IP address management for Nutanix

A Nutanix server gets its IP address either from Nutanix on a managed network, or from Cloud Management Platform (CMP) on an unmanaged one

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Imported networks and their addressing schema

When you import a network on the Nutanix handler’s Networks tab, CMP sets its Addressing Schema from Nutanix: DHCP only if Nutanix runs DHCP on the network; otherwise, Static only. You can change it on the network, where the third option, User defined, is also available. See Networks.

The import fills in the network’s gateway but not its netmask. For a network where CMP assigns addresses, enter the Netmask and DNS settings on the network before provisioning.

Managed networks

On a managed network, Nutanix assigns each VM an address from the network’s DHCP pool.

  1. Create a managed network in Nutanix.
  2. In CMP, import the network on the handler’s Networks tab. Its Addressing Schema is set to DHCP only.

The image must be configured to get its address by DHCP.

Unmanaged networks

On an unmanaged network, CMP assigns the address from an IP pool or an IP address management (IPAM) integration.

  1. Create an unmanaged network in Nutanix.
  2. In CMP, import the network on the handler’s Networks tab. Its Addressing Schema is set to Static only.
  3. Open the network and enter its Netmask and DNS settings.
  4. Attach an IP pool or an IPAM network to it.

How the address reaches the VM depends on the handler’s API version:

  • v2 and v3: CMP passes the address to Nutanix when it creates the VM.
  • v4: CMP does not pass the address to Nutanix. Apply it inside the guest, for example with a cloud-init script in the Acropolis User Data parameter.

With v2 or v3, add the Skip Network Configuration parameter to stop CMP from passing the address to Nutanix, so that it is applied only by your guest customization. With v4 the parameter has no effect.

  • Nutanix: add the handler, import networks, and the features supported by each API version.
  • Networks: network settings, and the order in which IPAM, IP pools, and the addressing schema are applied.
  • IP pools: define the ranges CMP assigns addresses from.