Virtual machines fail to power on due to missing vSphere Distributed Switch port groups after a vCenter Server restore

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• After restoring a vCenter Server from a backup, specific vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS) port groups are missing from the vSphere inventory.
• Virtual machines that were previously connected to these port groups fail to power on with error:  "Invalid Configuration for Device 0"
• When reviewing an affected virtual machine's "Edit Settings" menu, the network adapter indicates that the backing port group is no longer available or listed.
• In the /var/log/ hostd.log file, you see the entries similar to:
  

  <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time>.783Z [39282B70 verbose 'Hostsvc.NetworkProvider' opID=16d8c9f2-e3 user=vpxuser] DVPort 542 on dvs ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ##-## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## not found
  <YYYY-MM-DD>T<time></time>.783Z [39282B70 error 'Vmsvc.vm:/vmfs/volumes/547e2d16-########-####-##########08/VM Folder/VM Name.vmx' opID=16d8c9f2-e3 user=vpxuser] Device spec doesn't match up with dvport/dvpg configuration
  </time>

  Note: The preceding log excerpts are only examples. Date, time, and environmental variables may vary depending on your environment.

Cause

The vCenter Server was restored from a backup that was taken prior to the creation of the missing distributed port groups. Because the vCenter Database (VCDB) reverted to an older state, it lacks the configuration records for these network objects. This is verified by the ability to successfully create a new port group with the exact same name, which indicates no naming conflict or stale entry exists in the current database.

Resolution

To resolve this issue and restore network connectivity to the virtual machines:

1. Identify the names and necessary configurations (such as VLAN IDs and teaming policies) of the missing distributed port groups.

2. Log in to the vSphere Client and navigate to the Networking view.

3. Right-click the affected vSphere Distributed Switch and select Distributed Port Group > New Distributed Port Group.

4. Recreate the missing port groups using the exact same names and matching configurations.

5. Navigate to the VMs and Templates view or the Hosts and Clusters view.

6. Right-click each affected virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

7. Expand the Network Adapter section and connect the adapter to the newly created distributed port group.

8. Power on the virtual machine.

Additional Information

To minimize configuration discrepancies in the future, ensure that file-based backups of the vCenter Server are scheduled regularly and executed manually immediately following significant infrastructure changes, such as the creation of new networks or clusters.

"Invalid Configuration for Device 0" error powering on / Cloning virtual machine