Virtual machine settings does not list the VMware vSphere Distributed Switch portgroup

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

When you have connected to the ESX/ESXi host directly using the vSphere Client, you experience these symptoms:

• Cannot find the VMware vSphere Distributed Switch portgroup within the virtual machine settings.
• The virtual machine portgroup on a vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS) does not show up under the available list of virtual machine portgroups within the edit settings of a virtual machine.
• The vDS is listed under Networking of the ESX/ESXi host is successfully connected to the vDS.
• The vDS port groups are listed in the virtual machine settings when you connect to vCenter Server using the vSphere Client or vSphere Web Client.

Environment

• VMware ESX 4.0.x
• VMware vSphere ESXi 5.5
• VMware ESXi 4.0.x Embedded
• VMware ESXi 4.0.x Installable
• VMware ESX 4.1.x
• VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0
• VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1
• VMware ESXi 4.1.x Installable
• VMware ESXi 4.1.x Embedded

Resolution

This is an expected behavior and is by design. This is because an individual ESX/ESXi host cannot confirm the current state of vCenter Server and, in general, the state of the vSphere Distributed Switch.

 

Such modifications are only allowed from the vSphere Client or the vSphere Web Client connected to vCenter Server.