Setting the default gateway for management in the DCUI fails with error: Unable to set VMKernel gateway address

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

When setting the default gateway parameter of the management interface in the DCUI, the setting seems to work, but when you leave the management configuration screen and it resets the network, you get an error:

Unable to set VMKernel gateway address (###.###.###.###) : Unable to Set : Network unreachable.  Please verify your IP settings and try again.

This occurs after resetting the ESXi host network setting with the Restore Networking option.

Environment

ESXi all versions

Cause

In some instances, when a VMKernel adapter exists on the host that is in the vMotion IP stack rather than default, this issue will occur because the resource is being held as used and the kernel adapter doesn't get deleted.

When this adapter is the only VMK available, the DCUI configuration script will attempt to use it for management, but can't set the gateway because it is not in the default IP stack.

Resolution

There is no resolution to prevent this issue from occurring.  If you do have this issue, you can recover the management using the following steps.

1. Access the ESXi host console via KVM.
2. Verify the current VMK adapter and virtual switch configuration.
   • esxcli network ip interface list
   • esxcli network vswitch standard list
   • esxcli network vswitch standard portgroup list -v <vswitch>
3. Remove any incorrect / unneeded VMK adapters.
   • esxcli network ip interface remove -i <adapterName> 
4. Remove any misconfigured or unneeded port groups.
   • esxcli network vswitch standard portgroup remove -p <portgroupName>
5. Remove any misconfigured unneeded standard switches (note that DVS cannot be removed via CLI)
   • esxcli network vswitch standard remove -v <vswitchName>

 

Create a new VSS and VMK by following the resolution in KB 326175