Migrate ESXi vmkernel/VM networking from one DVS to another DVS, or a VSS, to another VDS

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article provides steps to migrate the VMkernel/VM networking from a source vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) to another VDS , or a source vSphere Standard Switch (VSS) to another VDS with the least downtime.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server
VMware vSphere ESXi

Resolution

• Prerequisites:

  • Ensure that a new VDS has been configured with all the required portgroups configured with the required VLANs

  Please refer to the below steps for migrating VM/vmkernel networking:

  • After the new VDS has been created, add all the required ESXi hosts to the new VDS, however do not migrate any vmnics/VMs/vmkernels. For more information, please refer: Add Hosts to a vSphere Distributed Switch
  • After connecting the ESXi hosts, vmnics need to be attached on the new VDS to ensure connectivity after the migration of VMs/vmkernels.

  If there are no LACP/etherchannel configuration, then the vmnics can be attached to the new VDS directly.

  • Identify the set of vmnics which will be migrated to the new VDS (Not all vmnics are to be migrated at once).
  • And, please review the active/standby failover configurations of these vmnics across the port groups to ensure no storage/ESXI/VM connectivity impact.

  Failover order configured for port groups: 

  

  • After selecting the vmnics, please refer the below steps for migrating physical adapters to the new VDS.
    
    • Remove the vmnics from the VDS, by going to the "Virtual Switches" on the ESXi host -> Manage Physical adapters -> Selecting the vmnics -> From the drop down menu change the value to None.

  

  • • Now add the vmnics to the new VDS, by going to the "Virtual switches" on the ESXi host -> Manage Physical adapters -> Select the vmnics -> From the drop down menu change the value to the required Uplink#.

  

  • • Now the vmnics are ready to be used for VM/vmkernel networking on the new VDS.
    • The above steps should be followed across all the ESXi hosts before migrating the networking.
    • Only after all the VMs/vmkernels have been moved to the new VDS, follow the above steps to migrate the remaining vmnics from old VDS to new VDS.
  • To migrate the vmkernel networking to the new VDS, please go to the new DVS from the ESXi host -> Virtual switches -> On new DVS -> Click on 3 dots -> Migrate Networking -> Go to the second step "Manager VMkernel adapters" -> select the vmkernels -> select the target port group -> Finish.

  

  • The vmkernels will get migrated to the new VDS.
  • After the vmkernels are migrated, the VM networking can now be moved to the new VDS by following either one of the below options:
  1. 1. First method manually changing the network of each VM individually.
        
        • Select the VM -> Edit Settings -> Network Adapter -> Change the port groups for all the adapters to new port groups on the new DVS -> Save.
        • This method needs to be followed for all VMs individually across all the ESXi hosts .
        • 
     2. Second method which can be used to migrate VM networking is:
        
        • The VM's networking can be changed at per port group level.
        • On the Networking view, on the old DVS -> Right click the port group -> Migrate VM Networking -> Select the destination portgroup -> Select all the VMs whose networking need to be moved -> Finish.
        • 
        • This method will move all the connected VMs across different ESXI hosts to the new VDS portgroup. 
        • Hence, please make sure that vmnics have been configured correctly across all the ESXi hosts before following this process.
     3.  Third option for migrating a VM that resides on the old VDS.
        • Right click on DVS -> Add and Manage Hosts -> Manage host Networking -> Select hosts -> Click Next for Manage physical adapters and VMkernel adapters (Already migrated) -> Migrate VM Networking ->  Configure per virtual Machine -> Assign Port Group -> Finish
        • 
        • Ensure that all required port groups are added to the new DVS before initiating the migration process.

   

   

  Note: Now the remaining vmnics can be freely moved over to the new DVS.

Additional Information

For more information regarding, migrating networking from DVS to standard switch, please refer: Migrating from Standard to Distributed vSwitch