HOW TO change the IP of a esxi host in Vcenter (complex issue).

[philjans]

Hi,
In my Vcenter I have 1 esxi host listed.
It is by ip addresss, not dns name.
If the esxi host changed IP address: how do I change it in vCenter to match it.

I want to change the 10.19.203.3 to 10.19.80.100

If I right click on it: the ip itself is un-editable.
If I try to "add a host": I get told "the DB qa-ssd01 is in conflict with another existing db in the database center who has the same URL ds:///vmfs... but it is saved on a storage system physically different..."


If you wonder, the original reason of the need can be found here: https://communities.vmware.com/t5/VMware-vCenter-Discussions/Weird-Vcenter-ESXi-ip-mixed-up-after-a-...

version 6.5.0.32000

[ashilkrishnan]

Hi @philjans ,

Please change the IP address from direct console of ESXi host--> https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2084629 

[amansapra19]

You can change the Host IP Address using https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/7.0/com.vmware.esxi.install.doc/GUID-8C70FB9B-D2AB-424E-BB...

[pdirmann01 · Accepted solution]

If you're trying to make the host appear in vCenter as the DNS name versus IP you could always disconnect it from vCenter and remove it from inventory, then re-add it using the DNS name instead. You'll have a little clean up work to do like re-organize the VMs into folders, if you had it sorted previously.

[pdirmann01]

Of course, in this process execute your IP change too. 🙂

[philjans]

Hi,
This procedure is to change the ip address of the esxi host.
But I need a procedure to change the ip address of the esxi host that VCENTER sees

The ip of the esxi host never change and do not need to change.
But Vcenter sees the esxi host  10.19.203.3 when in fact, it is and has always been 10.19.80.100
How can I change in vcenter this ip?

thanks for the info

[philjans]

Hi Amansapra19:
The like is a page not found...

[philjans]

Hi @pdirmann01 1:
That would be my last results. It would work but I am trying to avoid the "little cleanup" .

[amansapra19]

I think what you are looking at in the inventory is the Hostname for ESXi host. Try checking/modifying the Hostname for ESXi using: https://www.vladan.fr/5-ways-to-change-hostname-of-your-esxi-host/

[sjesse]

Just remove the host from vcenter and readd it as the new IP address.

[pdirmann01]

Yeah, you're trying to change the vCenter Inventory Name. The articles everyone is posting is how to change the hostname and/or IP of the ESX server, which doesn't accomplish what you're trying to do. I believe you're going to need to remove from inventory and re-add using the correct IP or hostname, my friend.

[pdirmann01]

If you're PowerCLI saavy, you could always get a folder location of the VMs on that particular host and use that data to move them back to their folder structure once you've re-added the host correctly.

[pdirmann01]

Just chopped this up really quick if you wanted to use it:

To obtain the VM's and their folder location:

$vmList = Get-VMHost [your host here] |Get-VM | Select Name, Folder

To move the VM back to their folder location after you re-add the host to vCenter:

ForEach ($vm in $vmList) { Move-VM $vm.Name -InventoryLocation $vm.Folder }

[philjans]

@ashilkrishnan 
Any other options before I delete and re-add the esxi to vcenter?
Also, why would a simple firewall rule with Natting would makes Vcenter change the ip address of a esxi  and no way to get it back to the right ip any other way?

Which MINIMAL ports are required for vcenter to talk to the esxi? I would like to reput a nat from 203.3 to the correct ip 80.100 and see if vcenter "light-up"? I know the heartbeat is 902 but that's it.
If 80 and 443 are required, which I dought since the first NAT issue did not include them, then it would be impossible since the FW needs those two to stay attributed to it-self.
tx

[sjesse]

The ip address your references under hosts and clusters isn't the esxi hosts IP, its the name of the esxi host in the inventory. Any modification to the hostname or IP that requires that to be updated needs to have the host removed and readded like mentioned here

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1010821

There used to be a Perl script out there that helped with this, but the  website is not longer around and I don't have a copy, 

[ashilkrishnan]

@philjans ,

vCenter or ESXi won't change the IP address unless a external API has triggered to vC. If the ESXi host address is changed, vC would also reflect the same. If it's just the vC where the host IP address is incorrectly reported, then a database cleanup would be required and I would not recommend that now. Since it is a single host, remove and reconnect would be a better option.

Certain ports are mandatory --> https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/1005189 

Note: If in case, you are using NAT between the vCenter Server system and ESXi/ESX hosts, it is an unsupported configuration

[philjans]

Hi,
I can confirm you that it is vcenter you change the "name" or "ip" showing in vcenter. No one has access to it and I did not.
If you'd like, you can test it in your lab.
have a vcenter in an environnement.
Connect in it a esxi using the esxi ip address.
put a esxi in another network.
Have a firewall in between with a rule to allow traffic between the 2.
Had natting to the rule.
Now the Vcenter will list the esxi as the Firewall ip instead of the real esxi IP and you won't be able to reconnect even after removing the NAT.

Anyhow: I removed the esxi from the inventory and re-added it and it fixed the issue. (needed to reconfigure a lot of configs but ... it worked).
Thank you all guys

[pdirmann01]

Glad to hear it! Please consider marking the thread with a solution. 🙂