Eric Sloof

The document, VMware NSX Multi-Locations Reference Design Guide for version 4.2 (by Dimitri Desmidt), outlines best practices for deploying VMware NSX across multiple locations such as data centers in different cities, campus buildings, or racks within a single facility. It provides two main solutions for multi-location setups: NSX Multisite and NSX Federation.

Key Highlights

Purpose of Multi-Location NSX

• Mobility: Seamlessly move applications across locations for disaster recovery or data center migrations.

• Growth: Accommodate increased capacity requirements.

• Disaster Recovery: Ensure application availability despite location failures.

Solution Overviews

• NSX Multisite: Centralized management using a single NSX Manager Cluster across all locations. It requires minimal infrastructure but has constraints like MTU requirements and single-location dependency for the management plane.

• NSX Federation: Decentralized management with local NSX Managers in each location and a global NSX Manager for central oversight. While it offers GDPR compliance and simpler disaster recovery, it requires more resources and has feature limitations compared to NSX Multisite.

Architecture and Deployment Options

• Details on management plane deployment (e.g., NSX Manager placement across locations).

• Data plane configurations for optimal performance and failover capabilities.

Best Practices

• Recommendations on latency thresholds, disaster recovery methods, and workload balancing.

• Emphasis on using Avi Networks for load balancing, as legacy NSX LB is deprecated.

Migration Guidance

• Steps to transition from single-location setups to multi-location configurations or between NSX Multisite and Federation solutions.

VCF Shorts are brief videos, up to 30 seconds long, showcasing highlights of VMware Cloud Foundation. These shorts are perfect for watching on your phone since they are recorded in a vertical format.

Interested? Check out my YouTube channel! I’ll be adding more shorts in the future, so stay tuned!

Workload Domain Types - Management

Workload Domain Types - VI Workload

Single Instance - Single Availability Zone

Single Instance - Multiple Availability Zones

Multiple Instances - Single Availability Zone per Instance

Multiple Instances - Multiple Availability Zones per Instance

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Recently, I took the Exam 2V0-13.24: VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2 Architect exam, and I can confidently say—it’s a beast. The exam consists of 60 questions, and if you’re lucky, you’ll have about half an hour left to review your answers. During my review, I changed so many responses that I eventually just clicked "Finish" because I was afraid I might second-guess my initial, more accurate answers.

My Preparation: What Worked for Me

For preparation, I relied on the vSphere and NSX design training courses. Additionally, the VCF Design Guide was a valuable resource. However, you definitely shouldn't overlook topics like Aria Automation and Aria Operations. It also doesn’t hurt to explore HCX, and vSphere IaaS Control Plane is another subject that shouldn’t be ignored.

I went into the exam with relatively little preparation, mainly to see what kinds of questions would be asked. Honestly, I didn’t expect to pass but wanted to gain insight into how I could better prepare. To my surprise, I passed!

What Helped Me Succeed?

I must admit, the exam really pushed me to my limits. Fortunately, with over 15 years of experience delivering design training, I had a bit of an advantage when it came to concepts like risks, assumptions, and constraints. It’s also crucial to quickly identify whether a question is related to performance, availability, or recoverability. Understanding terms like RTO (Recovery Time Objective) and MTD (Maximum Tolerable Downtime) is equally important.

On top of that, you need to know the deployment types possible with VCF—whether it’s Stretched, Isolated, or a combination of both. These details can really make a difference during the exam.

A Fair but Tough Exam

One thing I appreciate about this exam is that it’s fair. There are no tricky word games or double negatives—it's all about your knowledge and understanding. But is it challenging? Absolutely.

If you’re planning to take the VCF Architect exam, I highly recommend focusing not only on the technical aspects but also on design principles and best practices. Good luck!

VMware Cloud Foundation 5.2 Architect Exam (2V0-13.24)

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