VMware VMware NSX 4.x Advanced Design 3V0-42.23 Exam Dumps: Updated Questions & Answers (October 2025)

NIC Type Selection for Uplink & Transport Node Profile (Correct Answer - A):

Theperformance and capacity of the physical NICsimpact theoverlay and VLAN transport traffic.

High-performance NICs (25G, 40G, 100G)enhancethroughput and reduce latency.

DPU-based NICs (Data Processing Units)improve performance byoffloading packet processing.

Incorrect Options:

(B - CPU & Memory Considerations):

While CPU/memory impactoverall NSX performance,they do not determine uplink/transport profile design.

(C - Number of VMs Per Host):

VM density affects overlay traffic, butuplink profile design depends on NIC configuration.

(D - Physical Location of ESXi Hosts):

Location is important for high availability, but it does notdirectly define uplink profiles.

VMware NSX 4.x Reference:

NSX-T Uplink Profile & Transport Zone Design Guide

NIC Performance Optimization for NSX-T

1. Importance of NSX Edge for North-South Traffic

NSX Edge nodes provide routing, NAT, firewall, and load balancing services for North-South traffic(external connectivity).

Active-Active Tier-0 Gateway provides maximum performance and resiliencyfor high traffic volume.

2. Why Active-Active Tier-0 with Multiple Edge Nodes is the Best Choice (D)

Supports Equal-Cost Multi-Path (ECMP) routing, distributing North-South traffic across multiple paths.

Provides better scalability and performance than Active-Standby mode.

Ideal for high-volume applications like e-commerce sitesthat require low-latency, high-throughput connections.

3. Why Other Options are Incorrect

(A - Single NSX Edge Node):

Single Edge Nodes introduce a single point of failure.

(B - Using a Physical Router for East-West Routing):

NSX handles East-West traffic internally using Distributed Routing.

(C - Active-Standby Tier-0 Gateway):

Active-Standby mode does not provide load balancing across multiple nodes.

4. NSX Edge and Tier-0 Gateway Design Considerations

Ensure sufficient bandwidth allocation for North-South traffic.

Use BGP or OSPF for dynamic route advertisement.

Configure ECMP for efficient multi-path forwarding.

VMware NSX 4.x Reference:

NSX-T Edge Node Scaling and Performance Best Practices

Tier-0 Gateway Active-Active vs. Active-Standby Deployment Guide

Micro-Segmentation for Granular Security (Correct Answer - C):

Micro-segmentationinNSX-Tenablesgranular firewall policiesat theworkload level, ensuring strictsegregation of trafficacross different departments.

It allowszero trust security, ensuringonly authorized communicationsoccur between workloads,reducing attack surfaces.

This is particularly critical forfinancial institutionsthat needregulatory compliance(e.g., PCI-DSS, GDPR, ISO 27001).

Incorrect Options:

(A - Intrusion Detection & Prevention - IDS/IPS):

IDS/IPS providesthreat detection, but itdoes not segment workloadsor enforceaccess control.

(B - Identity-Based Firewalling):

NSX Identity Firewall (IDFW)can be useful for user-based policies butis not a replacement for network segmentation.

(D - Network Introspection):

NSX Network Introspectionis used forthird-party security integrations, not as aprimary segmentation strategy.

VMware NSX 4.x Reference:

VMware NSX-T Security Reference Guide

Micro-Segmentation Best Practices in NSX-T

NSX Gateway Firewall for Multi-Tenancy (Correct Answer - C):

The NSX Gateway Firewall acts as an inter-tenant firewallbyisolating different tenants' networksto preventcross-tenant communication.

Ensuresmulti-tenancy security,per-tenant policy enforcement, andNorth-South traffic control.

Incorrect Options:

(A - Secures On-Prem to Cloud Communication):

This is handled byIPSec VPN, BGP, or NAT, not theGateway Firewall.

(B - Filters Intra-Tenant Traffic):

Intra-tenant filteringis the responsibility of theNSX Distributed Firewall (DFW), not theGateway Firewall.

(D - User-Based Access Control):

Identity-Based Firewall (IDFW)controls access based on user authentication, notnetwork segmentation.

VMware NSX 4.x Reference:

NSX-T Multi-Tenancy and Security Isolation Best Practices

NSX Gateway Firewall Deployment Guide

NSX Edge VM Node Size for Performance Optimization (Correct Answer - A):

NSX Edge VM sizedeterminesCPU, memory, and throughput capacity.

Larger Edge nodes(Large/Extra Large) supporthigher bandwidth, more services, and faster packet processing.

NSX Advanced Load Balancer and Firewall policiesconsumeEdge CPU cycles, requiringproper sizing.

Incorrect Options:

(B - Available Storage):

Storage capacity does not directly impact NSX Edge performance.

(C - Number of ESXi Hosts):

More hosts improveNSX resiliency, butdo not increase Edge performance.

(D - Number of NSX Edge Uplinks):

Multi-TEP and high-speed NICsimprove performance, butEdge node size is the primary factor.

VMware NSX 4.x Reference:

NSX Edge Node Performance Optimization Guide

DPU-Based Acceleration Best Practices in NSX-T

1. Understanding the Exhibit and NSX Security Segmentation

The diagram representsNSX-T logical segmentationfor amicroservices-based financial company.

It categorizes workloads intothree distinct risk levels:

High Risk (Red)

Medium Risk (Yellow)

Low Risk (Blue)

The objective is toenforce security policies with minimal management overheadwhilemaintaining isolation between risk levels.

2. Why "One Security Policy Per Level of Security" is the Best Choice (B)

Grouping workloads based on security levels (High, Medium, Low) simplifies firewall rule management.

By defining a single security policy per level of security, it reduces the need to create multiple firewall rules for each microservice individually.

Advantages of this approach:

Scalability:New workloads caninherit existing security policieswithout manual rule creation.

Simplification:Instead of hundreds of firewall rules, a few policies handle traffic isolation effectively.

Automation-Friendly:Security policies can beapplied dynamically using NSX-T security groups.

3. Why Other Options are Incorrect

(A - Create One Firewall Rule Per Application Tier)

High overhead and complexity: Each application has its own rule, making it harder to scale as the number of applications grows.

Requires continuous manual rule creation, increasing administrative burden.

Better suited for small, static environmentsbutnot scalable for microservices.

(C - Create One Firewall Rule Per Level of Security)

Firewall rules alone do not provide granular segmentation.

A single firewall rule is insufficientto define security controls across multiple application tiers.

Security policies provide a more structured approach, including Layer 7-based controls and dynamic membership.

(D - Create a Security Policy Based on IP Groups)

IP-based security policies are outdated and not scalable in a dynamic microservices environment.

NSX-T supports workload-based security policies instead of traditional IP-based segmentation.

Microservices often use dynamic IP addresses, makingIP-based groups ineffective for security enforcement.

4. NSX Security Best Practices for Microservices-Based Designs

Use NSX Distributed Firewall (DFW) for Micro-Segmentation

Apply securityat the workload (vNIC) levelto prevent lateral movement of threats.

Enforce Zero Trust security modelby restricting traffic between risk zones.

Group Workloads by Security Posture Instead of Static IPs

Leverage dynamic security groups(tags, VM attributes) instead of static IPs.

Assign security rules based on business logic(e.g., production vs. development, PCI-compliant workloads).

Use Security Policies Instead of Individual Firewall Rules

Policies provide abstraction, reducing the number of firewall rules.

Easier to manage and apply to multiple workloads dynamically.

Monitor and Automate Security Policies Using NSX Intelligence

Continuously analyze workload communication patternsusingVMware Aria Operations for Networks (formerly vRealize Network Insight).

Automate rule updatesbased on detected traffic flows.

1. Understanding NSX Edge VM Deployment

NSX Edge VMs provide services like NAT, firewalling, VPN, and load balancing.

Manually deployed NSX Edge nodes must be configured to join the management plane before they can function properly.

2. Why "Joining the Management Plane" is Correct (B)

NSX Edge must register with NSX Manager, which operates in the management plane.

This allows Edge VMs to receive configurations, participate in Edge Clusters, and provide network services.

Without registration, the Edge VM will not receive the required control plane updates.

3. Why Other Options are Incorrect

(A - Installed on Host 1):

NSX Edge can be installed on any ESXi/KVM host.There isno restriction to a specific host.

(C - Registered to vCenter):

NSX Edge does not require vCenter Server registrationto function in an NSX-T environment.

(D - Connected to a VLAN Segment):

Edges can use either VLAN-backed or overlay-backed transport zones, butVLAN connectivity is not a strict requirement.

4. NSX Edge Deployment Best Practices

Ensure Edge nodes are properly connected to the management plane before configuring services.

Use Edge Clusters for high availability (HA) and load balancing of services.

Verify the correct Uplink Profile is used for external connectivity.

VMware NSX 4.x Reference:

NSX-T Edge Node Deployment Guide

NSX-T Management Plane and Control Plane Integration

IPSec VPN for Secure Multi-Site Connectivity (Correct Answer - A):

NSX-T IPSec VPNprovidessite-to-site encryptionforsecure connectivity between branch offices and the corporate data center.

Supports multi-site communicationwhileensuring data confidentiality and integrity.

Works well forhybrid cloud and remote branch office connections.

Incorrect Options:

(B - GRE Tunnels):

GREdoes not provide encryptionand isnot supported in NSX-T.

(C - Bridging):

L2 bridgingis used forextending VLANs between environments, not for site-to-site security.

(D - Federation):

NSX Federation is for managing multiple NSX instances centrally, not forsecure branch connectivity.

VMware NSX 4.x Reference:

NSX-T VPN and Secure Connectivity Design Guide

IPSec VPN Best Practices in NSX-T

1. Understanding Edge Cluster Scalability in NSX

NSX Edge clustersplay a critical role in North-South traffic managementandstateful servicessuch asNAT, VPN, Load Balancing, and Firewalling. As workloads grow, the performance demand onNSX Edge nodes increases, requiring eithervertical scaling or horizontal scalingstrategies.

2. Explanation of Correct Answers

(B - Vertical Scaling by Increasing Edge Node Size)

Vertical scalingmeansincreasing resource allocation (CPU, RAM, NIC bandwidth) per Edge nodeto improve performance.

This is achieved bydeploying Large or Extra-Large Edge nodesto accommodatehigher throughput requirements.

Best used when the number of Edge nodes cannot be increased due to licensing or hardware constraints.

(D - Horizontal Scaling by Adding More NSX Edge Nodes)

Horizontal scalinginvolvesadding more Edge nodes to the clusterinstead of upgrading existing ones.

This improvesresiliency and performance by distributing traffic loads across multiple Edge nodes.

Recommended for large environments requiring distributed stateful services (e.g., large-scale NAT, Load Balancer).

3. Why the Other Options are Incorrect

(A - Vertical Scaling by Adding More Edge Nodes)

Thisconfuses vertical scaling with horizontal scaling.Adding more nodes is horizontal scaling, not vertical.

(C - Horizontal Scaling by Increasing the Size of Edge Nodes)

Increasing node size is a vertical scaling strategy, nothorizontal scaling.

4. Design Considerations for NSX Edge Cluster Growth

Ensure BGP/ECMP is properly configuredto utilize multiple Edge nodes forload balancing traffic effectively.

Monitor NSX Edge performance (CPU/memory utilization, throughput)to determine whethervertical or horizontal scalingis required.

Leverage NSX Federation for multi-site deployments, allowing Edge clusters across multiple locations to scale independently.

VMware NSX 4.x Reference:

NSX-T Edge Cluster Scaling and Performance Best Practices

NSX-T Multi-Tier Routing and Gateway Scaling Guide

VMware Validated Design (VVD) for Large NSX Deployments

3 NSX Manager Nodes for HA & Redundancy (Correct Answer - B):

NSX requires 3 Manager nodesforhigh availability (HA)andControl Plane redundancy.

If a single NSX Manager nodefails, the other nodes continue to operate, preventingsingle points of failure.

Incorrect Options:

(A - Run All Nodes on One Host):

This contradictsbest practices, asNSX Manager nodes should be distributed across multiple hosts.

(C - Reducing Control Plane to a Single Point of Failure):

The 3-node setup prevents this, ensuringfailover capability.

(D - Separating NSX Controllers from Managers):

InNSX-T 3.x/4.x,NSX Controllers are part of the Manager cluster, so there are no separateNSX Controllers.

VMware NSX 4.x Reference:

NSX-T High Availability and Disaster Recovery Guide

NSX-T Control Plane and Management Plane Redundancy Best Practices