VMware View virtual machine fails to connect to the network with the error: Unable to Add Port; Status (bad0006)=Limit Exceeded

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

One or more of the following conditions are seen

• A VMware virtual machine does not connect to network.
• The vCenter Server Tasks and Events tab shows the error:
  Error during the configuration of the host: Unable to Add Port; Status (bad0006)=Limit Exceeded

• In the log file /var/run/log/hostd.log on ESX you would see the following error:
  <time> Wa(164) Hostd[2102818]: [Originator@6876 sub=Hostsvc.NetworkProvider opID=######-#######-####-####-##:#######-##-##-##-### sid=###### user=vpxuser:<user>] Error
adding dvport <dv port id> : Unable to Add Port; Status(bad0006)= Limit exceeded
  
  

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi

Resolution

This issue occurs if the DVS port group to which the virtual machine is attempting to connect has run out of ports.

 

To resolve this issue, check the port group to which the virtual machine is attempting to connect to see if it has run out of ports.

 

To check if the DVS port group has run out of ports, right-click the DVS and choose Properties. Look at the ports available. If it has run out of ports, increase the number of ports on that DVS port group.

 

To increase the number of DVS ports:

1. Click Inventory > Networking.
2. Expand the DVS.
3. Right-click the port group and choose Edit Settings.
4. Increase the port number.

If there are enough ports available on that particular port group, then the host may be running out of free ports. In this case, reboot the host to release the ports or set the port group to elastic. 

Setting the port group to an "elastic" or ephemeral mode will make it reserve ports only for powered-on VMs, rather than all VMs.