KB-002 Deploying the Overwatch Monitoring Appliance on Nutanix AHV

Created by Logic Insight Support, Modified on Thu, 18 Dec at 7:54 AM by Logic Insight Support

Deploying the Overwatch Monitoring Appliance on Nutanix AHV

This article explains how to deploy the Overwatch_2.1.0 disk image as a VM on Nutanix AHV and how to access:

The Overwatch Appliance UI (administration & configuration)
The Visualization Layer (Grafana) for dashboards and analytics

You can deploy the appliance from either:

Prism Central (multi-cluster management), or
Prism Element on a single Nutanix cluster (if Prism Central is not deployed)

1. VM Requirements

Minimum recommended specs (base appliance):

CPU: 1 socket, 8 vCPU cores
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Disk: Existing image Overwatch_2.1.0 (Type: DISK, boot disk)
Network: 1 vNIC on a reachable VLAN (DHCP or static IP)

Additional requirement for IPFIX network flow collection:

If you plan to enable IPFIX network flows from Nutanix AHV hosts into Overwatch, add an additional data disk of at least 100 GB to the appliance VM.

Naming (recommended but optional):

VM Name: Overwatch Monitoring Appliance
Description: Nutanix monitoring platform Overwatch v2.1.0

2. Ensure the Overwatch_2.1.0 Disk Image Exists

You must first have the Overwatch_2.1.0 image uploaded as a DISK in your Nutanix environment.

2.1 In Prism Central

Log in to Prism Central.
Navigate to Infrastructure → Images.
Confirm there is an image named Overwatch_2.1.0 with type DISK.

2.2 In Prism Element (Cluster UI)

Log in to Prism Element for the target cluster.
Go to Settings → Image Configuration (or Storage → Images depending on version).
Confirm there is an image named Overwatch_2.1.0 with type DISK.

If the image does not exist, upload the provided Overwatch disk file as a DISK image before proceeding.

3. Create the VM from the Overwatch_2.1.0 Disk Image

? Important: A GPT/UEFI boot mode will cause the appliance to fail boot. Always use LEGACY BIOS.

Optional: The CD-ROM Drive can either be removed or kept.

3.1 Option A – Deploy from Prism Central

In Prism Central, go to Infrastructure → Virtual Machines → Create VM.
Enter:
- Name: Overwatch Monitoring Appliance (or customer’s choice)
- Description: Nutanix monitoring platform Overwatch v2.1.0
- Select the target Cluster where the VM will run.
Under CPU & Memory:
- vCPU(s): 1 socket, 8 cores (total 8 vCPUs)
- Memory: 16 GB
Under Disks click:
Add Disk → Clone from Image Service
- Select Overwatch_2.1.0.
- Ensure it is set as the boot disk.
(Optional but recommended for IPFIX)Add an extra data disk:
- Click Add Disk again.
- Choose Disk Type: SCSI or SATA (per your standard).
- Set Size: at least 100 GB (see sizing guidelines below).
- Use a standard storage container.
Under Network Adapters click:
Add Network Adapter
- Select the desired VLAN / network.
- Either use DHCP or plan to configure a static IP later from the console.
Review all settings and click Create VM.
Once created, select the VM and click Power On.

3.2 Option B – Deploy from Prism Element (Cluster UI)

In Prism Element, open the target cluster.
Go to VM → Create VM. (In some versions: VM → Table → Create VM)
Enter:
- Name: Overwatch Monitoring Appliance (or customer’s choice)
- Description: Nutanix monitoring platform Overwatch v2.1.0
Under CPU & Memory:
- Number of vCPUs: 8 (or 1 socket x 8 cores, depending on UI layout)
- Memory: 16 GB
Under Disks:
- Click Add New Disk.
- Choose Clone from Image (or equivalent option).
- Select the Overwatch_2.1.0 DISK image.
- Ensure this disk is configured as the boot device.
(Optional but recommended for IPFIX)Add an extra data disk:
- Click Add New Disk again.
- Select Disk and choose the desired storage container.
- Set Size: at least 100 GB.
Under Network Adapters:
- Click Add New NIC.
- Select the appropriate Network / VLAN.
- Use DHCP or plan for a static IP.
Save the configuration and click Create.
Power on the VM from the Prism Element VM list.

4. Determine the Appliance IP Address

After the VM is running, obtain the appliance IP address:

In Prism Central or Prism Element, open the VM details and check the NIC IP address, or
Open the console for the VM and run ip a to see the assigned IP.

You will use this value as <APPLIANCE-IP> in the URLs below.

5. Accessing the Overwatch Appliance UI

The Overwatch management UI runs on HTTPS port 8443.

URL:

https://<APPLIANCE-IP>:8443

Example: https://10.124.2.118:8443

Default Login:

Username: admin
Password: Overwatch/4u

Security recommendation: After first login, immediately change the default admin password.

6. Accessing the Visualization Layer (Grafana)

The visualization layer (dashboards and analytics) is provided by Grafana, hosted on the same appliance.

URL:

https://<APPLIANCE-IP>/grafana

Example: https://10.124.2.118/grafana

Default Login:

Username: admin
Password: Logicinsight/4u

Security recommendation: After first login, go to Grafana Administration and change the default admin password.

7. IPFIX Configuration & Sizing Guidelines

If you enable IPFIX on Nutanix AHV hosts to send network flow data to the Overwatch appliance, you will typically use a configuration similar to:

ovs-vsctl -- --id=@ipfix create IPFIX \
  targets="10.126.1.20:2055" \
  sampling=512 \
  obs_domain_id=1 \
  obs_point_id=1 \
  cache_active_timeout=60 \
  cache_max_flows=10000 \
  -- set Bridge br0 ipfix=@ipfix

With this sampling and caching configuration, flow volume depends on the amount of traffic per host and the percentage sampled. The following rules of thumb are provided as a best-effort sizing guide for the additional IPFIX data disk on the Overwatch appliance.

7.1 Rule of Thumb – IPFIX Storage Sizing per Host

The guidance below assumes:

Sampling rate: sampling=512 (approximately 1 out of every 512 packets)
Active timeout: cache_active_timeout=60 seconds
Max cached flows: cache_max_flows=10000
Typical mixed workloads (VM traffic, management, storage, etc.)

Recommended starting points for IPFIX storage on the Overwatch appliance:

Small environment:up to ~5 AHV hosts
- Recommended IPFIX disk size: 100 GB (minimum)
- Provides a comfortable starting point for several weeks of flow history.
Medium environment:~6–20 AHV hosts
- Recommended IPFIX disk size: 200–300 GB
- Plan for roughly ~20–30 GB per host for multi-week retention.
Large environment:>20 AHV hosts or very high network throughput
- Recommended IPFIX disk size: 500 GB+
- Increase by an additional 20–30 GB per host as a conservative baseline.

These values are intentionally conservative to avoid early storage exhaustion. Actual usage will vary based on traffic patterns, retention targets, and collector configuration. After initial deployment, monitor disk utilization and adjust future deployments accordingly.

8. Quick Validation Checklist

After deployment (via Prism Central or Prism Element), verify:

VM is powered on with 1 CPU / 8 vCPUs / 16 GB RAM.
Overwatch_2.1.0 disk is attached as the boot disk.
If IPFIX will be used, an extra data disk of at least 100 GB is attached.
VM has a valid IP address on the expected VLAN.
You can reach:
- https://<APPLIANCE-IP>:8443 and log in as admin / Overwatch/4u.
- https://<APPLIANCE-IP>/grafana and log in as admin / Logicinsight/4u.

If any of these checks fail, verify network settings (VLAN, firewall rules, DHCP/static configuration) and try again.

9. Support

If you encounter any issues during deployment or need help with post-installation configuration, please contact:

LogicInsight / Overwatch Support
Email: support@logicinsight.io
Website: https://logicinsight.io