Building a vSphere with Tanzu Cluster for NSX Application Platform
Introduction:
VMware NSX-T 3.2 comes with the NSX Application Platform, which requires a Kubernetes cluster to run. In this blog post, I will guide you through the process of building a vSphere with Tanzu cluster and deploying the NSX Application Platform on it. This is part 4 of 4, and you can find the previous parts here:
Part 1: Introduction to NSX Application Platform
Part 2: Preparing the Kubernetes Cluster
Part 3: Installing NSX Application Platform
In this blog post, I will cover the following topics:
1. Creating a service account for the NSX Application Platform
2. Uploading the kubectl file to the NSX manager
3. Installing NSX Application Platform on the Tanzu cluster
4. Pre-checks and configuration
5. Review and deployment
6. Deployment and activation of NSX Network Detection and Response
7. Troubleshooting common issues and conclusion
Creating a Service Account for the NSX Application Platform:
Normal users are being logged out after a period of time, so it’s recommended to create a service account to avoid this issue. To create a service account, follow these steps:
1. Log in to the vSphere with Tanzu cluster using the vSphere client or the API.
2. Open the “Edit” menu and select “Add Service Account.”
3. Fill in the required information for the service account, including the username, password, and email address.
4. Select the “NSX Application Platform” role for the service account.
5. Click “Add” to create the service account.
Uploading the Kubectl File to the NSX Manager:
To upload the kubectl file to the NSX manager, follow these steps:
1. Log in to the NSX manager using the vSphere client or the API.
2. Navigate to the “Networking” tab and select the “NAT” option.
3. Find the Tier1-gateway responsible for the nsx-application-platform namespace and add the IP addresses of the Tanzu cluster to the NAT settings.
4. Upload the kubectl file to the NSX manager by selecting the “File” menu and clicking “Upload File.”
5. Select the kubectl file that you previously downloaded and click “Open.”
Installing NSX Application Platform on the Tanzu Cluster:
To install the NSX Application Platform on the Tanzu cluster, follow these steps:
1. Log in to the Tanzu cluster using the vSphere client or the API.
2. Navigate to the “Networking” tab and select the “NAT” option.
3. Find the Tier1-gateway responsible for the nsx-application-platform namespace and add the IP addresses of the NSX Application Platform to the NAT settings.
4. Download the kubectl file from the NSX manager and save it to a location on your local machine.
5. Log in to the Tanzu cluster using the vSphere client or the API.
6. Navigate to the “Networking” tab and select the “NAT” option.
7. Find the Tier1-gateway responsible for the nsx-application-platform namespace and add the IP addresses of the NSX Application Platform to the NAT settings.
8. Run the following command to install the NSX Application Platform:
`kubectl apply -f
Replace `
9. Wait for the installation to complete.
Pre-Checks and Configuration:
Before you can review and deploy the NSX Application Platform, there are some pre-checks and configuration steps that need to be completed:
1. Check the license status of the NSX Application Platform by running the following command:
`kubectl get-license`
2. If the license is not valid, you will need to update the license file. You can do this by downloading the latest version of the license file from the VMware website and replacing the existing license file with the new one.
3. Check the compatibility of the NSX Application Platform with the Tanzu cluster by running the following command:
`kubectl get-compatibility`
4. If there are any compatibility issues, you will need to update the Tanzu cluster to the latest version.
5. Review and deploy the NSX Application Platform by running the following command:
`kubectl apply -f
Replace `
Review and Deployment of NSX Network Detection and Response:
To review and deploy the NSX Network Detection and Response, follow these steps:
1. Log in to the NSX manager using the vSphere client or the API.
2. Navigate to the “Networking” tab and select the “NAT” option.
3. Find the Tier1-gateway responsible for the nsx-application-platform namespace and add the IP addresses of the Tanzu cluster to the NAT settings.
4. Download the NSX Network Detection and Response software from the NSX manager and save it to a location on your local machine.
5. Log in to the Tanzu cluster using the vSphere client or the API.
6. Navigate to the “Networking” tab and select the “NAT” option.
7. Find the Tier1-gateway responsible for the nsx-application-platform namespace and add the IP addresses of the NSX Network Detection and Response to the NAT settings.
8. Run the following command to deploy the NSX Network Detection and Response:
`kubectl apply -f
Replace `
9. Wait for the deployment to complete.
Troubleshooting:
If you encounter any issues during the installation or deployment of the NSX Application Platform, you can use the following troubleshooting steps to resolve the issue:
1. Check the license status of the NSX Application Platform by running the following command:
`kubectl get-license`
2. If the license is not valid, you will need to update the license file. You can do this by downloading the latest version of the license file from the VMware website and replacing the existing license file with the new one.
3. Check the compatibility of the NSX Application Platform with the Tanzu cluster by running the following command:
`kubectl get-compatibility`
4. If there are any compatibility issues, you will need to update the Tanzu cluster to the latest version.
5. Review the installation and deployment logs for any errors or warnings that may indicate an issue with the installation or deployment process.
Conclusion:
In this article, we have covered the installation and deployment of the NSX Application Platform on a Tanzu cluster. We have also covered some troubleshooting steps that you can use to resolve any issues that you may encounter during the installation or deployment process. By following these steps, you should be able to successfully install and deploy the NSX Application Platform on your Tanzu cluster.