A specified parameter was not correct: clusterSpec.dvsProf[].pnicDevices" during Cluster Configuration Wizard

Products

• VMware vSAN

Issue/Introduction

When attempting to use the Cluster Configuration or Add Host wizard in vSphere or VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), the process fails during the validation or application phase.

• The wizard returns the error: A specified parameter was not correct: clusterSpec.dvsProf[].pnicDevices.

• Validation fails when using a pre-existing Distributed Switch (vDS) where hosts are already members.

• The task fails at the "Configure Networking" or "Apply Cluster Configuration" step.

Environment

 

• Product: VMware vCenter Server / VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF)

• Versions: 7.x, 8.x, 9.x

• Component: vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS), Cluster Services

 

Cause

The error is a validation fault within the ClusterComputeResourceDVSSetting API object. It occurs because the wizard attempts to apply a uniform Distributed Switch Profile (dvsProf) to the cluster, but finds that the physical NICs (vmnics) on the target host are already bound to an existing switch or mapped to Uplink IDs that conflict with the wizard's expected specification.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, the host network state must be simplified to allow the wizard to claim the physical NICs without conflict.

1. Evacuate and Prepare Host: Ensure the host is in Maintenance Mode if virtual machines are present.

2. Remove Host from vDS:

   • Navigate to Networking > [Your vDS] > Add and Manage Hosts.

   • Select Remove hosts, choose the affected host, and follow the prompts to disconnect it from the vDS.

3. Unassign Physical NICs:

   • Verify that the physical NICs (e.g., vmnic0, vmnic1) are no longer associated with any Distributed Switch or Standard Switch.

   • If they are still bound to a Standard Switch (vSwitch0), remove them so they appear as "Unassigned" in the UI or esxcli network nic list.

4. Re-run the Wizard:

   • Restart the Cluster Configuration or Add Host wizard.

   • Crucial Step: During the networking phase, select only one (1) physical uplink for each host. This minimizes the complexity of the pnicDevices array validation.

5. Restore Redundancy Post-Wizard:

   • Once the wizard completes successfully, navigate back to the Distributed Switch settings.

   • Manually add the second (and subsequent) physical NICs back to the appropriate Uplinks to restore network redundancy.

Additional Information

If the error persists even after removing the host from the vDS, ensure the host does not have "phantom" NIC names (e.g., if hardware was replaced, vmnic0 might have become vmnic2). Ensure NIC naming is consistent across all hosts in the cluster.

Quickstart Incompatible Network Configuration