vCenter 6.7 to 7.0 Upgrade Issue: Network Not Detected

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

No networks detected on the host, installation cannot continue. This occurs during an external vCenter upgrade from 6.7 to 7.0

If we select the highlighted box, no IP options appear—instead, it shows a blank black area.

Environment

6.7 U3

7.0 U3

Cause

An incorrect procedure during the configuration or creation of the ephemeral port group on the vCenter side before the upgrade, or a reboot of the vCenter during the "Configure Network Settings" stage while reverting to a snapshot, can result in the vCenter becoming completely inaccessible or losing its management network.

Resolution

To restore the vCenter to a functional state, follow the steps outlined below.

1. Check if any VMNICs are available, such as "vmnic0" or "vmnic1".
   
   

   a. Create a Standard Switch (vSS).

   b. Attach an uplink (e.g., vmnic0 or vmnic1) to the vSS.

   c. Connect the vCenter VM to the vSS to regain GUI access.

   d. Once access is restored, reconnect the vCenter to the Distributed Switch (vDS).

   e. Finally, remove the vSS.

   Note: Refer to the KB article mentioned in the Additional Information section.
   
   
2. Before deploying a new vCenter 7.0, a new port group must be prepared on the existing vDS or vSS.
   
   a. By default, the new port group uses "Static binding" for port binding, but the upgrade requires it to be set to "Ephemeral" mode.
   
   
   
   
3. Set the port binding of the newly created port group to "Ephemeral" and re-run the upgrade job.
   
   

Additional Information

vCenter network connectivity lost - Recover vCenter network when connected to a Distributed Switch