Error: SR-IOV status shows as Not Supported on ESXi host

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

In VMware vSphere ESXi, the Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV) status for physical adapters may display as "Not Supported." This typically occurs because the feature is disabled in the server BIOS or the hardware vendor settings. Enabling SR-IOV is required for high-performance networking scenarios, such as deploying F5 Virtual Appliances.

• In the vSphere Client, SR-IOV status shows as Not Supported for physical adapters:

       

• The ESXi host boot.log contains the following warning regarding SR-IOV not being enabled:
  
  YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS cpu#:2098###)WARNING: qfle3: qfle3_attach_dev:127##: [00##:0#:0#.#] SRIOV: No PCIe support for SRIOV
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS cpu@:2098###)WARNING: qfle3: qfle3_attach_dev:127##: [00##:0#:0#.#] SRIOV: No PCIe support for SRIOV

Environment

• VMware vSphere ESXi 7.0.x

• VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0.x

• Physical Servers (Dell PowerEdge, etc.)

Cause

The SR-IOV Global Enable parameter is set to "Disabled" in the physical server BIOS/UEFI settings.

Resolution

Note: Before you proceed further in validating SR-IOV status in server BIOS, review the Broadcom Compatibility Guide to confirm the physical adapter supports SR-IOV. The following steps require downtime or maintenance mode.

Steps to Enable SR-IOV:

Step 1: SR-IOV - Global Level

1. 1. Place the ESXi host in Maintenance Mode.

   2. Log in to the iDRAC for the server and launch the Virtual Console.

   3. Restart the server.

   4. After the Dell EMC blue screen appears, press F2 to enter setup.

   5. Select System BIOS.

   6. Navigate to Integrated Devices.

   7. Set the SR-IOV Global Enable parameter to Enabled. 
      
      

Step 2: SR-IOV - Device Level

1. 1. Go to System Setup Main Menu.

   2. Select Device Settings.

   3. Choose the NIC adapter.

   4. Select Main Configuration Page.

   5. Choose Device Level Configuration.
      
      

Step 3: SR-IOV - Virtual Mode Parameter

1. 1. Save the Changes and exit the system setup.

   2. Reboot the server and Exit Maintenance Mode for the host.

   3. Notice that for the host, ‘SRIOV Status’ for a vmnic is seen as ‘Disabled’.

   4. Select the vmnic adapter and click on Edit Settings.

   5. Change the status from Disabled to Enabled.

   6. Select the number of Virtual Functions and click OK.

   7. Reboot the ESXi host to apply the changes.

Additional Information

Note: Please review and validate all the aforementioned changes against your official server documentation. In the event of any discrepancies, the instructions in the server manual stands true and valid.

• For specific guidance on F5 Virtual Appliances, see Support Suggestions on Deploying F5 Virtual Appliances to ESXI (KB 407185).

• For servers managed by profiles like HPE OneView, SR-IOV must be activated in both the BIOS and the profile settings.

• Consult your hardware manual if you cannot locate the BIOS settings, and validate this configuration with your hardware vendor prior to engaging Broadcom support.