Requires the deployment of an NSX Edge cluster to host the Tier-0 gateway.

It can be configured during the deployment of the workload domain.

It supports stateful services configuration.

It is suitable for environments that require a streamlined network with limited NSX networking

services.

In VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) 9.0, the networking architecture introduces specialized

connectivity modes to cater to different organizational needs, with Centralized Connectivity Mode

being a primary option for streamlined deployments. This mode is fundamentally anchored to the

physical infrastructure via localized resources rather than distributed components across the entire

cluster.

The most critical technical requirement for this mode is that it requires the deployment of an NSX

Edge cluster to host the Tier-0 gateway. Unlike distributed models, centralized connectivity funnels

North-South traffic through specific Edge nodes that serve as the demarcation point between the

virtual overlay and the physical Top-of-Rack (ToR) switches. This centralization is what enables the

next key characteristic: it supports stateful services configuration. Because traffic is anchored to

specific Service Routers (SR) on Edge nodes, stateful operations such as NAT, Load Balancing, and

stateful firewalls can maintain session persistence, which is not natively possible in a purely

distributed Active/Active ECMP environment without specialized configuration.

From a lifecycle perspective, this mode is highly integrated into the SDDC Manager workflows and

can be configured during the deployment of the workload domain. This allows architects to define

the networking posture of a new domain at "Day 0," ensuring that the necessary Edge resources and

Tier-0/Tier-1 hierarchies are provisioned automatically to meet the domain's specific requirements.

Finally, Centralized Connectivity Mode is suitable for environments that require a streamlined

network with limited NSX networking services. It provides a "cloud-lite" approach to networking,

offering the necessary isolation and security of NSX without the complexity of managing a full-scale

distributed fabric. This makes it an ideal choice for smaller workload domains, specialized labs, or

legacy application environments that do not require the massive scale of a distributed transit

gateway but still need robust stateful security and simplified North-South egress.