VCHA Configuration fails with an Error "A general system error occurred: Failed to configure cluster network."

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• The vSphere Client returns the error: "A general system error occurred: Failed to configure cluster network."
• The /var/log/vmware/vcha/vcha-scripts.log file contains the error: eth1: error fetching interface information: Device not found.
• On the VAMI > Networking > Network Settings the newly added network shows as NIC 2 and not NIC 1 (Reserved for VCHA) 
  
  • Observed configuration: 
    
  • Expected configuration:
    

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 7.x

VMware vCenter Server 8.x

Cause

The issue is caused by a Virtual NIC Enumeration Mismatch. Automated VCHA configuration scripts require the heartbeat network to be mapped to the NIC1 interface. If adapters are added out of sequence or re-added, the hypervisor may assign a different identifier (such as NIC2), which the script cannot access.

Resolution

Follow the below steps to remove the network adapter and attach new:

1. Right-click the Active vCenter Server VM and select Edit Settings.
2. Delete the network adapter that was improperly enumerated for the VCHA network.
3. Add a New Network Adapter to the VM. Ensure it occupies the correct sequential hardware slot to be mapped as NIC1 by the VCSA.
4. Connect the new adapter to the dedicated VCHA port group.
5. Restart the vCenter HA configuration wizard.