VMware NSX Fundamentals

The target audience for this course consists of IT professionals who want to understand the VMware NSX platform, its security, and network virtualization capabilities.

The product focuses on theoretical and practical configuration. Users should have some background in IT, networking, and vSphere.

Lesson 1: The Software-Defined Data Center

This lesson covers the concepts of the software-defined data center (SDDC) and the transformation happening in this space. Focus then shifts to the role VMware vSphere has in providing the foundation for network virtualization.

Lesson 2: Networking Fundamentals

This lesson provides the networking foundation needed for viewers with a non-networking background to understand the fundamental capabilities of modern data center networking. Topics include Ethernet switching fundamentals and vSphere virtual networking, including distributed switching and network topologies.

Lesson 3: NSX Lab

This lesson focuses on the topology used throughout the rest of the lessons and describes the conceptual, physical, and logical networks. This lesson includes reference material for subsequent lesson units.

Lesson 4: NSX Manager and NSX Control Cluster

This lessons introduces the management and control plane components of NSX (NSX Manager and NSX controllers) and describes their purposes in the architecture. It also details various best practices for each.

Lesson 5: Logical Switch Networks

This lesson focuses on the first building blocks of virtualized networking, logical switching. Topics include VXLAN protocol fundamentals, VTEP functions, traffic flows for broadcast, unknown unicast and multicast traffic, and the ARP suppression capabilities within NSX. Additionally, this lesson examines controller replication modes along with Top of Rack integration via the OVSDB protocol.

Lesson 6: Distributed Logical Routing

This lesson provides information on the routing capabilities of NSX, including static and dynamic routing with OSPF and BGP. The lesson also explains the NSX Edge and DLR routing capabilities and shared best practices around the DLR route control virtual machine.

Lesson 7: Edge Routing and High Availability

This lesson covers NSX Edge Services Gateway routing features, including static and dynamic routing with OSPF and BGP. The lesson also compares and contrasts high availability modes and shares best practices on scale and placement of the NSX Edge appliances.

Lesson 8: Virtual Private Networks

This lesson describes the use cases for the VPN offerings available in NSX before focusing on each available option. The lesson covers site-to-site IPsec VPNs, SSL VPNs, and Layer 2 VPNs and provides best practices for each.

Lesson 9: NSX Edge Load Balancer

This lesson focuses on the NSX load balancing capability. Topics include one-armed load balancing, in-line load balancing, SSL offload, and service profiles.

Lesson 10: Distributed Firewalls

This lesson covers the concepts of micro segmentation and the zero-trust model. The lesson continues with a description of the architecture of the distributed firewall compared to traditional firewalls, and concludes with a look at the installation and configuration of the distributed firewall.

Lesson 11: Automating the Security Architecture

This lesson introduces the NSX Service Composer tool and illustrates how to configure security policies. It also explains and demonstrates third-party integration using Service Composer.

Lesson 12: Additional Edge Services

This lesson provides information on functions available in NSX including L2 bridging on the distributed logical router; NAT and DHCP configuration on the Edge; and data security and activity monitoring across the platform.

Lesson 13: Multi-vCenter and NSX

This lesson focuses on the new components and architecture added with NSX 6.2’s Multi-vCenter capability. The lesson explains and shares best practices for migration from a single vCenter deployment to Multi-vCenter.

Lesson 14: Operations

This lesson focuses on operational aspects of NSX, including roles-based access control, NSX flow monitoring, NSX activity monitoring, logging capabilities, and new path troubleshooting tools.

Introduction
VMware NSX Fundamentals: Introduction
Lesson 1: Software-Defined Data Center
Learning objectives
1.1 Software-Defined Data Center Concepts
1.2 Evolution of the Software-Defined Data Center
1.3 VMware vSphere Virtualization
1.4 Understanding Network Virtualization
Lesson 2: Networking Fundamentals
Learning objectives
2.1 Ethernet Switching Fundamentals
2.2 Data Center Network Topologies—Traditional
2.3 Data Center Network Topologies—Emerging
Lesson 3: NSX Lab
Learning objectives
3.1 Introducing the VMware Hands-on Labs (HOL)
3.2 Examining the Lab Physical Topology
3.3 Examining the Lab Logical Topology
3.4 Examining the Lab Application Topologies
3.5 VMware HOL NSX Tips and Tricks
Lesson 4: NSX Manager and NSX Control Cluster
Learning objectives
4.1 Introducing the Management, Control, and Data Plane
4.2 Adding Network Virtualization Components to Create a True SDDC
4.3 Exploring NSX 6.2 Basic Design
4.4 Examining NSX Components and Access Methods
4.5 Understanding and Deploying NSX 6.2 Manager
4.6 Installing NSX 6.2 Manager
4.7 Understanding NSX 6.2 Controller
4.8 Deploying NSX 6.2 Controller
Lesson 5: Logical Switch Networks
Learning objectives
5.1 Logical Switch Networks: Overview and Goals
5.2 Logical Switch Networks: Evolution
5.3 Understanding Encapsulation Fundamentals
5.4 Introducing VXLAN Tunnel Endpoints (VTEP), Segment IDs (SID), and the Transport Zone (TZ)
5.5 Understanding the Logical Switch and Packet Walk
5.6 Introducing Broadcast, Unknown Unicast, and Multicast (BUM)
5.7 Examining a BUM Packet Walk
5.8 Configuring a Logical Switch
5.9 Design Solutions Using Hardware VTEPs and OVSDB
5.10 Connecting the Physical Domain with the Virtual Domain (VLAN to VXLAN)
Lesson 6: Distributed Logical Routing
Learning objectives
6.1 Centralized vs. Distributed Routing
6.2 Distributed Logical Router Architecture
6.3 Deploying Distributed Logical Router
6.4 Routing Protocols
Lesson 7: Edge Routing and High Availability
Learning objectives
7.1 NSX Edge Services Gateway Routing Features
7.2 Static Routing on NSX Edge
7.3 Dynamic Routing on NSX Edge: Overview
7.4 Dynamic Routing on NSX Edge: OSPF Support
7.5 Dynamic Routing on NSX Edge: BGP Support
7.6 NSX High Availability Mode
7.7 Scale and Placement of NSX Edge Appliances
Lesson 8: Virtual Private Networks
Learning objectives
8.1 Securing Communication Paths with VPNs
8.2 Enabling Remote Users to Connect Securely (SSL VPN-Plus)
8.3 Introducing SSL VPN Gateway (Web and Network Access Mode)
8.4 Configuring SSL VPN-Plus
8.5 Understanding Site-to-Site Connectivity
8.6 Comparing Industry VPN Approaches
8.7 Layer 2 (SSL) VPN Use Case and Design
8.8 Configuring Layer 2 (SSL) VPN
8.9 Understanding the Unmanaged Edge
Lesson 9: NSX Edge Load Balancer
Learning objectives
9.1 Introducing the NSX Edge Load Balancer
9.2 Comparing Inline to One Arm Deployment
9.3 Protecting Your Application—Application Profiles and Virtual Servers
9.4 Protecting Your Application—Service Monitoring and Pools: Overview
9.5 Protecting Your Application—Service Monitoring and Pools: Demo
9.6 Protecting Your Application—Application Rules
9.7 Application Profiles—SSL Load Balancing
9.8 NSX Load Balancer Availability
Lesson 10: Distributed Firewalls
Learning objectives
10.1 Introducing Distributed Firewalls
10.2 Understanding Micro-segmentation, Zero-Trust, and the Goldilocks Zone
10.3 Designing DC Security Using Firewalls
10.4 Understanding the Technical Details of DFW Implementation
10.5 Creating Rules (MAC, IP, and Objects)
10.6 Scale and Performance Considerations
10.7 Configuring the DFW: Concepts and Mechanics
10.8 Configuring the DFW: Demo
10.9 Verifying the DFW
10.10 DFW Considerations and Additional Functionality
Lesson 11: Automating the Security Architecture
Learning objectives
11.1 Understanding Security Groups
11.2 Understanding Security Policies
11.3 Understanding Security Tags
11.4 Putting It All Together with Service Composer: Concepts and Overview
11.5 Putting It All Together with Service Composer: Demo
11.6 Integrating Third-Party Solutions
11.7 Using Third-Party Solutions with Service Composer
Lesson 12: Additional Edge Services
Learning objectives
12.1 Introducing Use Cases for Bridging, Address Translation, and IP Management
12.2 Connecting the Physical to the Virtual (P2V) Domain (Layer 2 Bridging)
12.3 Understanding the Details of P2V Bridging
12.4 Understanding NSX Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
12.5 Understanding NSX Edge Network Address Translation (NAT)
12.6 Introducing NSX Data Security
Lesson 13: Multi-vCenter NSX
Learning objectives
13.1 Introducing the Multi-vCenter Architecture
13.2 Introducing the Multi-vCenter Components
13.3 Understanding Local and Universal Firewall Rules
13.4 Understanding Local and Universal Switching
13.5 Understanding Local and Universal Distributed Routing
13.6 Configuring Universal Distributed Logical Routing
13.7 Multi-vCenter Design Considerations
13.8 Migrating to a Multi-vCenter NSX Deployment
Lesson 14: Operations
Learning objectives
14.1 Implementing NSX RBAC
14.2 Configuring NSX RBAC
14.3 Analyzing NSX Flow Monitoring Data
14.4 Creating or Modifying Firewall Rules from NSX Flow Monitoring Data
14.5 Configuring and Analyzing NSX Activity Monitoring
14.6 Configuring and Analyzing Logging Data
14.7 Troubleshooting with NSX Traceflow
Summary
VMware NSX Fundamentals: Summary