Adding an ESX host into a Distributed Virtual Switch fails with the error: Unable to Create Proxy DVS

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• Adding an ESXi/ESX host into a Distributed Virtual Switch (DVS) fails
• You see the error:
  
  Unable to Create Proxy DVS; Status (bad0031) = Not Initialized
  
  
• Running the command net-dvs from the ESXi/ESX host fails
• You see the error:
  
  failed to get config data: not initialized

Environment

VMware ESXi 

Cause

This issue occurs because of dvsdata.db corruption, which can be caused by a network outage.

 

If an ESXi/ESX host is disconnected and removed from vCenter Server, it may still keep the vDS information in its cache. When ESXi/ESX is added to a new vDS, old vDS information cannot be removed from the GUI.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, you must restore the dvsdata.db file.

Note: Before attempting the steps make sure that your ESXi/ESX host is accessible through DCUI/DRAC/iLO/RSA/KVM and/or the management network/service console is configured on a standard vSwitch.

To restore the dvsdata.db file:

1. Connect to the shell of a working ESXi/ESX host. For more information, see Using ESXi Shell in ESXi
2. Copy the /etc/vmware/dvsdata.db file to a shared location.
3. Connect to the shell of a problematic ESXi/ESX host.
4. Create a backup of /etc/vmware/dvsdata.db.
5. Paste the dvsdata.db file you copied in step 2, into the /etc/vmware/ folder of the problematic host.
6. Reboot the problematic host.
7. Log in to the shell of the problematic ESXi/ESX host as root and navigate to /usr/lib/vmware/bin and run the command:
   
   # ./net-dvs
   
   If the command does not return an error, the ESXi/ESX host can be added to vDS.

Additional Information

Using ESXi Shell in ESXi