This guide walks you through the installation and configuration of VMware HCX Connector in an on-premises VMware environment, enabling seamless migration to Azure VMware Solution (AVS) or any VMware Cloud environment.

Step 1: Prerequisites

Before configuring the HCX Connector, ensure you have:

• vSphere 6.5 or later in your on-prem environment
• vCenter Server and NSX-T (if applicable) running
• ExpressRoute, VPN, or Direct Connect to AVS (for connectivity)
• HCX License Key (provided by VMware or your cloud provider)
• Access to My VMware to download HCX Connector

Step 2: Deploy VMware HCX Connector OVA

1. Download HCX Connector OVA

1. Log in to My VMware.
2. Navigate to Products & Downloads → Search for VMware HCX.
3. Download the HCX Connector OVA file.

2. Deploy HCX Connector in vCenter

1. Open vSphere Client and go to Hosts & Clusters.
2. Click Deploy OVF Template.
3. Select the HCX Connector OVA file and click Next.
4. Provide a name and target cluster for deployment.
5. Choose Compute, Storage, and Network settings:
   • Assign the HCX appliance to a management network.
   • Provide static IP, DNS, and NTP settings.
6. Click Finish to deploy the appliance.
7. Power on the HCX Connector VM.

Step 3: Configure HCX Connector

1. Access HCX Connector Web Interface

1. Open a browser and enter: https://<HCX_Connector_IP>:9443
2. Log in with admin credentials (default: admin / admin).
3. Set a new admin password.

2. Register HCX with vCenter

1. In the HCX UI, go to Configuration.
2. Click vCenter Server Registration.
3. Enter:
   • vCenter FQDN/IP
   • vCenter admin credentials
   • NSX Manager details (if applicable)
4. Click Register and verify the connection.

3. Activate HCX Connector

1. Go to System Updates → Click Activate HCX.
2. Enter the HCX License Key.
3. Click Activate.

4. Establish Connectivity to AVS

1. Navigate to Site Pairing → Click Add Site Pairing.
2. Enter the HCX Cloud Manager (AVS HCX) details.
3. Click Connect and verify the pairing status.

Step 4: Enable HCX Services

1. Configure HCX Network Extension

1. Go to Services → Network Extension.
2. Select on-prem networks to extend to AVS.
3. Click Extend.

2. Enable HCX Mobility Services

1. Go to Migration → Enable HCX vMotion, Bulk Migration, or Replication.
2. Configure Mobility Groups for workload migration.

3. Configure Security & Routing

• Ensure firewall rules allow traffic between on-prem and AVS.
• Validate BGP routing for ExpressRoute/VPN connectivity.

Step 5: Validate HCX Connectivity

1. Verify Site Pairing

• Check HCX Manager → Site Pairing Status.

2. Test Migration

1. Select a test VM.
2. Use HCX vMotion for a live migration to AVS.
3. Ensure the VM is running in AVS post-migration.

For more detailed information about the topic. Please check out https://learn.microsoft.com/