NSX - Logical Switch and Distributed Port Group

[priscillagr]

Hello!

So, i am planning to move some workloads from the distributed switch to the logical switch but i am having problems understanding some concepts. Imagine i have one distributed port group called DPG_Web and it has a network, let's say 10.1.0.0/24. I want to move this network to my logical switch. So i would create a logical switch called LS_WEB.

What i don't understand is: if i want to maintain both port groups (DPG_WEB and LS_WEB) can i use the same network segment in LS_WEB?

[lhoffer · Accepted solution]

Yes, the same network can exist in both port groups so the real issue is where the default gateway for VMs connected to either port group lives.  Migration strategies for this are covered in detail in the VMware® NSX-v Brownfield Design and Deployment Guide - ver 1.2​ but typically you'll use the L2 bridging functionality in NSX to connect your DPG_WEB and LS_WEB L2 domains so that VMs in either port group can connect to the default gateway regardless of whether it's the legacy physical network based gateway or the new NSX based (probably on the DLR) gateway.

[mdac]

Yep, as lhoffer mentioned, L2 bridging can achieve what you are describing. Just keep in mind that you should not use the DLR as the default gateway for any logical switches that are bridged. You'll likely run into problems with the VLAN backed machines.

Regards,

Mike

[priscillagr]

Ohh i see. So i can have 2 scenarios:

- Migrate all PG_WEB to NSX and use the DLR as the gateway of my network segment. So, the PG_WEB network won't exist anymore in my physical enviroment. And if i want to reached it on NSX it should be through my DLR-EDGE architecture..

- Partially migrate the PG_WEB workload, and in this case i need to use L2 bridging to make my workload in NSX and my workload in my physical VLAN talk. And then i have to choose whether they will use the physical gateway or the DLR gateway ( and as Mike suggested, use the physical gateway!).

Ok, now i feel that i have everything cleared up!

Thank you very much!