This is the second part of this series. Click here if you wish to start with the first part.
Topology overview
Carefully analyze the topology before you begin.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-103-718x1024.png)
The IP blocks that are used are as follow:
Network | VLAN ID | Subnet |
Management Network | 20 | 192.168.20.0/24 |
TEP Network | 21 | 192.168.21.0/24 |
Transit Network | 22 | 192.168.22.0/24 |
The interfaces on the pfsense router:
Interface name | VLAN ID | Address | MTU |
vmx0 (WAN) | No VLAN | 192.168.0.245/24 | 1500 MTU |
vmx1 | No VLAN | No IP address | 1600 MTU |
vmx1.20 – Management Network | 20 | 192.168.20.1/24 | 1600 MTU |
vmx1.21 – TEP Network | 21 | 192.168.21.1/24 | 1600 MTU |
vmx1.22 – Transit Network | 22 | 192.168.22.1/24 | 1600 MTU |
Interfaces and switch configuration inside the nested environment:
Uplink# | NIC# | Switch-type | Location |
Uplink-1 | vmnic0 | vSwitch0 | Inside nested environment |
Uplink-2 | vmnic1 | dSwitch | Inside nested environment |
Uplink-3 | vmnic2 | dSwitch | Inside nested environment |
Uplink-4 | vmnic3 | dSwitch | Inside nested environment |
Adding nested ESXI host to vCenter and configuring dSwitch
Browse to https://192.168.20.10 or https://vcenter.nsxt.lab depending on whether you have configured an FQDN or not.
Create a new datacenter, a new cluster and add your nested ESXI host.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-81.png)
Under networking create a new dSwitch.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-82.png)
Click next unless you have to select an older version.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-83.png)
Only 3 uplinks are needed. We don’t need the default port group.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-120.png)
Once that’s done, edit the dSwitch’s MTU settings.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-86.png)
Now we’ll have to assign the nested ESXI host to the switch.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-87.png)
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-88.png)
We’ll leave vmnic0 alone and let it belong to vSwitch0 because it has the MGMT VMK.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-89.png)
We’re not migrating the MGMT VMK at all, so just click next.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-90.png)
Again because we’re not migrating, click next.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-91.png)
Deploying the NSX-T Manager
Let’s start with deploying the ova template which is usually named ‘nsx-unified-appliance.ova’.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-105-1024x315.png)
You may rename the VM name.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-115-1024x450.png)
We can click next because there’s only a single host added to vCenter.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-107-1024x348.png)
Select ‘Small’. Do not select the ‘ExtraSmall’ option because it’s meant to be used in conjuction with NSX-T cloud service manager.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-108-1024x575.png)
Set it to thin provisioning to save on resources. Select the appropriate datastore.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-109-1024x480.png)
The default port group ‘VM Network’ (VLAN 20 – 192.168.20.0/24) is what we want and this will be the management interface.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-110-1024x449.png)
Enter a password for the root, admin and audit user.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-111-1024x875.png)
Configure the management IP address and the DNS server.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-112-1024x880.png)
Enable the SSH service and configure NTP. We do not need to change anything else.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-114-1024x881.png)
And finish.
Once it’s deployed, edit the VM’s settings and let’s remove the resource reservations for the CPU and RAM usage because we are quite restricted on resources.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-116-828x1024.png)
Accessing the NSX-T Manager and linking vCenter
Browse to https://192.168.20.15 or NSXT-A.nsxt.lab. It will take a while before it’s ready to use. Once it’s ready, set your license keys.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-117-1024x354.png)
Next, we’ll add our vCenter as a compute manager to NSX-T. Head over to Fabric > Compute Managers
Use the default administrator@vsphere.local username and the address of the vCenter should be either an FQDN or an IP address.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-118.png)
Once it’s complete, it should show that is registered.
![](https://faatech.be/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image-119-1024x94.png)
Ending part 2
In the next part we will finally get to configuring NSX-T and the Edges. Click here to continue with part 3.