Symptoms:
If you remove an ESXi host configured with a vDS from a vCenter Server system and add it to a new vCenter, you experience these symptoms:

• The host cannot automatically reconnect to the vSphere Distributed Switches (vDS). The issue also occurs if the ESXi host disconnects from vCenter and is added back to the same vCenter, or if the vCenter needs to be rebuilt for any reason.
• When you add the host back to vCenter Server, you see the alarm similar to:
  
  The distributed Virtual Switch corresponding to the proxy switches d5 6e 22 50 dd f2 94 7b-a6 1f b2 c2 e6 aa 0f bf on the host does not exist in vCenter or does not contain the host.

VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.5
VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1

The correct supported method of migrating to a new vCenter on DVS was not followed.

Moving an ESX/ESXi host with vDS from one vCenter Server to another (1029498)

This is expected behavior. Distributed switches are created and owned by vCenter, and a proxy copy is given to each host. In situations where the host is moved to a new vCenter or the vCenter is rebuilt and the host is re-added, the vCenter Server Distributed Switch does not recognize the host's proxy copy of the switch. This error will generate asking the user to verify that the host's proxy copy is the same as the vCenter Server's Distributed Switch.

1. Connect to the vCenter Server directly using the vSphere Client.
2. Verify the vCenter Server's current vDS or create a new vDS.
   
   a. Create and configure the appropriate port groups on the newly create vDS.
    
3. Navigate to Networking tab and select the appropriate vDS.
4. Launch the Add and Manage Hosts wizard.
5. Select the host and the physical adapters that are currently connected to the host's proxy switch.
6. Click Next.
7. Select the virtual adapters that are to be migrated to the vDS.
8. Choose the virtual NICs that are currently connected to the host's proxy switch, and provide a target port group.
9. Click Next.
10. Select the virtual machines that you want to migrate to the newly created vDS. All the virtual machines that are currently connected to the host's proxy switch should appear with a warning icon in the list and you can locate them easily. You can select multiple virtual machines and assign a target portgroup at once.
11. Complete the wizard. The migration now starts.

In some situations, the user does not need the vDS on the host at all any more. In this case, the user can delete the host's proxy copy by clicking on Inventory > Host > Configure > Networking > Virtual Switches. The vDS will be listed here. If objects are still attached to the vDS, they will need to be moved to another switch. Once the vDS is empty, there will be an option to remove the vDS in the menu next to the vDS. 



If a "resource is in use" error occurs, see The resource 'Port-ID' is in use error when removing a host from VDS.