Cannot see Port-group created

[gciscol]

Hi Please see the below picture. I try to configure a server interface to add ip address at the adapter. The Port-group is configured, but we cannot see it at Network Adapter. Anyone can tell what happen there? Before the issue, I made some change on Virtual switch or port-group. Do not know if we can get it back. Now the old Port-group and new created port-group cannot be seen there. Thank you!

 

 

[Scott Vessey]

I guess that you have added VMkernel ports to your port groups. As soon as you do that, the port group is no longer available for VMs to connect to - each port group is either for the VMkernel or VMs, not both.

If I’m right, you are not the first person to make that mistake, it comes up often here...

 

[gciscol]

Thank you scott28tt for your reply! I created a new port-group, but it still cannot work.

Here is step: Add standard virtual switch ------> choose vmnic at Uplink ---->click on Add----> Add port group -----> choose virtual switch created ----> go to Add VMkernel NIC -----> choose port group created ------> click on Create.

Do you think if the nic system has a problem? Please the below screenshot where i am create a new VM, but there is nothing that can be chosen when click on GigabiEthernet1

Are these steps correct? 

 

Also, When i go to VM of windows server in this host, I can see the below interface status. Looks like these interfaces is disconnected. Do not know how to connect it or fix it

 

[Scott Vessey]

You added a VMkernel NIC, you shouldn’t have done that, the second you did that the port group was no longer for VM connections.

 

[gciscol]

A lot VMs in this host. How can we fix the issue? Thank you!

[Scott Vessey]

Post a screenshot of your vSwitch, the graphical view that shows port groups to the left and uplinks to the right.

 

[gciscol]

Please see the below screenshot, thank you

 

 

[NathanosBlightc]

Run the following esxcli commands to create a new vSwitch and a new port group (second line)

Then check the VM connectivity again and give us the response:

 

[gciscol]

Great! I can only see the "test" port-group  by these two commands, but do not know why i cannot see port-group that i created by gui.

and do I have to create VMkernel NIC?

 

 

[Scott Vessey]

Because you added a VMkernel port to those other port groups, as I’ve suggested multiple times.

Perhaps do some research on why you WOULD need a VMkernel port (eg. Host management, HA, vMotion) - if you don’t need to do any of those things via that uplink of the vSwitch you don’t need a VMkernel port on the port groups of that vSwitch.

 

[gciscol]

Thank you scott28tt. I didnt understand it at that time.  There are a lot documents in internet, and I am always trying to find a document to show how to setup these ports formally for each VM, but I have not found a good one. If you have, i appreciate your help

 

[Scott Vessey]

The vSphere documentation?

https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/7.0/com.vmware.vsphere.networking.doc/GUID-0BBDC715-2F93-4460-BF07-5778658C66D1.html

You don’t need a separate port group for each VM though, not unless they have their own individual VLAN or policy requirements.

 

[gciscol]

Thank you scott28tt and NathanosBlightc!!

[NathanosBlightc]

Simply if you want to know, you need the VMkernel portgroup for the ESXi host management purposes, not for handling the virtual machine's traffic. So whenever you create the VMkernel type of portgroup, you can't see that in the VM networking settings. BTW as Scott suggested, I strongly recommend to you read the official documents carefully too ...