vCenter Server loses network connection after DRS vMotion when configured with DVS network Port Group

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• vCenter Server loses network connection after DRS vMotion when configured with DVS network Port Group
• vCenter Server loses network connection and the VirtualCenter Server service stops if it is migrated to a host that is configured for DVS port group and does not have an appropriate physical uplink connected to it.
• You cannot reconnect to the network
• If you try to reconnect to the network, you see the error:
  
  Invalid configuration for device - 0

Cause

This issue occurs if:

• You have vCenter Server running in a virtual machine with two hosts configured in DRS cluster that is set to Fully Automated mode.
• vCenter Server is connected to a port group on a distributed virtual switch (DVS).
• You add a third host to the cluster and to the DVS, which triggers vMotion of the vCenter Server virtual machine from the inventory.
• The vCenter Server virtual machine is migrated to the third host, which does not have the uplinks connected yet.

This causes the VirtualCenter Server service to stop and the vCenter Server virtual machine network to go into a disconnected state.

This issue may also occur if the vCenter Database Server is a virtual machine and is migrated to the third host, which does not have the uplinks connected yet. This causes the vCenter Server to fail to connect to its database virtual machine.

Resolution

To workaround this issue, connect the vCenter Server virtual machine to the standard switch port group, then later migrate to DVS when the third host's physical uplinks are configured:

1. Determine which host holds the vCenter Server virtual machine and connect vSphere Client directly to it.
2. Create a port group on standard vSwitch on this host and configure it for the required VLAN (if any).
3. Connect a valid uplink to this vSwitch.
4. Connect the network adapter uplink of the vCenter Server virtual machine to this Standard Switch port group.
5. Start the VirtualCenter Server service. For more information, see Stopping, starting, or restarting vCenter services (1003895).
6. Connect vSphere Client to the vCenter Server.
7. Configure the third host's physical uplinks before migrating it back to the DVS port group.
8. Change the network adapter uplink to DVS port group and delete the standard vSwitch when connectivity is restored.