How to Integrate vRNI with VMC

In this blog post, we’ll see how to integrate VMC (VMware Cloud on AWS) instance to vRNI as a data source.

Supported Versions:

• vRNI 4.0
• VMC Datacenter with build version above M5P2 

Process:

• Step1: Open all required firewall rules

• Step2: Create required permissions / CSP refresh token

• Step3: Add VMC vCenter : Login to vRNI –> Settings –> Accounts and Data sources –> Add Source –> Under Public Clouds –> Select “VMware Cloud on AWS(vCenter)

• Step4: Provide IP Address of the VMC vCenter & Cloud admin credentials –> Click on Validate

• Step5: After successful validation –> Provide Nickname(For identification) and Click Submit

• Step6: Add VMC NSX manager: Login to vRNI –> Settings –> Accounts and Data sources –> Add Source –> Under Public Clouds –> Select “VMware Cloud on AWS(NSX Manager)

• Step7: Select VMC vCenter and Collector: Enter IP address of the NSX manager and put CSP Refresh token– > Click Submit

• Step8: Allow few hours (usually 24 hours) to collect data from VMC vCenter and NSX manager

References – Documentation Links:

• Adding VMC vCenter as a Data Source: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vRealize-Network-Insight/4.0/com.vmware.vrni.using.doc/GUID-5644520F-3D7B-40EA-8CFD-B1D8F98C0C0B.html

How to Get vCenter IP and credentials for vRNI

Login to VMC : https://vmc.vmware.com

Select VMware Cloud on AWS

Select your desired SDDC (Incase you have more than 1)

Click on Settings to get IP address & Credentials:

• Adding VMC NSX Manager as a Data Source: https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vRealize-Network-Insight/4.0/com.vmware.vrni.using.doc/GUID-324354BB-6292-4F6E-A65C-8275097D0A7A.html

Deployment considerations:

vRealize Network Insight supports the following deployment models for VMC: 

• Collector deployed in VMC: 
  1. In this deployment model, the collector is deployed as a workload in Compute Gateway in VMC. The platform is deployed in the SDDC on-premises version. 
  2. The firewall rules of Management Gateway allow communication to VMC vCenter and VMC NSX Manager over HTTPS. 
  3. The collector communicates to the platform using the existing communication mechanisms over VPN or Direct Connect. 
• Collector and Platform deployed in the SDDC on-premises version 
  1. In this deployment model, the collector and the platform are deployed in the SDDC on-premises version. 
  2. The firewall rules of Management Gateway allow communication to vCenter and policy using HTTPS over VPN. 
  3. The VPN connectivity between SDDC (on-premises or SaaS version) and VMC allows data to be fetched by the collector. 

The prerequisites for the above deployment models are: 

• There should be connectivity between the platform or collector (on-premises) and VMC SDDC. It could either be over VPN or DX if the vRealize Network Insight installation is in the private SDDC. In case of the SaaS version, the standard connectivity mechanism between the platform and the collector is sufficient. 
• There should be a Management Gateway firewall rule to allow the vRealize Network Insight collector to invoke vCenter and NSX Manager APIs over HTTPS (443). 
• There should be a Compute Gateway rule within the gateway firewall to allow the collector to communicate with the on-premises Platform or the SaaS platform. 

Note:

• For a single node SDDC in VMC, you should set the CPU resource reservation for the proxy VM to 1251 MHz. Currently, the proxy OVA delivered as a part of the release has the resource reservation set to 2048 MHz. After importing this OVA in the SDDC vCenter, you have to modify the settings of the proxy VM to use the maximum allowed CPU reservation of 1251 MHz.