VDS Name Synchronization Issue in NSX-T Host Details View After Rename in vCenter

Products

• VMware NSX
• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

After renaming a vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) in vCenter Server, the NSX-T Manager's --> System --> Fabric --> Host Details view displays inconsistent or duplicate VDS entries

Initially, two copies of the same VDS appear in the Host Details topology view

1. One showing the original VDS name
2. One showing the new VDS name

After restarting the NSX-T Proton service on the NSX manager via root user using the command /etc/init.d/proton restart, only the original VDS name appears in the topology view

• Host Details overview topology view displays incorrect graphics with either duplicates or outdated names
• Uplink configurations and connections remain intact despite the display issue

To confirm if this issue is occurring, compare the VDS name shown in the NSX-T UI with the API response from

• • Login to the NSX manager as user root and run the API call below
    
    curl -k -u $NSX_USER:$NSX_PASS -X GET "https://<NSX_FQDN>/api/v1/fabric/virtual-switches"

Where

• $NSX_USER: NSX Manager username
• $NSX_PASS: NSX Manager password
• $NSX_FQDN: The fully qualified domain name or IP of the NSX Manager

The API response will show the correct VDS name under the "display_name" field, which should match what is set in vCenter Server. If the NSX-T UI shows a different name or duplicate entries, it indicates the VDS duplicate issue.

The issue can be further verified in the Host Details overview page topology view, where the visualization may show inconsistent VDS names compared to vCenter Server.

Environment

VMware vCenter
VMware NSX

Cause

• Found in NSX-T version 3.2.3.1 and continuing until version 4.1, when a VDS is renamed in vCenter Server, sometimes the NSX-T topology visualization component does not properly sync the updated VDS name, resulting in inconsistent display of VDS names across different views.
• The underlying data model correctly maintains the new name, as evidenced by API responses, but the visual representation in the Host Details topology view does not update correctly, showing either duplicate entries or retaining the old name after a Proton service restart.

Resolution

This issue requires an upgrade to NSX-T 4.1.0.0 build 20831298 or later versions to be resolved.

Upgrade to NSX-T 4.1 or later. After the upgrade:

• The VDS name will automatically sync correctly between vCenter and NSX-T
• No additional configuration is required
• The UI will update to show the correct VDS name that was previously only visible in the API response

Additional Information

• This is primarily a cosmetic issue affecting the UI display
• The underlying networking functionality is not impacted
• The NSX-T API correctly maintains and returns the updated VDS name under the "display_name" field
• No impact on NSX-T upgrades - the VDS rename state is preserved through upgrades
• After upgrading to NSX-T 4.1 or later, the UI will automatically display the correct VDS name
• The fix includes updates to the topology visualization component to properly display renamed VDS names
• Both uplink portgroups and connected host information remain consistent and operational
• The network connectivity and functionality of the VDS remains unaffected