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Step by step guide on how to create a SDDC WLD – Work Load Domain using VCF 2.2 on VxRack SDDC. Here it is assumed that you have either a) spare nodes in your VxRack SDDC or b) have recently deleted a WLD and want to reuse these servers in a new WLD.

Step one login to your VxRack Manager VM. VxRack is part of the same SSO domain as your vCenter server so you can use the same account to login providing it has the correct rights attributed.

Here you can see I have only 1 WLD created and that is my MGMT domain. To add a new VI WLD – First, click on ADD Work Domain and then Configure VI (Virtual Infrastructure).

Complete this section with the relevant details, Infrastructure Name, Org Name.

On the workload section of the wizard, we configure both VSAN performance and availability settings.

The selected performance level determines the capacity related setting in the Workload domain vSan storage policy.

• Low option provides 1 disk stripe per object and 40% object reservation.
• Balance option provides 1 disk stripe per object and 70& object space reservation
• High option provides 4 disk stripes per object and 100% object space reservation

The selected availability level determines the number of drive failures the workload domains environment can tolerate. The system assigns physical storage to the workload domain according to the selected availability level, to accommodate the desired redundancy level. The levels are associated with the Virtual SAN Storage policy that the system applies to the workload domain.

None = FTT 0
Normal = FTT 1
High = FTT 2

The Virtual Infrastructure Resources setting (which has been changed to Number of Nodes in VCF 2.3) is a strange way to allocate rack resources as it merely rounds up to the closest number of total servers. I.E you cannot provision a fraction of a server. Never the less I have submitted my requirements. I have opted for the Default network options. These values are set during the creation of the MGMT WLD and system bring up.

Here we define a VM VLAN that will sit on the VDS that is created during WLD creation.

Hit Next review your configuration and click next.

Now the Automation Takes over and completes these 46 tasks to create your new WLD.

1. VRM: Import Parameters
2. ESX: Inital Backup of the ESXI Servers
3. Network: Configure Vlans on Switches
4. VRM: Configure DNS Host Name
5. vCenter: Deploy vCenter
6. PSC: Give vSphere Permissions to the Default Site
7. vCenter: Apply vCenter License
8. vCenter: Install RPM Agent
9. vCenter: Create Cluster
10. VRM: Update vCenter Status
11. vCenter: Create Distributed Virtual Switch
12. vCenter: Tag Vlan ID
13. vCenter: Check Host Network Configuration
14. vCenter: Configure Host
15. Log Hosts vSan Network Config 1
16. vCenter: Configure LACP on VDS
17. Log Host vSan Network configure MLAG on Tor Switches
18. vCenter: Wait until All ESXi Hosts Available
19. Log Hosts vSan Netowrk Config 4
20. Virtual San: Claim Host Disk
21. Log Host vSan network config 5
22. vCenter: Wait Virtual San to come up completely
23. vCenter: Wait vCenter Ready after Virtual SAN
24. Virtual SAN: Update Default Policy
25. vCenter: Wait vCenter Ready after Virtual SAN Policy
26. Vitual San: Post Check after Virtual Enabled
27. NSX: Deploy NSX Manager
28. NSX: Register vCenter
29. NSX: Apply License
30. NSX: Create Controller IP Pool
31. MSX: Create Controller
32. VRM: Save Controller Information to Database
33. NSX: Create VXLAN IP Pool
34. NSX: Configure VXLAN
35. NSX: Create Segment Range
36. NSX: Create Transport Zone
37. NSX: Create Virtual Wire
38. NSX: Configure Anti-Affinity Rule for NSX Controller
39. NSX: Configure Backup and Restore settings for NSX Manager
40. vCenter: Wait vCenter Ready after Vibs Installed
41. vCenter: Wait Hosts Ready before Enabling Cluster
42. vCenter: Enable Cluster Features
43. vCenter: Wait Hosts Ready after Enabling Cluster
44. vCenter: Clear Red Alarms on Hosts
45. VRM: SOS Logs backup Task
46. ESX: Final Backup of the ESXi Servers

Once Automation is is complete we can log into our vCenter and see or brand shiny new cluster.

You will spot that the NSX controllers reside on the new WLD and the rest of the MGMT components sit on the MGMT cluster.

When I sized this cluster I specifically wanted it to to be only 3 nodes.  As I wanted to demo expanding a rack. 

Notice I have a few vSan Errors – these are related to the vSan HCL DB – I will run a LCM UPgrade in a later vCenter post that will clear up this error as well as upgrading or vCenter Version.