CloudStack and VMware NSX Integration

Integration with VMware NSX

About Broadcom

Broadcom is the enterprise technology company behind VMware’s portfolio, including the NSX platform, following its acquisition of VMware in 2023. VMware NSX is a software-defined networking and security platform that delivers virtualized networking services including distributed firewalls, logical routing, and microsegmentation. NSX enables cloud-native networking models by abstracting network functionality from hardware and embedding it into the hypervisor, creating a flexible, programmable infrastructure for modern clouds and data centers.

VMware NSX's Integration with Apache CloudStack

Apache CloudStack provides an official plugin for VMware NSX (currently supporting NSX-T). This plugin allows administrators to define isolated networks in CloudStack which are then backed by NSX-managed logical switches and routers. Features such as Distributed Routing, Source NAT, Static NAT, Port Forwarding, Load Balancing, and Network ACLs are automatically provisioned and managed through NSX. The plugin translates CloudStack virtual networking models into NSX constructs and handles the lifecycle of NSX logical components such as Tier-1 routers and segments, ensuring consistency between the orchestration layer and the SDN fabric.

Pros

Fully supported native plugin in CloudStack for NSX-T (modern architecture).
Provides automation of advanced NSX features directly through CloudStack (SNAT, firewall, port forwarding, DHCP, LB).
Secure tenant isolation and segmentation via NSX-backed isolated networks.
Enables scalable, production-grade SDN integration for VMware vSphere-based clouds.

Cons

Requires pre-existing VMware NSX-T and vSphere infrastructure.
Plugin is limited to NSX-T (NSX-V is deprecated and no longer supported).
Commercial licensing and operational overhead due to VMware/Broadcom stack.
Not available for KVM/XCP-ng hypervisors.

Ease of Implementation

Difficult.

Ease of Use

Moderate.

Total Cost of Ownership

High.

Support

Commercial support is available through Broadcom (VMware) with options for 24/7 enterprise SLAs. The Apache CloudStack NSX plugin is maintained by the community and is documented in the official CloudStack Admin Guide. Professional CloudStack integrators like ShapeBlue offer commercial implementation and support services for the plugin.

Supported Integrations

The VMware NSX plugin for Apache CloudStack supports: – Isolated networks using NSX logical segments – SNAT and static NAT – Load Balancer as a Service (via NSX LB) – DHCP service via NSX – Port forwarding – Network ACLs and distributed firewall rules – IP reservation and network lifecycle automation – Tier-1 routers and NSX segments mapped directly to CloudStack networks This allows CloudStack to fully manage network provisioning in NSX-T-enabled VMware environments.

Resources

Technical Documentation

VMware NSX Plugin – Apache CloudStack Documentation

Video

NSX Integration on CloudStack

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Apache CloudStack

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RESOURCES

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Integration with VMware NSX

About Broadcom

VMware NSX's Integration with Apache CloudStack

Pros