Can I add hosts to vCenter from a different subnet?

[dbali]

Hello all,

I have the following issue:

I have 2 ESXi 5 servers and the corresponding vCenter. I have their management interfaces on the same subnet as vCenter, I have created a cluster and everything works fine. HA enabled and all. So far so good.

I was hoping to create a second cluster with 4 more ESXi 5 hosts from a remote physical location with their management interfaces on a different subnet than vCenter. I can add them to vCenter but after about two minutes they are greyed out and I get a "Not responding" message next to the host. I can access the host via vSphere Client (it does not reboot or anything like that) but I can't seem to manage it from vCenter.

Is it mandatory to have your management interface on the same subnet as vCenter in order for it to work?

Thank you in advance,

Dimitra.

[harrygunter]

You can have the Host Management Interfaces on seperate subnets to vCenter.

You will need to make sure firewall rules and routing between the subnets is correct though.

I would look at the routing between the subnets, I've had this before where the Host connects then drops out.

[vGuy]

Welcome to the community!

The management network of the individual hosts can be on a different subnet as long as all the ports required for vCenter communication are allowed at the firewall (if there's a firewall in between)....have a look at the below articles on the list of ports to be allowed:

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=102225...

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=101238...

Also you may want to check that the hosts are reaching the vCenter on it's assigned address and not the NAT address.

Just incase if the vCenter is behind NAT: http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=101065...

[dbali]

Thank you very much for your prompt reply

Are you 100% sure that this is a network issue? My network colleagues assure me that all the rules and routing between the subnets are correct and we have even tried this without ANY firewall rules between those two subnets and I still got the same "Not responding" state.

Could we be missing something?

[dbali]

Aha! I will check the NAT issue then.

[dbali]

Ok, once again thank you both for your prompt replies.

It was a networking issue after all. A bit silly but the rules were opened from vCenter to the host and not vice versa. :$

Allowing port 902 also from the host to vCenter, seemed to do the trick.