Configuration and Discovery

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The following sections describe how to configure VMware NSX resources for monitoring by SL1 using the VMware: NSX PowerPack:

Prerequisites for Monitoring VMware NSX

To configure SL1 to monitor VMware NSX using the VMware: NSX PowerPack, you must first configure an NSX Manager user account to handle RESTful API requests. You will need this account's username and password when creating the Basic/Snippet credential to communicate with the NSX Manager for monitoring.

This API-only user account must be configured in the NSX Manager configuration terminal and have web interface privileges. After you create the user account, perform an API request to give the user account the appropriate role.

Creating a Basic/Snippet Credential

To use the Dynamic Applications in the VMware: NSX PowerPack, you must create a Basic/Snippet credential for the NSX Manager. The VMware: NSX PowerPack includes an example Basic/Snippet credential that you can edit for use with NSX Manager.

To modify the template credential, perform the following steps:

  1. Go to the Credential Management page (System > Manage > Credentials).

  1. Click the wrench icon () for the "VMware: NSX Credential - Example" credential. The Credential Editor modal page appears:

  1. Supply values in the following fields:
  • Credential Name. Type a new name for the credential.

  • Hostname/IP. Type "https://%D".
  • Port. Type "443".
  • Timeout(ms). Keep the default value.
  • Username. Type the username of the NSX API-only administrative user.
  • Password. Type the NSX API-only user's password.
  1. Click the Save As button to save your changes as a new credential.

Discovering a VMware NSX Manager

To create and run a discovery session that will discover an NSX Manager, perform the following steps:

  1. Go to the Discovery Control Panel page (System > Manage > Classic Discovery).
  2. Click the Create button to create a new discovery session. The Discovery Session Editor modal page appears:
  1. Enter values in the following fields:
  • IP Address Discovery List. Type the IP address for the NSX Manager.
  • Other Credentials. Select the Basic/Snippet credential you created.
  • Discover Non-SNMP. Select this checkbox.
  1. Optionally, you can enter values in the other fields on this page. For more information about the other fields on this page, see the section on Discovery and Credentials.
  2. Click the Save button and then close the Discovery Session Editor modal page.
  3. The discovery session you created appears at the top of the Discovery Control Panel page. Click its lightning-bolt icon () to run the discovery session.
  4. The Discovery Session window appears. After SL1 discovers the NSX Manager, click its device icon () to view the Device Properties page for the NSX Manager.

Viewing Component Devices

In addition to the Device Manager page (Devices > Classic Devices, or Registry > Devices > Device Manager in the classic SL1 user interface), you can view the VMware NSX Manager and all associated component devices in the following places in the user interface:

  • The Device View modal page (click the bar-graph icon [] for a device, then click the Topology tab) displays a map of a particular device and all of the devices with which it has parent-child relationships. Double-clicking any of the devices listed reloads the page to make the selected device the primary device:

  • The Device Components page (Devices > Device Components) displays a list of all root devices and component devices discovered by SL1 in an indented view, so you can easily view the hierarchy and relationships between child devices, parent devices, and root devices. To view the component devices associated with the NSX Manager, find the NSX Manager device and click its plus icon (+):

  • The Component Map page (Classic Maps > Device Maps > Components) allows you to view devices by root node and view the relationships between root nodes, parent components, and child components in a map. This makes it easy to visualize and manage root nodes and their components. SL1 automatically updates the Component Map as new component devices are discovered. SL1 also updates each map with the latest status and event information. To view the map for NSX devices, go to the Component Map page and select the map from the list in the left NavBar. To learn more about the Component Map page, see the section on Views.