Installing NSX as a Plug-in to vCenter Server: A Step-by-Step Guide

In this post, we will explore the process of installing NSX as a plug-in to vCenter server, which is now possible with the releases of vSphere 7.0 Update 3 and NSX 3.2.0. We will also take a look at the manual installation process for those who prefer a more hands-on approach.

Before we begin, let’s take a look at our environment:

We have a vSphere 8.0 environment consisting of one ESXi 8.0 and one vCenter 8.0 server. Our network infrastructure consists of a single version 8.0 vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) handling all connectivity via two uplink NICs.

To deploy NSX, we will start by downloading the correct NSX installer from the VMware software portal. In this example, we will be deploying NSX v4.0.1.1 into our vSphere 8.0 environment.

Once we have downloaded the NSX installer, we can start the installation process by selecting the NSX option from the vSphere Client menu:

The install wizard starts, and we select Install NSX:

We supply the location of the downloaded NSX Manager with vCenter Plug-in OVA file, name the VM, and select an inventory location for the VM to reside:

Next, we select the ESXi Host (if DRS is not enabled for your cluster):

We confirm access to vCenter Server:

We select NSX Manager VM deployment size based on NSX 4.0 Manager VM Resource Requirements:

We select a datastore for the NSX Manager VM:

We select a management network for the NSX Manager VM:

Finally, we complete the required information, and the NSX-T manager VM will complete its first boot activities and initial configuration. This can take around 15 to 20 minutes to complete.

After refreshing the browser to load the NSX plug-in, we select NSX from the vSphere Client menu again:

Welcome indeed! We supply our licence key:

We arrive at the Getting Started Wizard page:

As a check, yes, we can also browse and log in directly to our newly deployed NSX manager:

For those who prefer a more hands-on approach, here are some manual installation options:

Manual NSX Installation: Security Only (also known as a Micro-Segmentation installation):

Manual NSX Installation: Virtual Networking (also known as an Overlay installation):

Automated NSX Installation: For those who don’t want to follow an NSX wizard OR complete a manual install, we can use PowerShell and NSX API calls to complete an NSX virtual networking installation.

That will do it for this post. In upcoming posts, we will follow the security only and virtual networking wizards to complete our NSX installs. With so many options available, the choice is yours!