Unable to set static MAC address on a Virtual Machine post upgrade to 8.0U2

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• vCenter Server version is 8.0U2
• When you right-click on a VM in the vSphere Client and click Edit Settings > Virtual Hardware > Network adapter > MAC Address and change the drop down from Automatic to Manual then enter a MAC Address manually and click OK the task appears to complete successfully. However checking the configured MAC Address shows that it is still set to Automatic and the previous MAC Address.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 8.0.2

Resolution

VMware is aware of this issue and working to resolve this in a future release.

Workaround:
If the vNIC is on a Virtual Standard Switch (vSS), you can modify the MAC address via the ESXi Host Client.
Note: this method will not work with vNICs on a Virtual Distributed Switch (vDS).

You can temporarily change the portgroup for the vNIC to one on a vSS in order to use the workaround below, then change it back to the original portgroup on the vDS after you complete the MAC change.  This portgroup change should be done from vCenter, not via the ESXi Host Client.

1. Power off the VM.
2. Right-click the Virtual Machine and select Edit Settings > Network Adapter > MAC Address, then change the dropdown option from Automatic to Manual and configure the required MAC Address and click SAVE.
3. Power on the VM.