vCenter Server 7 to 8 Upgrade: No Networks Available for Target VCSA VM Due to Static VDS Port
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vCenter Server 7 to 8 Upgrade: No Networks Available for Target VCSA VM Due to Static VDS Port

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Article ID: 403255

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Updated On:

Products

VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

  • During the vCenter Server upgrade process from version 7 to 8, users may encounter one of the following symptoms when deploying the target vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) VM.
    • The "Network" dropdown in Stage 1 (Configure Network Settings) is blank and the standard Distributed Port Group being used by the source vCenter is not listed.
    • There is an unexpected ephemeral Distributed Port Group listed, configured with the management VLAN and teaming settings as the standard Distributed Port Group being used by the source vCenter.

 

Environment

VMware vCenter Server

Cause

  • This is expected behavior. Static (non-ephemeral) vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) port groups require an active vCenter Server to assign ports. Since the target VCSA is being deployed to an ESXi host before it is active, the host can only "see" and assign ports for:
    • Standard Switch (VSS) port groups.
    • Ephemeral Distributed Port Groups (which allow the host to assign ports independently).
  • For further explanation see  > Upgrading the vCenter Server Appliance

Resolution

The most straight forward solution to this issue is setting the deploy target of the new vCenter Server Appliance as the current vCenter FQDN.  Once set in the upgrade wizard, the distributed switch port groups will be visible and the correct network for the deployment can be selected.

Additionally there are two other possible solutions if you cannot set the deploy target as the vCenter Server, all ideally performed before initiating the upgrade:

  1. Create an ephemeral port group if it is not already listed on the same vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) with the same VLAN as the vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) currently uses. This is generally the simpler and recommended approach. The Broadcom TechDocs page "Static (non-ephemeral) or ephemeral port binding on a vSphere Distributed Switch" (Static (non-ephemeral) or ephemeral port binding on a vSphere Distributed Switch) provides further details on this.

  2. Migrate to a vSphere Standard Switch (VSS): Move the source VCSA from its static VDS port to a vSphere Standard Switch (VSS) before initiating the upgrade. After the upgrade and data transfer are complete, the new vCenter Server Appliance can be manually reconnected to its original non-ephemeral distributed virtual port group on the VDS. This method is more complex and carries a higher risk of network disruption if an incorrect vmnic is moved from the VDS to the VSS. However, it becomes the only viable option if the vCenter VM loses network connectivity and cannot be restored even with a rollback when attempting to use an ephemeral port group. This is necessary because when deploying the vCenter Server appliance directly on an ESXi host, non-ephemeral distributed virtual port groups are not supported and are not shown during the initial deployment phase.

If required, once the upgrade is completed the vCenter 8 appliance is fully functional, so its network adapter (NIC) can be migrated back from the Ephemeral port group to the original Static port group.

Additional Information

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