After getting the SSP appliance deployed, the next logical step is to connect it to the rest of our SDDC. In most environments, NSX is the first major integration point, because SSP relies heavily on NSX telemetry and enforcement to deliver its security capabilities.
This post walks through how I typically onboard NSX Manager into SSP and then enable the platform features that matter for day‑to‑day operations.
NSX Licensing Requirements for SSP Features
We have NSX enterprise plus so our we can deploy everything except Malware Prevention which hopefully we can get from our VMUG subscription in the near future.
Connecting NSX Manager to SSP
Once the SSP UI is up, log in using the admin credentials you configured during deployment.
You’ll need:
- The NSX Manager FQDN or IP
- NSX Enterprise Admin credentials
- The REST API cer
The first thing SSP asks for is the NSX Manager information so we are going to need to login to the NSX manager first to find its API Keys.
The REST API certificate info is this one
If your NSX environment uses a VIP, make sure you upload the MGMT_CLUSTER REST VIP certificate.If you’re running without a VIP, use the certificate from the active NSX Manager node. Click Export to download the cert.
The pem file is here.
The first thing SSP asks for is the NSX Manager information so add the NSX Enterprise FQDN, Admin credential, and the REST API certificate
Give the NSX manager a name
Click Continue to finish the onboarding process.
The welcome screen appears so just click Next to Continue
Select System > Overview and verify that the newly onboarded NSX Manager and SSP are stable.
Turning on SSP Features
SSP doesn’t enable everything by default. The features available to you depend entirely on the NSX license applied in your environment, so make sure the correct license is already added in NSX Manager before you continue. To turn On SSP Features, go to System > Infrastructure > Platform and Features
Here’s how the activation process usually goes in a real deployment for Security Intelligence and Rule Analysis
Security Intelligence
Security Intelligence is one of the most useful components in SSP because it gives you visibility into east‑west traffic and helps you build segmentation policies based on real flow data.
Click to enable and run the prechecks & If everything passes, click Activate
Wait for the service to turn green Once activated, SSP begins analyzing flows and building recommendations.
Rule Analysis
This feature is a lifesaver in environments with large or legacy DFW rulebases.
Rule Analysis scans your existing rules and highlights:
- Duplicate entries
- Rules that never hit
- Overly broad policies
- Potential misconfigurations
Click to enable and run the prechecks & If everything passes, click Activate
Our Security Intelligence & Rule Analysis rules are now configured
