Most organisations are running NSX for vSphere (NSX-v) which brought software defined networking to VMware virtualisation technology (vSphere). With the introduction of NSX-T in 2016, VMware fully focused on bringing the public cloud and the cloud-native experience to the data center by supporting a variety of heterogeneous endpoints such as VMs, containers, and bare metal servers.
NSX-T is the next generation and security with a complete L2-L7 suite of services, delivering switching, routing, firewalling, analytics, and load balancing entirely in software. The platform enables a wide range of use-cases in intrinsic security, networking and security for multi-cloud and modern apps, and network automation. The past few releases delivered many new networking and security innovations on NSX-T, prominent among these are the ultimate crown jewels of the platform – NSX Intelligence, Federation and NSX Distributed IDS/IPS.
For many organisations the migration from NSX-v to NSX-T is top priority because of one or more of the following reasons:
VMware NSX® Data Center is the network virtualization and security platform that enables the virtual cloud network, a software-defined approach to networking that extends across data centers, clouds, and application frameworks.
Figure - NSX Data Center network virtualization and security platform
VMware NSX Data Center delivers a completely new operational model for networking defined in software, forming the foundation of the software-defined data center (SDDC) and extending to a virtual cloud network. NSX Data Center provides a complete set of logical networking and security capabilities and services, including logical switching, routing, firewalling, load balancing, virtual private network (VPN), quality of service (QoS) and monitoring. Below are key features if NSX-T,
Switching
Routing
Gateway Firewall
Distributed Firewall
Load Balancing
VPN
NSX Gateway
NSX Intelligence™
NSX Distributed Threat Prevention
(NSX Distributed IDS/IPS1)
Federation
Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF)
NSX Data Center API
Operations
Context-Aware MicroSegmentation
NSX Intelligence
Network Visibility
Multi-Cloud Networking and Security
Container Networking and Security
Automation and Cloud Management
Third-Party Partner Integration
Licensing is the same for both NSX types in that it provides you more flexibility and universality. For example, if you have licenses for using NSX for vSphere, and if you intend to deploy NSX-T, you can use the same license obtained for NSX-v. NSX is NSX - there is no distinction from the licensing side, as licensing editions are also the same.
Migration to VMware NSX-T Data Center (NSX-T) is top of mind for customers who are on NSX for vSphere (NSX-V). Broadly speaking, there are two main methods to migrate from NSX for vSphere to NSX-T Data Center: In Parallel Migration and In Place Migration.
In this migration journey Huco is helping our customers by its experience and successful NSX-v to NSX-T migration services which includes the following phases,
Migration Assessment→ assess your environment for networking prerequisites prior to the migration.
Design and Architecture→ Design a new target network operating model covering multiple cloud and heterogeneous platforms including containers, VM's and bare metals.
Deployment and Migration→Migrate management and workload domains using the migration options available 1. In Parallel Migration 2. In Place Migration
Support and Managed Services→ With Huco's iDOC (Remote Intelligent Digital Operation Center) offering, provide Day 2 operation and adoption support.
Huco is a leading cloud native partner in METNA region and 1st partner EMEA to achieve all the 6 Master Services Competency (MSC) of VMware. Being a leading MSC partner of VMware, Huco has gained vast experience in implementing NSX-v & NSX-T (Containers, cloud and VM's) and acquired knowledge/skills/experience in transitioning to NSX-T smoothly. Huco works closely with the VMware product team to help customers minimise the threat and interruption during their migration.
For more information on how Huco helped customers in transforming and adopting to NSX-T, please reach out to [email protected] and post your inquiry/interest. Our VMware Experts are eager to help you in you journey towards a next generation cloud native network and security solution.
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