Knowledge Base

• In ESX 4.0 Update 2, a new command-line tool, console-setup, was included to simplify the process of creating or restoring networking in the ESX service console. For more information, see Configuring or restoring networking from the ESX service console using console-setup (1022078).
• In ESXi 4.x and 5.0, you can restore the network to a Standard vSwitch using the Restore Standard Switch option from the Direct Console User Interface (DCUI) console screen (press F2 from console). Note this will result in a blank network configuration (1 x vSwitch with 1 x vmkernel port group) on the ESXi host. Any existing vSwitch, portgroup, and vmkernel information will be removed. It is recommended to take a screenshot of your network configuration from the vSphere client or the output from the esxcfg-vswitch -l and esxcfg-vmknic -l commands before using this option.

• These commands allow you to add or remove network cards (known as uplinks) to or from a Standard vSwitch:
  
  # esxcfg-vswitch -U vmnic vSwitch    # unlink an uplink
  # esxcfg-vswitch -L vmnic vSwitch    # add an uplink
  
  
  Note: Unlink and relinking from or to a distributed switch depending on the scenario.
  
  
  
• These commands allow you to add or remove network cards (known as uplinks) to or from a vNetwork Distributed Switch (vDS):
  
  # esxcfg-vswitch -Q vmnic -V dvPort_ID_of_vmnic dvSwitch   # unlink a DVS uplink
  # esxcfg-vswitch -P vmnic -V unused_dvPort_ID dvSwitch     # add a DVS uplink 
  
  
• To create an ESX Service Console management interface (vswif) and uplink it to the vDS, run the command:
  
  Note: This command does not apply to ESXi.
  
  # esxcfg-vswif -a -i IP_address -n Netmask -V dvSwitch -P DVPort_ID vswif0
  
  For example:
  
  # esxcfg-vswif -a -i 192.168.76.1 -n 255.255.255.0 -V dvSwitch -P 8 vswif0
  
  
• To use the same IP address of the management VMkernel port, perform one of these options:
  • Delete an existing VMkernel port from a vDS with the command:
    
    # esxcfg-vmknic -d -s DVswitchname -v virtual_port_ID
    
    
  • Disable the management VMkernel port with the command:
    
    # esxcfg-vmknic -D -s DVswitchname -v virtual_port_ID vmnic#
    
    
• To create a VMkernel port and attach it to the DVPort ID on a vDS, run the command:
  
  # esxcfg-vmknic -a -i IP_address -n netmask -s DVswitchname -v virtual_port_ID
  
  
• To create a VMkernel port and attach it to the DVPort ID on a vSS, run the command:
  
  # esxcfg-vmknic -a -i IP_address -n netmask  portgroup

For ESXi 4.x and 5.0 commands, see vSphere Command-Line Interface Installation and Scripting Guide.