Error: Invalid configuration for device '13': Invalid configuration for device '13', during storage vmotion

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi
• VMware vCenter Server
• VMware Telco Cloud Platform
• VMware Cloud Foundation

Issue/Introduction

• VMware vSphere Storage vMotion fails at the validation or switchover phase with an invalid device configuration error.
• The ESXi host /var/log/vpxa.log displays the following error:

(vim.fault.InvalidDeviceSpec) {
   faultCause = (vmodl.MethodFault) null,
   property = "virtualDeviceSpec.device.backing",
   deviceIndex = 13
   msg = "Invalid configuration for device '13'."
}

• The extracted device specification shows deviceIndex = 13 corresponds to a network adapter requesting a connection to a Distributed Virtual Switch (DVS) with a specific port key and connection cookie:

(vim.vm.device.VirtualDeviceSpec) {
   operation = "add",
   fileOperation = <unset>,
   device = (vim.vm.device.VirtualVmxnet3) {
      dynamicProperty = <unset>,
      key = 4000,
      deviceInfo = (vim.Description) {
         label = "Network adapter 1",
         summary = "DVSwitch: <MAC_ADDRESSES>"
      },
      backing = (vim.vm.device.VirtualEthernetCard.DistributedVirtualPortBackingInfo) {
         port = (vim.dvs.PortConnection) {
            switchUuid = "<REDACTED_MAC_ADDRESSES>",
            portgroupKey = "dvportgroup-######",
            portKey = "##",
            connectionCookie = ##############
         }
      }
   }
}

Environment

ESXi: 8.x

VC: 8.x

VCF: 5.x

TCP: 5.x

Cause

A stale Distributed Virtual Port allocation state within the vCenter Server Database (VCDB) causes a mismatch with the ESXi host's local DVS proxy switch, resulting in an invalid configuration fault during migration.

Resolution

1. Right-click the affected virtual machine in the vSphere Client and select Edit Settings.

2. Locate the Network Adapter corresponding to the device index from the error (e.g., Network Adapter 1 for device 13). Note the current Distributed Port Group.

3. Temporarily change the Network Adapter connection to any different, valid Port Group and click OK.

4. Right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings again.

5. Revert the Network Adapter connection back to the original Distributed Port Group and click OK.

6. Retry the Storage vMotion operation.