Moving vCenter Server to an ephemeral port group on a vSphere Distributed Switch

Products

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

When vCenter Server runs as a virtual machine connected to a vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) that it manages, a circular dependency exists. If vCenter becomes unavailable, static or dynamic port bindings cannot be modified without vCenter, potentially preventing the vCenter VM from reconnecting to the network.

To avoid this issue, vCenter Server should be connected to an ephemeral port group. Ephemeral port binding allows VMs to connect to the network directly from the ESXi host client without requiring vCenter availability.

This article covers the steps to create an ephemeral port group on the same VLAN as the existing management port group and migrate vCenter Server to it.

For more information on port binding types, see Static (non-ephemeral) or ephemeral port binding on a vSphere Distributed Switch.

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware vSphere ESXi
• vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS)

Cause

vCenter Server is connected to a static or dynamic port group on a VDS that it manages, creating a recovery dependency if vCenter becomes unavailable.

Resolution

Create the ephemeral port group

1. In the vSphere Client, navigate to Networking and select the VDS.
2. Right-click the VDS and select Distributed Port Group > New Distributed Port Group.
3. Enter a name for the port group (for example, "Management-Ephemeral").
4. Set Port binding to Ephemeral - no binding.
5. Set the VLAN ID to match the existing management port group VLAN.
6. Complete the wizard and click Finish.

Configure teaming policy to match the original port group

1. Right-click the new ephemeral port group and select Edit Settings.
2. Select Teaming and failover.
3. Configure the Active uplinks to match the original management port group.
4. Ensure load balancing, network failure detection, and failback settings match the original port group.
5. Click OK to save.

Migrate vCenter Server to the ephemeral port group

1. Right-click the vCenter Server VM and select Edit Settings.
2. Expand the network adapter and change the port group to the new ephemeral port group.
3. Click OK.
4. Verify vCenter Server retains network connectivity.

Note: ESXi management VMkernel ports (vmk0) do not require ephemeral port binding. VMkernel ports remain functional on standard VDS port groups even when vCenter is unavailable. Only the vCenter Server VM requires ephemeral binding for recovery scenarios.

If the issue persists after following these steps, contact Broadcom Support for further assistance.