Unable To Select VMXNET3 As Adapter

[lloydz]

A little backstory - running ESX 5.5, virtual machine is VyOS (which is running a flavor of Debian).  We are adding a 10Gig NIC to the host and would like to take advantage of the faster speeds on the VMs.  VyOS is currently using the E1000 adapter, and the adapter dropdown inside of the add adapter wizard only lists E1000 (and no VMXNET3).

Strangely, creating a new VyOS VM from scratch (using the same install ISO), I'm able to select between E1000 and VMXNET3 from the initial add VM wizard, and this new VM recognizes the VMXNET3 adapter (and 10Gig speeds).  I'd rather not have to migrate to this new VM - how can I add the VMXNET3 adapter to the existing VyOS VM?

[continuum]

The reason for this can be quite trivial: maybe you selected an inappropriate guestOS or the mainboard of the VM has no PCI-express-ports.
Compare the existing vmx with the new one - maybe you just need to set the ethernet*.virtualDev manually.

[lloydz]

Both VMs have the same guestOS selected. 

Here's a comparison of the "new" vmx vs the old with respect to the ethernet* settings:

New:

ethernet0.virtualDev = "vmxnet3"

ethernet0.networkName = "VM Network"

ethernet0.addressType = "generated"

ethernet0.present = "TRUE"

ethernet1.virtualDev = "vmxnet3"

ethernet1.networkName = "VM Network"

ethernet1.addressType = "generated"

ethernet1.present = "TRUE"

Old:

ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000"

ethernet0.networkName = "VM Network"

ethernet0.addressType = "generated"

ethernet0.present = "TRUE"

ethernet1.virtualDev = "e1000"

ethernet1.networkName = "VM Network"

ethernet1.addressType = "generated"

ethernet1.present = "TRUE"

Is it as simple as downing the machine and editing the VMX to swap the virtualDev name?

[lloydz]

Hold everything - the "guestOS" line in the original VMX file reports "otherlinux-64" while the new states "debian6-64".  On the vSphere console, it reports both as "Debian GNU/Linux 6 (64-bit)".

Bottom line, what is the recommended method for fixing this?

[continuum]

please post the complete vmx-file

[lloydz]

Current VyOS VMX:

.encoding = "UTF-8"

config.version = "8"

virtualHW.version = "8"

nvram = "VyOS_1.nvram"

pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"

svga.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge4.functions = "8"

pciBridge5.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge5.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge5.functions = "8"

pciBridge6.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge6.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge6.functions = "8"

pciBridge7.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge7.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge7.functions = "8"

vmci0.present = "TRUE"

hpet0.present = "TRUE"

displayName = "VyOS"

extendedConfigFile = "VyOS_1.vmxf"

virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"

numvcpus = "4"

cpuid.coresPerSocket = "4"

memSize = "8192"

sched.cpu.units = "mhz"

powerType.powerOff = "soft"

powerType.suspend = "hard"

powerType.reset = "soft"

scsi0.virtualDev = "lsilogic"

scsi0.present = "TRUE"

ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-image"

ide1:0.fileName = "/vmfs/volumes/4db8722f-010959d8-b919-782bcb034866/ISOs/vyos-1.1.5-amd64.iso"

ide1:0.present = "TRUE"

floppy0.startConnected = "FALSE"

floppy0.clientDevice = "TRUE"

floppy0.fileName = "vmware-null-remote-floppy"

ethernet0.virtualDev = "e1000"

ethernet0.networkName = "VM Network"

ethernet0.addressType = "generated"

ethernet0.present = "TRUE"

ethernet1.virtualDev = "e1000"

ethernet1.networkName = "VM Network"

ethernet1.addressType = "generated"

ethernet1.present = "TRUE"

scsi0:0.deviceType = "scsi-hardDisk"

scsi0:0.fileName = "VyOS_1.vmdk"

scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"

guestOS = "otherlinux-64"

toolScripts.afterPowerOn = "TRUE"

toolScripts.afterResume = "TRUE"

toolScripts.beforeSuspend = "TRUE"

toolScripts.beforePowerOff = "TRUE"

uuid.bios = "56 4d b9 63 89 8e a3 d5-2c 78 02 c4 5f 84 f3 5d"

uuid.location = "56 4d b9 63 89 8e a3 d5-2c 78 02 c4 5f 84 f3 5d"

vc.uuid = "52 5d ca b3 76 49 b8 01-b1 09 1a 4e 3f fc 1c 96"

chipset.onlineStandby = "FALSE"

sched.cpu.min = "0"

sched.cpu.shares = "high"

sched.mem.min = "0"

sched.mem.minSize = "0"

sched.mem.shares = "normal"

sched.swap.derivedName = "/vmfs/volumes/4db871e3-b55deec0-7002-782bcb034866/VyOS_1/VyOS_1-2a4310fb.vswp"

replay.supported = "FALSE"

replay.filename = ""

scsi0:0.redo = ""

pciBridge0.pciSlotNumber = "17"

pciBridge4.pciSlotNumber = "21"

pciBridge5.pciSlotNumber = "22"

pciBridge6.pciSlotNumber = "23"

pciBridge7.pciSlotNumber = "24"

scsi0.pciSlotNumber = "16"

ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "32"

ethernet1.pciSlotNumber = "33"

vmci0.pciSlotNumber = "34"

ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0c:29:84:f3:5d"

ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"

ethernet1.generatedAddress = "00:0c:29:84:f3:67"

ethernet1.generatedAddressOffset = "10"

vmci0.id = "1602548573"

hostCPUID.0 = "0000000b756e65476c65746e49656e69"

hostCPUID.1 = "000206c220200800029ee3ffbfebfbff"

hostCPUID.80000001 = "0000000000000000000000012c100800"

guestCPUID.0 = "0000000b756e65476c65746e49656e69"

guestCPUID.1 = "000206c200040800829822031fabfbff"

guestCPUID.80000001 = "00000000000000000000000128100800"

userCPUID.0 = "0000000b756e65476c65746e49656e69"

userCPUID.1 = "000206c220200800029822031fabfbff"

userCPUID.80000001 = "00000000000000000000000128100800"

evcCompatibilityMode = "FALSE"

vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "4194304"

cleanShutdown = "FALSE"

softPowerOff = "FALSE"

tools.syncTime = "FALSE"

ide1:0.startConnected = "FALSE"

ide1:0.allowGuestConnectionControl = "TRUE"

ctkEnabled = "TRUE"

scsi0:0.ctkEnabled = "TRUE"

tools.remindInstall = "TRUE"

New (test) VyOS vmx:

.encoding = "UTF-8"

config.version = "8"

virtualHW.version = "8"

nvram = "Test VyOS.nvram"

pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"

svga.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge4.functions = "8"

pciBridge5.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge5.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge5.functions = "8"

pciBridge6.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge6.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge6.functions = "8"

pciBridge7.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge7.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge7.functions = "8"

vmci0.present = "TRUE"

hpet0.present = "TRUE"

displayName = "Test VyOS"

extendedConfigFile = "Test VyOS.vmxf"

virtualHW.productCompatibility = "hosted"

numvcpus = "4"

cpuid.coresPerSocket = "4"

memSize = "4096"

sched.cpu.units = "mhz"

powerType.powerOff = "soft"

powerType.suspend = "hard"

powerType.reset = "soft"

scsi0.virtualDev = "lsilogic"

scsi0.present = "TRUE"

ide1:0.deviceType = "cdrom-image"

ide1:0.fileName = "/vmfs/volumes/4db8722f-010959d8-b919-782bcb034866/ISOs/vyos-1.1.5-amd64.iso"

ide1:0.present = "TRUE"

floppy0.startConnected = "FALSE"

floppy0.clientDevice = "TRUE"

floppy0.fileName = "vmware-null-remote-floppy"

ethernet0.virtualDev = "vmxnet3"

ethernet0.networkName = "VM Network"

ethernet0.addressType = "generated"

ethernet0.present = "TRUE"

ethernet1.virtualDev = "vmxnet3"

ethernet1.networkName = "VM Network"

ethernet1.addressType = "generated"

ethernet1.present = "TRUE"

scsi0:0.deviceType = "scsi-hardDisk"

scsi0:0.fileName = "Test VyOS.vmdk"

scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"

guestOS = "debian6-64"

toolScripts.afterPowerOn = "TRUE"

toolScripts.afterResume = "TRUE"

toolScripts.beforeSuspend = "TRUE"

toolScripts.beforePowerOff = "TRUE"

uuid.bios = "56 4d bf 92 32 04 a4 da-2f 95 6a c2 55 ab 91 fb"

uuid.location = "56 4d bf 92 32 04 a4 da-2f 95 6a c2 55 ab 91 fb"

vc.uuid = "52 de 72 23 4b e8 e5 d3-11 48 49 e8 6c d2 73 83"

chipset.onlineStandby = "FALSE"

sched.cpu.min = "0"

sched.cpu.shares = "normal"

sched.mem.min = "0"

sched.mem.minSize = "0"

sched.mem.shares = "normal"

sched.swap.derivedName = "/vmfs/volumes/4db871e3-b55deec0-7002-782bcb034866/Test VyOS/Test VyOS-6e6246eb.vswp"

replay.supported = "FALSE"

replay.filename = ""

scsi0:0.redo = ""

pciBridge0.pciSlotNumber = "17"

pciBridge4.pciSlotNumber = "21"

pciBridge5.pciSlotNumber = "22"

pciBridge6.pciSlotNumber = "23"

pciBridge7.pciSlotNumber = "24"

scsi0.pciSlotNumber = "16"

ethernet0.pciSlotNumber = "160"

ethernet1.pciSlotNumber = "192"

vmci0.pciSlotNumber = "32"

ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:0c:29:ab:91:fb"

ethernet0.generatedAddressOffset = "0"

ethernet1.generatedAddress = "00:0c:29:ab:91:05"

ethernet1.generatedAddressOffset = "10"

vmci0.id = "1437307387"

hostCPUID.0 = "0000000b756e65476c65746e49656e69"

hostCPUID.1 = "000206c220200800029ee3ffbfebfbff"

hostCPUID.80000001 = "0000000000000000000000012c100800"

guestCPUID.0 = "0000000b756e65476c65746e49656e69"

guestCPUID.1 = "000206c200040800829822031fabfbff"

guestCPUID.80000001 = "00000000000000000000000128100800"

userCPUID.0 = "0000000b756e65476c65746e49656e69"

userCPUID.1 = "000206c220200800029822031fabfbff"

userCPUID.80000001 = "00000000000000000000000128100800"

evcCompatibilityMode = "FALSE"

vmotion.checkpointFBSize = "4194304"

cleanShutdown = "TRUE"

softPowerOff = "FALSE"

tools.syncTime = "FALSE"

[continuum]

Exactly as I thought:
the new VM has two PCI-express ports. The old one uses only PCI-ports.
To reset the mainboard delete all lines starting with pci*, set the guestOS to an option different from "other-64" and start the VM once.
After that you should be able to use the GUI

[lloydz]

Thank you.  Just so I'm clear on the steps, I'll need to down the server, edit the VMX file and remove the following lines:

pciBridge0.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge4.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge4.functions = "8"

pciBridge5.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge5.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge5.functions = "8"

pciBridge6.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge6.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge6.functions = "8"

pciBridge7.present = "TRUE"

pciBridge7.virtualDev = "pcieRootPort"

pciBridge7.functions = "8"

pciBridge0.pciSlotNumber = "17"

pciBridge4.pciSlotNumber = "21"

pciBridge5.pciSlotNumber = "22"

pciBridge6.pciSlotNumber = "23"

pciBridge7.pciSlotNumber = "24"

...change the guestOS line to something else, then restart the server?

[continuum]

Yes - that should work. But maybe creating a new VM and re-using the existing vmdk is easier for you.