How to change Server Console VMnic

[wgerrish82]

Hi all,

Just installed my first 3.5 esx server and im wondering if someone could help me with something. I need to change the vmnic that the service console is using now obviously i cant do it though the VI client as i would just loose connection so how would i go about changing this within the console?

current config is

witch Name Num Ports Used Ports Configured Ports Uplinks

vSwitch0 64 5 64 vmnic0,vmnic1

PortGroup Name Internal ID VLAN ID Used Ports Uplinks

Service Console portgroup0 0 1 vmnic0,vmnic1

VM Network portgroup1 0 1 vmnic0,vmnic1

Switch Name Num Ports Used Ports Configured Ports Uplinks

vSwitch1 64 6 64 vmnic4,vmnic5

PortGroup Name Internal ID VLAN ID Used Ports Uplinks

Service Console 2 portgroup0 0 1 vmnic4,vmnic5

iSCSI VMKernal portgroup1 0 1 vmnic4,vmnic5

Switch Name Num Ports Used Ports Configured Ports Uplinks

vSwitch2 64 4 64 vmnic3

PortGroup Name Internal ID VLAN ID Used Ports Uplinks

VMotion VMKernal portgroup0 0 1 vmnic3

Now i want to unlink vmnic0,vmnic1 from vSwitch0 and add in unused vmnic2. Please could someone give me a helping hand with this please becuase as i said this is my first esx install and still getting to grips with it.

thanks in advance.

will

[wgardiner]

Just add in your new NIC first leaving the others in place. Then remove the others one by one. Then you should maintain connectivity

[alanrenouf]

I would also do it the same way as the other guy but from the console you can do....

esxcfg-vswitch --unlink=vmnic0 vSwitch0

esxcfg-vswitch --unlink=vmnic1 vSwitch0

esxcfg-vswitch --link=vmnic2 vSwitch0

That should do it.

Let us know how it goes.

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[wgerrish82]

Tried this on one ESX server and i lose connection had to run a esxcfg-vswitch -U vmnic2 vSwitch0 to get it back. vmnic1,vmnic2 and vmnic3 all are attached to the same switch......

[wgardiner]

How is he going to execute that last NIC link command when he no longer has connectivity to the service console?

[alanrenouf]

I was assuming he was physically at the console not remoted onto the console as he didnt say he was remoted. :smileygrin:

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[wgardiner]

Haha fair point then If he is directly connected then those commands should do the trick!

[alanrenouf · Accepted solution]

Yeah but I agree with you, thats what i would normailly do. Add the nic via the VIC and then click ok, then go back in and remove the others.

Job done, no downtime !

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[wgerrish82]

Thanks to you both.

[Ken_Cline]

How is he going to execute that last NIC link command when he no longer has connectivity to the service console?

String the commands together all on one command line or put them into a script and execute the script...

Ken Cline

Technical Director, Virtualization

Wells Landers

VMware Communities User Moderator