMware NSX Manager. The error is shown because the user has to be a super user to run the NSX Central CLI commands in NSX 6.3.

  8. (Optional) If you want to collect IPFIX flows, then select Enable IPFIX check box.
    If you select this option, vRealize Network Insight receives DFW IPFIX flows from NSX-V.
    Note: If you enable IPFIX in vCenter and in VMware NSX Manager, vRealize Network Insight automatically detects and removes flow redundancies by disabling IPFIX on few of the DVPGs for the associated vCenter.
    For more information on enabling IPFIX, see Enabling VMware NSX-V IPFIX.
  9. (Optional) If you want to collect latency metrics data, select Enable latency metric collection check box.
    If you select this option, vRealize Network Insight receives latency metrics from NSX hosts. This option is available only for NSX-V 6.4.7 and later. Ensure that the port 1991 is open on the collector to receive the latency data from the ESXi host.
  10. In the Nickname text box, enter a nickname.
  11. (Optional) In the Notes text box, you can add a note if necessary.
  12. Click Submit.