VMXNET3 resets frequently when RSS is enabled in a Windows virtual machine

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• When Receive Side Scaling (RSS) is enabled on a Windows virtual machine, you see NetPort messages for repeating MAC addresses indicating that ports are being disabled and then re-enabled.
• In the vmkernel log, you see messages similar to:
  
  2013-07-08T06:11:58.158Z cpu4:337203)NetPort: 1424: disabled port 0x1000020
  2013-07-08T06:11:58.177Z cpu4:337203)NetPort: 1237: enabled port 0x1000020 with mac xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
  2013-07-08T06:12:46.191Z cpu1:337203)NetPort: 1424: disabled port 0x1000020
  2013-07-08T06:12:46.211Z cpu7:337203)NetPort: 1237: enabled port 0x1000020 with mac xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
  2013-07-08T06:12:58.172Z cpu7:337203)NetPort: 1424: disabled port 0x1000022
  2013-07-08T06:12:58.190Z cpu7:337203)NetPort: 1237: enabled port 0x1000022 with mac xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xy
  2013-07-08T06:13:18.172Z cpu3:337206)NetPort: 1424: disabled port 0x1000020
  2013-07-08T06:13:18.188Z cpu3:337206)NetPort: 1237: enabled port 0x1000020 with mac xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
  2013-07-08T06:13:58.170Z cpu15:337202)NetPort: 1424: disabled port 0x1000020
  2013-07-08T06:13:58.190Z cpu15:337202)NetPort: 1237: enabled port 0x1000020 with mac xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
  2013-07-08T06:14:04.176Z cpu4:337203)NetPort: 1424: disabled port 0x1000020
  2013-07-08T06:14:04.185Z cpu2:337203)NetPort: 1237: enabled port 0x1000020 with mac xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
  2013-07-08T06:14:20.182Z cpu13:337203)NetPort: 1424: disabled port 0x1000020
  2013-07-08T06:14:20.198Z cpu13:337203)NetPort: 1237: enabled port 0x1000020 with mac xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
  2013-07-08T06:14:22.195Z cpu12:337205)NetPort: 1424: disabled port 0x1000020
  2013-07-08T06:14:22.211Z cpu12:337205)NetPort: 1237: enabled port 0x1000020 with mac xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
  2013-07-08T06:14:23.255Z cpu2:337203)NetPort: 1424: disabled port 0x1000022
  2013-07-08T06:14:23.270Z cpu2:337203)NetPort: 1237: enabled port 0x1000022 with mac xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xy
  2013-07-08T06:15:16.171Z cpu14:337203)NetPort: 1424: disabled port 0x1000020
  2013-07-08T06:15:16.188Z cpu14:337203)NetPort: 1237: enabled port 0x1000020 with mac xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
  2013-07-08T06:16:56.168Z cpu8:337203)NetPort: 1424: disabled port 0x1000020
  2013-07-08T06:16:56.190Z cpu8:337203)NetPort: 1237: enabled port 0x1000020 with mac xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
  2013-07-08T06:17:36.167Z cpu8:337203)NetPort: 1424: disabled port 0x1000020
  2013-07-08T06:17:36.187Z cpu8:337203)NetPort: 1237: enabled port 0x1000020 with mac xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
  2013-07-08T06:18:20.175Z cpu2:337202)NetPort: 1424: disabled port 0x1000020
  2013-07-08T06:18:20.199Z cpu2:337202)NetPort: 1237: enabled port 0x1000020 with mac xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
  2013-07-08T06:18:36.165Z cpu7:337207)NetPort: 1424: disabled port 0x1000020
  2013-07-08T06:18:36.186Z cpu7:337207)NetPort: 1237: enabled port 0x1000020 with mac xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
  
  
• The vmware.log file of virtual machines that use these MAC addresses contain corresponding events similar to:
  
  2013-07-08T06:18:20.175Z| vcpu-1| Ethernet4 MAC Address: xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
  2013-07-08T06:18:20.199Z| vcpu-1| VMXNET3 user: Ethernet4 Driver Info: version = 833450 gosBits = 2 gosType = 2, gosVer = 24848, gosMisc = 212
  2013-07-08T06:18:36.165Z| vcpu-6| Ethernet4 MAC Address: xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
  2013-07-08T06:18:36.187Z| vcpu-6| VMXNET3 user: Ethernet4 Driver Info: version = 833450 gosBits = 2 gosType = 2, gosVer = 24848, gosMisc = 212

Environment

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

Resolution

This is a known issue affecting the VMXNET3 virtual network driver and occurs because the resetNeeded flag is not set properly.

This issue is resolved in ESXi 5.1 Update 2. For more information, see VMware ESXi 5.1 Update 2 Release Notes and ESXi 5.0 Patch 12 VMware ESXi 5.0, Patch Release ESXi500-201401001 (2065814).

This issue is also resolved in ESXi 5.5 Update 1. For more information, see VMware ESXi 5.5 Update 1 Release Notes.

To work around this issue, disable RSS within the Windows virtual machine.

Additional Information

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RSS が Windows 仮想マシンで有効になっていると、VMXNET3 が頻繁にリセットする
VMware ESXi 5.0, Patch Release ESXi500-201401001
在 Windows 虚拟机中启用 RSS 时，VMXNET3 会频繁重置