Creating new vmkernel adapter at the cluster level

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Selecting the cluster on the vCenter UI you don't see an option for VMkernel adapter creation.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server

Cause

The creation of a vmk adapter at the cluster level is not possible. The VMkernel adapters have to be created for each individual host.

Resolution

To create the VMkernel adapters:

1. Navigate to the Networking section in the vSphere Client and select the Distributed Portgroup.
2. Right-click the Distributed Portgroup and choose Add VMkernel Adapters.
3. Select the hosts that are part of the cluster.
4. On the Port properties page, enable the service for which you are creating the adapter (e.g., vMotion, vSAN).
5. Configure the network settings, such as IP address and subnet mask, for the adapter.
6. Complete the wizard by reviewing the settings and clicking Finish.

Additional Information

Creating a new vmkernel adapter on a standard or distributed virtual switch causes no interruption to existing networking
Configuring vNetwork Distributed Switch (vDS) Virtual Adapters