In this video, we get to deploy the actual automation VM
and based on our plan, we are going to place that little
automation VM right here on our management network,
which is the 101111 network, which is VLAN 11.
And we'll use the IP address of .6.
Also, it would be super smart just for a moment
to just verify that we currently have our NSX manager,
which is reachable and functional.
So prior to deploying this auto VM,
let's just take a peek at our NSX manager.
So here's the web interface for our NSX manager.
If we go to system, let's just check a couple things WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
If we go to system, let's just check a couple things
real quick, we'll click on system.
And on the left, we'll click right here on appliances,
just to make sure the NSX manager is up and ready.
So in my lab environment for my cluster,
I just have a single NSX manager is right here
at 10.11.11.121.
And I also want to take a moment and just verify
that with our DNS server, that that is
resolvable to the name we think it is.
So here is our little VM that we looked at earlier.
This is the little VM over on the 10.12 network, WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
This is the little VM over on the 10.12 network,
which in our topology is our front end network.
And let's verify that the name resolution is correct
for the NSX manager.
So if we didn't want to use NS look up or dig or something
like that, we could go ahead and just ping the name
and verify it resolves to this IP address.
So the name of our NSX manager in DNS is NSX-MGR-VLAN-11.ogit.lab
press enter and sure enough that resolved correctly
to this IP address 10.11.11.121. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
to this IP address 10.11.11.121.
And I would encourage you as you go through
to verify each and every step,
including the DNS resolution.
And that's going to save you oodles of time
regarding troubleshooting because you know you have
DNS resolution set up because you're testing it as you go.
Also, right here, let's also test the name resolution
for our vCenter server.
So that's at vcsa-vlan11.ogit.lab.
And then it is resolving to the correct IP address there
as well for the vCenter on our management network WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
as well for the vCenter on our management network
at 10.11.11.111.
Fantastic.
So let me minimize that.
So with systems still selected on the left,
those go to fabric and under fabric,
let's go to compute managers,
just to validate that we are currently associated
with our vCenter, which based on this name right here
is our compute manager, it is.
Let me clean up the columns a little bit.
So there's the name I gave it when I associated this
NSX manager with vCenter,
and there is the actual fully qualified domain name
that we just verified as well.
And that's another confirmation that our DNS WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
And that's another confirmation that our DNS
is currently working, which is great.
Also, what are they I like to share with you before
we deploy the automation VM is check this out.
If we could care on system in the NSX manager on the left,
notice that we have a section called Quick Start
and a section called appliances
and NSX application platform.
But once we deploy the automation VM,
and we say we want to integrate with the NSX manager
and do the plugin, we're gonna have an additional option
right here for the automation component
that's gonna magically appear.
Actually, it's not magic, is the automation VM WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
Actually, it's not magic, is the automation VM
that's adding the plugin here as part of the NSX manager.
So on older versions, the actual addition
would be somewhere down here,
but in the current flavor as of this recording,
they're gonna add it right here as far as the plugin.
All right, so let's head over to the vSphere client
and let's deploy our little auto VM here
on the 101111 network using the IP address of .6.
So here in the vSphere client,
I'm gonna go ahead and place that little auto VM
in this cluster right here.
In fact, for the remediate cluster, WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
In fact, for the remediate cluster,
I'm gonna take each of these hosts right here
and put them in maintenance mode.
So I'll go to hosts and select all of them right click
and put all of them in maintenance mode and say yes,
and then okay and okay.
And then we'll be using one, two or three of these
as part of our NSX host transport nodes
once we start building the NSX network.
But also as a reminder, if we go back to our NSX here,
here's the NSX manager,
we go to networking at the moment.
If we go to network topology, I've got absolutely nothing. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
If we go to network topology, I've got absolutely nothing.
And that's again to reinforce the concept
of when we're implementing our NSX application platform,
it is best to do it on real switches, real VLANs
and not use virtualized infrastructure
because if we implement the NSX application platform
on a virtualized environment and we change some
of that virtualized environment later,
either accidentally or we didn't remember
what it was being used for, that could destroy
or interrupt the functionality of our NSX application platform.
So once again, using physical gear and real VLANs WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
So once again, using physical gear and real VLANs
and real routers to support the NSX application platform
is a great idea.
So for the automation VM, let's go ahead
and use this host for nap cluster.
And I currently have DRS, which is enabled on that cluster.
So we can right click on this cluster
and say we wanna deploy an OVF template
and then grab a local file.
So I've just selected that file,
it's called nap-automation.ovA and we'll click on next.
Then I'm gonna go ahead and simply let it keep that name, WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
Then I'm gonna go ahead and simply let it keep that name,
nap automation, which is showing us the version
of the virtual machine that's gonna use for the automation.
And as far as where we wanna keep this logically,
let's put it in a folder called NSX VMs.
And then as far as the compute resource,
we wanna go ahead and use the cluster called host for naps.
We'll select that cluster, click on next.
And it's giving us some warnings,
we're getting certificates, so I'll ignore those.
And here's a summary of the details,
including the size on disk,
if it's thin provisioned or thick provisioned.
So we'll click on next, WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
So we'll click on next,
and then we'll accept the license agreement
and click on next.
Next it's asking us about where we wanna store the files
for this VM.
And let's put this on iSCSI2,
which is reachable by all of our ESXi host
and just to save a little space in my lab,
I'm gonna say thin provisioned and click on next.
Next is asking us about which network
we wanna put this VM on.
And so because we did the pre-work
and we already have our networks all set up,
we wanna place this little VM on our management network.
So there's a port group that reflects VLAN 11. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
So there's a port group that reflects VLAN 11.
So we'll put the little VM connected
to that logical port group and click on, okay.
Then we'll click on next,
and now it's gonna ask us some questions about that little VM.
So for the name, I'm gonna put here a nap automation.
Then we'll specify and confirm the initial root password.
And this little icon here is for my password manager
that's not part of the native interface.
So we'll scroll down and admin password
and confirm it as well.
And as we scroll down, it's asking us about a NTP server.
So we're gonna use our lab NTP server.
Let's confirm where that is. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
Let's confirm where that is.
So here in our topology, that's right here at 10.10.10.100.
So we'll specify our DINA server is at 10.10.10.100.
And we'll specify that for the lab environment,
I don't wanna join the customer experience improvement programs.
We'll leave that unchecked.
And the next is asking us about,
do we want to enable the plugin with our NSX manager?
In that way, if we do enable the plugin,
we can actually use the automation directly
from the NSX manager instead of going
to the separate interface for the automation VM.
So they will both work, WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
So they will both work,
but if we wanna do it all from the interface
at the NSX manager, we want to enable the plugin.
So we'll say yes to that.
And now it's asking us about where is that NSX manager?
So if we had a virtual IP address for NSX manager cluster,
we'd wanna specify that virtual IP address
or in the event that you don't have a virtual IP address,
you only have one NSX manager like I do in my lab,
we can still be specifying the IP address
or even better yet the name of that NSX manager right here.
So I'm gonna go ahead and use the DNS name
'cause that's also gonna help us verify with the prechecks WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
'cause that's also gonna help us verify with the prechecks
that everything is resolvable and reachable.
So it's better to find out earlier than later
if you have a problem with DNS.
So I'm gonna go ahead and use the fully qualified domain name here.
And then we'd wanna specify the passwords
that we're gonna be using in conjunction
with our NSX manager.
So there's an API password and also the root password
and I'm gonna plug those in right now.
So whatever passwords you use when you configured
and deployed the NSX manager,
you'd wanna use the same passwords here
and then we'll scroll down.
Now it's asking us about what IP address we wanna use WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
Now it's asking us about what IP address we wanna use
for the actual automation appliance itself.
So based on our plan, we wanna use the IP address of 10.11.11.7.
So we'll supply that here.
There's a 24-bit mask associated with that IP address.
Fantastic.
And because we are doing a static address,
we'll also specify the default gateway
that this automation VM should use,
which is 10.11.11.1.
And just to confirm where that is,
this is the .1 address on this multilayer switch
or top of rack switch that we tested and verified earlier.
So our little automation VM is gonna be deployed right here WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
So our little automation VM is gonna be deployed right here
at .6 on the 10.11.11 network.
And it's gonna have a default gateway of .1
if it needs to reach any other devices,
including DNS and other subnets
that are not local to that out of VM.
And for the domain name, I'll specify it's ogit.lab
and for additional search domains,
I'm gonna still use just ogit.lab
'cause everything in my topology is within that domain.
And then for the DNS server, it's gonna be 10.10.10.100,
which again, we already verified that we have reachability two WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
which again, we already verified that we have reachability two
and also we verified that that DNS server is functional.
So with that in place, we'll click on next.
So it's giving us a quick summary
and I would recommend that when you're deploying this,
you take a moment and read the summary.
So the NTP server as well as the DNS server
is at 10.10.10.100, fantastic.
The IP address that we want this little automation VM to use
is .6 on the 10.11.11 network,
the default gateway is at .1.
And here's the DNS resolvable name for the NSX manager,
which this little automation VM is gonna need WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
which this little automation VM is gonna need
because it's gonna reach out to that NSX manager
and add the plugin for the automation.
So we'll go ahead and click right here on Finish.
And here are recent tasks.
It shows us that that little VM is currently
in the process of being deployed.
And after that VM is deployed,
what we'd expect here in the NSX manager
is that if we go to the system tab over here on the left,
once that little auto VM is completely deployed,
we'll have an additional option right here
for the automation, for the implementation
of the NSX application platform. WEBVTT X-TIMESTAMP-MAP=LOCAL:00:00:00.000,MPEGTS:900000
of the NSX application platform.
So I'm gonna give the deployment here about 30 minutes
for it to complete.
And then in the next video, we'll come back
and we'll verify that both the VM deployed
and also the here in the NSX manager,
we have the additional plugin available
for the NSX automation.
So I'll see you in the next video for that follow up.