This article provides informational content related to initial use of Arista Networks, Inc. Layer-2 gateway functionality with Arista CloudVision with VMware NSX for vSphere.

For more detailed descriptions and best practices, you can find a co-authored Technical Reference Design Guide here.

Disclaimer: The partner product(s) referenced in this article are software/hardware developed and supported by the partner. Use of this product and related marks is also governed by the terms of the partner. You must comply with the application, support, and licensing terms and conditions for using this product as specified by the partner. For more information, see http://www.arista.com.

VMware NSX for vSphere 6.2.x

Overview of solution

Arista is an established leader in data center class network switches designed for automated zero-touch provisioning, consistent performance, and easy deployment and troubleshooting regardless of workload mixture or deployment sizes. Arista's data center class 10/25/40/50/100GbE networking platforms with Arista EOS operating system software provide a wide range of configuration choices for building physical and virtual network infrastructures along with VMware NSX.

Arista's switches feature integrated hardware-based VXLAN gateway functionality and advanced telemetry that can be automatically provisioned and managed through VMware NSX and VMware's vRealize management platforms. Together, Arista's and VMware's solutions provide a seamless overlay/underlay network for the Software Defined Data Center (SDDC) — using standards-based VXLAN overlay and non-proprietary networking protocols, for both virtualized and non-virtualized end-points on the network.

Each of Arista's platforms run their Extensible Operating System (Arista EOS) software supported by Arista CloudVision services. The CloudVision services deliver a set of distributed features to simplify provisioning, monitoring, and management of the Arista-provided network infrastructure. In addition, it provides a single point of integration for the NSX-enabled SDDC and is present in every cloud network deployment where NSX requires the integration of virtual and physical workloads at scale with Arista switches.

CloudVision provides a network service abstraction function. When allowing NSX to extend its functionality into the network hardware, CloudVision enables co-existence and interoperation of both virtualized and physical domains—with adaptability to any network change or workload modification event. This single point of integration enhances cloud agility and enables improved controller scaling in larger SDDC deployments, while it decouples NSX from the underlying physical infrastructure and potential hardware/software interdependencies.

In operation, Arista CloudVision servers running on Arista hardware or as VMs will register with an NSX controller and will use the OVSDB protocol to synchronize topology information, map MAC-address to VXLAN end-points, and manage VXLAN ID (VNI) bindings with NSX. The servers and controllers remain redundant and support recovery from any device or network failure. CloudVision appropriately programs its switches (including redundant MLAG switch pairs) as the NSX edge gateways.

Arista's model of hardware gateway integration allows the nearly instantaneous synchronization of state between physical and virtual VXLAN tunnel end-points and an associated NSX logical switches, while preserving the high-availability characteristics of both the overlay and underlay networks. The operating model and capabilities of the combined solution are further documented, along with best practices and configuration examples, in the co-authored reference design guides and usage documentation mentioned earlier.

Supported software

Arista EOS operating system software and Arista switches support OVSDB-based integration with VMware NSX versions through Arista CloudVision and the Arista Extensible Operating System which runs on all Arista devices.With the following versions the Arista solution is now certified as fully supported with VMware NSX for vSphere versions. Refer to VMware Compatibility Guide for supported switch software versions.

Supported hardware

The following Arista platform family are supported as NSX Layer-2 Gateway:

• Arista 7050X Series
• Arista 7060X Series
• Arista 7150 Series
• Arista 7160 Series
• Arista 7250X Series
• Arista 7280E Series
• Arista 7280R Series

Note: All Arista switch platforms, CloudVision physical appliances and virtual appliances (vEOS) run the same single binary software image. Contact Arista support for details of supported features by platform and recommended configurations for specific deployments.
 

ESXi host	For CloudVision any ESXi host version 5.5 or later.
NSX Manager	Refer to the VMware Compatibility Guide for supported NSX for vSphere versions.

 

Product and support information

Arista Networks is dedicated to providing its customers with 24x7x365 support. Arista's global Technical Assistance Centers (TAC) have a team of networking experts who can assist customers with issues, with the goal of minimizing network impact or downtime through fast problem resolution.

Arista customers may register on the Arista support website for more information to download software and documentation, and to access to the customer portal where you can submit service requests.

• Product information
• Technical support website
• Contact support: mailto: [email protected] or call either of the following numbers (24x7x365).
  • USA+1-408-547-5502 +1-866-476-0000 (Toll free within the USA)
  • UK +44-2070239352 +44-8082340722 (Freephone within the UK)

Additional resource for troubleshooting, debugging, and configuration

• Arista EOS Central
• Arista CloudVision & VMware NSX Solution Brief
• Video: VMware on Arista’s CloudVision

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