Deploying HCX (VMware Hybrid Cloud Extensions) is considered to be complex and difficult by most. It doesn’t help that it’s usually one of those things you’d only do once so it doesn’t pay to spend a lot of effort to learn. However, as with everything it’s not hard once you know how to do it. This video aims to show how to deploy HCX both in VMC (VMware Cloud on AWS) and in the on-premises DC or lab.
It uses both the method of creating the service mesh over the internet as well as how to create it over a private connection, like DX (AWS Direct Connect) or a VPN.
A VPN cannot be used for L2 Extension if it is terminated on the VMC SDDC. In this tutorial I’ll use a VPN which is terminated on an AWS TGW which is in turn peered with a VTGW connected to the SDDC we’re attaching to.
Video chapters
- Switching vCenter to private IP and deploying HCX Cloud in VMC: https://youtu.be/ho2DY-TP-SA?t=43
- Initial SDDC firewall configuration: https://youtu.be/ho2DY-TP-SA?t=97
- Switching HCX to private IP and adding HCX firewall rules: https://youtu.be/ho2DY-TP-SA?t=405
- Downloading and deploying HCX for the on-prem DC side: https://youtu.be/ho2DY-TP-SA?t=585
- Adding HCX license, linking on-prem HCX with vCenter: https://youtu.be/ho2DY-TP-SA?t=740
- HCX site pairing between HCX Connector and HCX Cloud: https://youtu.be/ho2DY-TP-SA?t=959
- Creating HCX Network and Compute profiles: https://youtu.be/ho2DY-TP-SA?t=1011
- Choice: Deploy service mesh over public IP or private IP: https://youtu.be/ho2DY-TP-SA?t=1374
- Deploy service mesh over public IP: https://youtu.be/ho2DY-TP-SA?t=1399
- Live migrating a VM to AWS: https://youtu.be/ho2DY-TP-SA?t=1679
- Deploy service mesh over private IP (DX, VPN to TGW): https://youtu.be/ho2DY-TP-SA?t=1789
Some architecture diagrams for reference
