NSXi now dependent on Tanzu?!

[plubbers]

So we started upgrading our NSX-T cluster, discovering that NSXi (which is in license) now is dependent on Tanzu, for which no licenses are included. We are working on this with our account manager, but who else is facing this issue?

[Jefferson Cowart]

As of NSX-T 3.2 NSX Intelligence runs on top of the NSX Application Platform. The NSX Application Platform requires some Kubernetes platform. That can be Tanzu, but it doesn't have to be. Here a blog post series detailing how to use Tanzu Community Edition (free) for the NSX Application Platform - https://lumberjackwizard.com/2022/03/02/deploying-nsx-application-platform-part-one-introduction/

[plubbers]

I am aware of that post (which is not an official VMware source). My company always has chosen to work with fully VMware supported deployments. When the poo hits the fan and stuff breaks down, dont you want a fully supported solution?

My 2 cents are: If VMware introduces new software requirements for existing products on which there is a valid production support agreement, licensing for that dependency should be included.

[plubbers]

At Barcelona I spoke with the NSX-T Team lead. There will be a Tanzu license bundle available in the near future combined with NSX-Intelligence. The NSX-T. The people from the NSX team who i spoke to in the Netherlands should have been informed on this. But there seems to be a communication issue which now has their attention.

[Dragan Ilic]

You will have supported deployment of NAPP for NSX by using Tanzu or some other k8s platform of your choice - I'm not aware of fact that it's not supported because of that. Tanzu package will probably be bundled more and more in other VMware solutions as well, same goes for NSX, because of modern application approach.

If you decide to go with Tanzu way it will probably be the easiest and fully featured k8s environment - vSphere look and style - of course

BR,

Dragan

[plubbers]

Let me rephrase that:

K8s platforms other than Tanzu will work as a platform for NAPP, but Tanzu is the only product which gets full VMware support. Any other k8s deployment will not be supported as a platform by VMware. 

Anyways: I spoke to Ray, Peter and Toon on Explore (no last names to respect their privacy) and i was assured that Tanzu will be bundled with NSX Intelligence and the bundle should hopefully be available by the end of this year. The v0.2 NAPP Automation Appliance works as a charm. One of the men i spoke also agreed on VMware's communication on this matter was not at it's best and it is under attention.

[Dragan Ilic]

I think we have some misunderstanding here

In my personal opinion, which you can check with current VMware docs ie https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-NSX/4.0/nsx-application-platform/GUID-D54C1B87-8EF3-45B3-AB27-EFE90A154DD3.html , you have statement that clearly say:

 

• VMware supports an NSX Application Platform deployment on a Tanzu Kubernetes cluster or an Upstream Kubernetes cluster. VMware tested and supports the following versions.

  • Tanzu Kubernetes cluster version 1.20 through version 1.22.

  • Upstream Kubernetes cluster version 1.20 through version 1.24.

When you say full support it relates to the fact that VMW is going to support both NSX and Tanzu, as your k8s solution.

If you are using some other upstream k8s cluster of course VMW is not going to provide support for that platform - but NSX is going to be fully covered. At least that's my understanding and as I can see it's valid for newest NSX 4, so I don't see reason that this is going to change very fast.

Last, but not least, Tanzu is a very native environment for NAPP and for sure gives easy of integration of all required components (LB, Networking etc.)

HTH,

Dragan

[plubbers]

Thats exactly what i mean, so if the poop hits the fan on a platform other than Tanzu, how would an organisation get support? Our company always has gone for a full VMware stack to get complete support. 

[Dragan Ilic]

From that perspective you're absolutely right 

There is no other option to have full support except going the Tanzu way.

As I said in the beginning - it can be expected that modern app approach brings k8s requirement also in many other areas, which is quite OK in my opinion.

 

BR,

Dragan

[plubbers]

I agree on the strategy, if introduced in existing implementations with production support, the minimum additional required licensing should be included. Which VMware is now working on for NSX Intelligence, so thats going to be okay in the end.