Network management. vCloud Director (NSX-T)

BILLmanager integrated with vCloud Director (NSX-T) can manage networks of a virtual data-center (VDC). Navigate to Products/Services → Virtual DC → click Networks and Routers. The forms are available both for clients and providers.

Network resources are special resources in BILLmanager that a client can use to manage his VDC networks. The provider can set a type of resources and their number in Products → Tariff plans → Options.

When activating a service, in vCloud Director (NSX-T) the processing module automatically creates an organization name with the orgnet- prefix, and a router with the name such as edge-.

Network management

Navigate to Products/Services → Virtual DC → choose VDC → click Networks → Create:

1. Name — enter unique  network name.
2. vApp — network type. Possible values: 
   
   • vApp network — available only within the selected vApp;
   • organization network — all network objects in organisation are connected to the organisation's network.
3. Connect to Edge Gateway — VDC router (Edge Gateway on the vCloud Director side) to which the network will be connected during creation. 
   
4. Gateway — network router IP address.
5. Network mask.
6. Primary/Secondary DNS  — name server IP addresses.
7. DNS suffix.
8. Network address pool — pool of IP addresses on the network. Specify individual addresses or ranges of addresses. Ranges are specified with a space or line break.

Configuration rules

Consider the conditions when setting up the network:

• you cannot use the first and the last IP of the network as the gateway address. For example, you cannot specify 192.168.1.0 or 192.168.1.255;
• the IP range specified by the network mask must include at least four IP addresses;
• the IP pool cannot contain more than 65535 addresses;
• the network IP pool cannot contain an IP address from the pool of the router DHCP-server;
• the IP pool must be included in the range of the network specified by the gateway address and network mask;
• the pool must not contain the gateway address and broadcast address (the maximum network address).

IP pool modification rules

Consider the rules when changing the network IP address pool:

• when expanding the pool is not possible to include in the pool:
  • the source address of a DNAT rule that was not part of the pool; 
  • the address of a load balancer (LB) server that was not part of the pool; 
• when decreasing the pool, it is not possible to exclude from the pool:
  • the source address of a DNAT rule that was part of the pool; 
• when expanding the pool is not possible to include in the pool:
  • the address of the BN server that was part of the pool; 
  • addresses of virtual servers that were part of the pool. 

Deletion rules

Deleting the network is subject to the conditions:

• the network one need to delete must not be connected to virtual machines;
• the network that has ever been used can be deleted only with vApp. To do so, delete all the virtual machines in vApp;
• one cannot delete the networks if vApp networks are connected to them.

The following objects will be deleted with the network:

• DHCP rules associated with the network;
• NAT rules associated with the network;
• load balancing servers;
• VPN connected to the network. If the VPN doesn't have connections, it will be deleted.

Configuring router

To add a router, go to Products/Services → Virtual DC → select data centre → click Routers → Create:

1. Router Name.

You can bind IP addresses to the router when ordering them. To add IP addresses, go to Products/Services → Virtual DC → select data centre → click IP addresses  → Order:

• Type of IP address — select the type of IP address. For example, public IPv-4 addresses;
• Specific IP address — select the option if you want to order a specific IP address;
• Router — select the router to which you want to bind the IP address;
• Quantity, Pcs — select the number of IP addresses to order. They will be assigned in order from the range of available ones. For example, 192.168.1.2, 192.168.1.3, etc;
• No Charge — select this option if you want to add an IP address without charging;
• Do not check balance — if this option is checked, the expense will be created as a debt if there are insufficient funds on the account.

Deletion rules

Conditions apply to router removal:

• you cannot delete a router with the connected network;
• deleting a router will also delete its VPN-connections;
• if a client cannot order a router, he cannot delete an active router as well.