Mac Address error when using the New-VMHostNetworkAdapter cmdlet

[TRottig]

Hi,

new to powershell and powercli scripting, so sorry for stupid beginners mistakes.

I found a similar discussion (https://communities.vmware.com/t5/VMware-PowerCLI-Discussions/Mac-Address-error-when-using-the-New-V...) but its not the same issue (i dont have spaces in my strings).

I am trying to populate a dvswitch for a new environment and fail on the scripted version of New-VMHostNetworkAdapter

Here is the code snippet that i run ( and totally off topic, why is Powershell not one of the code options? )

Write-Host pg=$pg, vmk=$vmk, vlan=$vlan, extraoptions=$pgo
Write-Host New-VMHostNetworkAdapter -Verbose -VMHost $hostip -VirtualSwitch $dvs -PortGroup $pg -IP $vmkip -SubnetMask $SubnetMask $options -Mtu $MTu
New-VMHostNetworkAdapter -Verbose -VMHost $hostip -VirtualSwitch $dvs -PortGroup $pg -IP $vmkip -SubnetMask $SubnetMask $options -Mtu $MTu

($options is empty for this vmk as it has no traffic type associated, values of the other variables can be seen below in the cli output)

I run the script in Poweshell prompt or ISE, both have the same error:

pg=DS_vmk0_NFS_vlan10 vmk=vmk0 vlan=10 extraoptions=vmk0
New-VMHostNetworkAdapter -VMHost 10.0.1.11 -VirtualSwitch DSwitch -PortGroup DS_vmk0_NFS_vlan10 -IP 10.0.10.11 -SubnetMask 255.255.255.0  -Mtu 9000
AUSFÜHRLICH: Performing operation 'Creating new VM host network adapter.' on host '10.0.1.11'
New-VMHostNetworkAdapter : 16.04.2022 13:22:52	New-VMHostNetworkAdapter		An error occurred during host configuration. Operation failed, diagnostics report: Invalid MAC address	
In Zeile:106 Zeichen:4
+             New-VMHostNetworkAdapter -Verbose -VMHost $hostip -Virtua ...
+             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [New-VMHostNetworkAdapter], PlatformConfigFault
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Client20_VmHostServiceImpl_NewVMHostNetworkAdapter_ViError,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.Host.NewVMHostNetworkAdapter
 
AUSFÜHRLICH: 16.04.2022 13:22:52	New-VMHostNetworkAdapter	Finished execution

Now if I run the same command line manually its working perfectly fine

New-VMHostNetworkAdapter -VMHost 10.0.1.11 -VirtualSwitch DSwitch -PortGroup DS_vmk0_NFS_vlan10 -IP 10.0.10.11 -SubnetMask 255.255.255.0  -Mtu 9000

Name       Mac               DhcpEnabled IP              SubnetMask      DeviceName
----       ---               ----------- --              ----------      ----------
vmk0       00:50:56:62:23:f5 False       10.0.10.11      255.255.255.0         vmk0

Any idea what the cause could be?

Thanks

[LucD]

Instead of using Object By Name (OBN), did you already try with

$esx = Get-VMHost -Name $hostip
$switch = Get-VirtualSwitch -VMHost $esx -Name $dvs
$portgroup = Get-VirtualPortGroup -VirtualSwitch $switch -Name $pg

New-VMHostNetworkAdapter -Verbose -VMHost $esx -VirtualSwitch $switch -PortGroup $portgroup -IP $vmkip -SubnetMask $SubnetMask -Mtu $MTu

.And leave out the empty $options
 

[TRottig]

Hi Luc,

brilliant, that works (partially at least). I had tried changing individual parts to objects but not all of them.

Now the vmks without options work, but how do i add the traffic type?

I split up the script to only add the $options when needed, but even then its not working

$esx = Get-VMHost -Name $hostip
$switch = Get-VDSwitch -VMHost $esx -Name $dvs
$portgroup = Get-VDPortgroup -VDSwitch $switch -Name $pg
			
if ($pgo -eq $vmk)
{
 #$options=""
 #-Verbose
 New-VMHostNetworkAdapter  -VMHost $esx -VirtualSwitch $switch -PortGroup $portgroup -IP $vmkip -SubnetMask $SubnetMask -Mtu $MTu
}
else
{
 #-VMotionEnabled:$true
 $options= -join("-", "$pgo", ':$true'); 
 #-Verbose
 New-VMHostNetworkAdapter -VMHost $esx -VirtualSwitch $switch -PortGroup $portgroup -IP $vmkip -SubnetMask $SubnetMask $options -Mtu $MTu
			}

pg=DS_vmk0_NFS_vlan10 vmk=vmk0 vlan=10 extraoptions=vmk0
New-VMHostNetworkAdapter -VMHost 10.0.1.11 -VirtualSwitch DSwitch -PortGroup DS_vmk0_NFS_vlan10 -IP 10.0.10.11 -SubnetMask 255.255.255.0  -Mtu 9000

VMotionEnabled               : False
FaultToleranceLoggingEnabled : False
ManagementTrafficEnabled     : False
IPv6                         : 
AutomaticIPv6                : 
IPv6ThroughDhcp              : 
IPv6Enabled                  : 
Mtu                          : 9000
VsanTrafficEnabled           : False
ProvisioningEnabled          : False
VSphereReplicationEnabled    : False
VSphereReplicationNFCEnabled : False
VSphereBackupNFCEnabled      : False
PortGroupName                : DS_vmk0_NFS_vlan10
Id                           : key-vim.host.VirtualNic-vmk0
VMHostId                     : HostSystem-host-5003
VMHost                       : 10.0.1.11
VMHostUid                    : /VIServer=xxx:443/VMHost=HostSystem-host-5003/
DeviceName                   : vmk0
Mac                          : 00:50:56:62:9c:46
DhcpEnabled                  : False
IP                           : 10.0.10.11
SubnetMask                   : 255.255.255.0
Uid                          : /VIServer=xxx:443/VMHost=HostSystem-host-5003/HostVMKernelVirtualNic=key-vim.host.VirtualNic-vmk0/
Name                         : vmk0
ExtensionData                : VMware.Vim.HostVirtualNic

pg=DS_vmk1_vMotion1_vlan6 vmk=vmk1 vlan=6 extraoptions=VMotionEnabled
New-VMHostNetworkAdapter -VMHost 10.0.1.11 -VirtualSwitch DSwitch -PortGroup DS_vmk1_vMotion1_vlan6 -IP 10.0.6.11 -SubnetMask 255.255.255.0 -VMotionEnabled:$true -Mtu 9000
New-VMHostNetworkAdapter : 16.04.2022 14:10:04	New-VMHostNetworkAdapter		The MAC address -VMotionEnabled:$true is invalid.	
In Zeile:136 Zeichen:5
+ ...             New-VMHostNetworkAdapter -VMHost $esx -VirtualSwitch $swi ...
+                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [New-VMHostNetworkAdapter], InvalidArgument
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Common_SharedParameterHelper_TryValidateStaticMacAddress_InvalidMacAddress,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.Host.NewVMHostNetworkAdapter
 

[LucD]

You might want to give it a try with splatting.

$esx = Get-VMHost -Name $hostip
$switch = Get-VirtualSwitch -VMHost $esx -Name $dvs
$portgroup = Get-VirtualPortGroup -VirtualSwitch $switch -Name $pg
$sVmk = @{
    Verbose = $true
    VMHost = $esx
    VirtualSwitch = $switch
    PortGroup = $portgroup
    IP = $vmkip
    SubnetMask = $SubnetMask
    Mtu = $MTu
}
if ($pgo -eq $vmk){
    $sVmk.Add('vMotionEnabled',$true)
}

New-VMHostNetworkAdapter @sVmk

[TRottig]

If I need to add the api call anyway it makes more sense to use that for all of them ... so I switched to

New-VMHostNetworkAdapter  -VMHost $esx -VirtualSwitch $switch -PortGroup $portgroup -IP $vmkip -SubnetMask $SubnetMask -Mtu $MTu
			
if ($pgo -ne $vmk)  #check options value - if options = vmk name its "off", else the value has the traffic type
			{
 Write-Host Adding $pgo to $vmk
 Get-VMHost -Name $hostip -PipelineVariable esxh |
  ForEach-Object -Process 
  {
  $vmkMgr = Get-View -Id $esxh.ExtensionData.ConfigManager.VirtualNicManager
  $vmkMgr.SelectVnicForNicType($pgo,$vmk)
  }}
			
			

 which still errors at this point in time:

Adding vmotion to vmk1

Ausnahme beim Aufrufen von "UpdateVirtualNic" mit 2 Argument(en):  "A specified parameter was not correct: Vim.Host.VirtualNic.Specification.Ip"
In Zeile:204 Zeichen:4
+             $netMgr.UpdateVirtualNic($vmk, $spec)
+             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : VimException
 

Edit - error from wrong line - disregard

[LucD]

What do you have in $pgo and $vmk?

[TRottig]

I moved the block to

if ($pgo -ne $vmk)  #check options value - if options = vmk name its "off", else the value has the traffic type
{
Write-Host Adding $pgo to $vmk
	if ($pgo -eq "vsan")
{
 Get-VMHost -Name $hostip -PipelineVariable esxpv |
  ForEach-Object -Process 
  {
   $vmkMgr = Get-View -Id $esxpv.ExtensionData.ConfigManager.VirtualNicManager
   $vmkMgr.SelectVnicForNicType("vsan",$vmk)
  }
}
elseif ($pgo -eq "faultToleranceLogging")
	...
	}
}
elseif ($pgo -eq "vmotion")
 {
  Get-VMHost -Name $hostip| Get-VMHost -PipelineVariable esxpv |
  ForEach-Object -Process 
   {
    $vmkMgr = Get-View -Id $esxpv.ExtensionData.ConfigManager.VirtualNicManager
    $vmkMgr.SelectVnicForNicType("vmotion",$vmk)
   }
  }
}

but that made things worse, now i get

ForEach-Object : Fehlendes Argument für den Parameter "Process". Geben Sie einen Parameter vom Typ "System.Management.Automation.ScriptBlock[]" an, und versuchen Sie es erneut.
In Zeile:2 Zeichen:21
+                     ForEach-Object -Process
+                                    ~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : InvalidArgument: (:) [ForEach-Object], ParentContainsErrorRecordException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : MissingArgument,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.ForEachObjectCommand
 

pgo and vmk contain strings for the vmknames/ traffic options

$vmks=@("vmk0"
,"vmk1"
,"vmk2" ...

$pgoptions=@("vmk0"
,"vmotion"
,"vsan"
,"faultToleranceLogging"
,"vmk4"...

$vmk=$vmks[$j]
$pgo=$pgoptions[$j]

[LucD]

The curly-brace needs to be on the same line as the -Process parameter

[TRottig]

Ok, fixed that myself .. seem PowerCLI is picky with the brackets...

ForEach-Object -Process 
{

fails

ForEach-Object -Process {

works...

Edited - the error presented was from another line ... this seems to work now.

Not sure why the other code now fails though, need to look into it (its code from to set default gw and select the checkbox)

[TRottig]

Ok, current snippet is

if ($pgo -ne $vmk)  #check options value - if options = vmk name its "off", else the value has the traffic type
			{
				Write-Host Adding $pgo to $vmk
				Get-VMHost -Name $hostip -PipelineVariable esxpv |
				ForEach-Object -Process {
					$vmkMgr = Get-View -Id $esxpv.ExtensionData.ConfigManager.VirtualNicManager
					$vmkMgr.SelectVnicForNicType($pgo,$vmk)
				}
			}

which works for vmotion, buit not for vsan

pg=DS_vmk1_vMotion1_vlan6 vmk=vmk1 vlan=6 extraoptions=vmotion
New-VMHostNetworkAdapter -VMHost 10.0.1.11 -VirtualSwitch DSwitch -PortGroup DS_vmk1_vMotion1_vlan6 -IP 10.0.6.11 -SubnetMask 255.255.255.0  -Mtu 9000

VMotionEnabled               : False
FaultToleranceLoggingEnabled : False
ManagementTrafficEnabled     : False
IPv6                         : 
AutomaticIPv6                : 
IPv6ThroughDhcp              : 
IPv6Enabled                  : 
Mtu                          : 9000
VsanTrafficEnabled           : False
ProvisioningEnabled          : False
VSphereReplicationEnabled    : False
VSphereReplicationNFCEnabled : False
VSphereBackupNFCEnabled      : False
PortGroupName                : DS_vmk1_vMotion1_vlan6
Id                           : key-vim.host.VirtualNic-vmk1
VMHostId                     : HostSystem-host-5003
VMHost                       : 10.0.1.11
VMHostUid                    : /VMHost=HostSystem-host-5003/
DeviceName                   : vmk1
Mac                          : 00:50:56:68:07:75
DhcpEnabled                  : False
IP                           : 10.0.6.11
SubnetMask                   : 255.255.255.0
Uid                          : /VMHost=HostSystem-host-5003/HostVMKernelVirtualNic=key-vim.host.VirtualNic-vmk1/
Name                         : vmk1
ExtensionData                : VMware.Vim.HostVirtualNic

Adding vmotion to vmk1
pg=DS_vmk2_vSan1_vlan7 vmk=vmk2 vlan=7 extraoptions=vsan
New-VMHostNetworkAdapter -VMHost 10.0.1.11 -VirtualSwitch DSwitch -PortGroup DS_vmk2_vSan1_vlan7 -IP 10.0.7.11 -SubnetMask 255.255.255.0  -Mtu 9000

VMotionEnabled               : False
FaultToleranceLoggingEnabled : False
ManagementTrafficEnabled     : False
IPv6                         : 
AutomaticIPv6                : 
IPv6ThroughDhcp              : 
IPv6Enabled                  : 
Mtu                          : 9000
VsanTrafficEnabled           : False
ProvisioningEnabled          : False
VSphereReplicationEnabled    : False
VSphereReplicationNFCEnabled : False
VSphereBackupNFCEnabled      : False
PortGroupName                : DS_vmk2_vSan1_vlan7
Id                           : key-vim.host.VirtualNic-vmk2
VMHostId                     : HostSystem-host-5003
VMHost                       : 10.0.1.11
VMHostUid                    : /VMHost=HostSystem-host-5003/
DeviceName                   : vmk2
Mac                          : 00:50:56:62:87:11
DhcpEnabled                  : False
IP                           : 10.0.7.11
SubnetMask                   : 255.255.255.0
Uid                          : /VMHost=HostSystem-host-5003/HostVMKernelVirtualNic=key-vim.host.VirtualNic-vmk2/
Name                         : vmk2
ExtensionData                : VMware.Vim.HostVirtualNic

Adding vsan to vmk2
ForEach-Object : Ausnahme beim Aufrufen von "SelectVnicForNicType" mit 2 Argument(en):  "The operation is not supported on the object."
In Zeile:171 Zeichen:5
+                 ForEach-Object -Process {
+                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [ForEach-Object], MethodInvocationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : VimException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.ForEachObjectCommand
 

but vsan and vmotion should both be valid values according to the Enum HostVirtualNicManagerNicType you linked

[LucD]

Can you add the VSAN option for that VMK from the web client?

[TRottig]

Actually I can't access any of the newly created vmks...

All stuck in this screen 😞

[LucD]

Are they returned by Get-VMHostNetworkAdapter?

[TRottig]

Yes

Get-VMHostNetworkAdapter -VMHost 10.0.1.11

Name Mac DhcpEnabled IP SubnetMask DeviceName
---- --- ----------- -- ---------- ----------
vmnic0 24:4b:fe:b8:df:4b False vmnic0
vmnic1 24:4b:fe:b8:df:4c False vmnic1
vmnic2 94:40:c9:af:a0:9c False vmnic2
vmnic3 94:40:c9:af:a0:9d False vmnic3
vmnic4 00:07:43:4a:8e:b0 False vmnic4
vmnic5 00:07:43:4a:8e:b8 False vmnic5
vmk20 00:50:56:6b:af:81 False 10.0.1.11 255.255.255.0 vmk20
vmk0 00:50:56:66:e3:f0 False 10.0.10.11 255.255.255.0 vmk0
vmk1 00:50:56:68:07:75 False 10.0.6.11 255.255.255.0 vmk1
vmk2 00:50:56:62:87:11 False 10.0.7.11 255.255.255.0 vmk2

Look fine in Gui too

[TRottig]

Ran the script again (deleting all vmks & recreating them)-

this fixed the issue with non working vmks in the GUI.

I can set vSan to vmk2 without problems in the Gui

[TRottig]

I Frankensteined a working solution...

if ($pgo -eq "vsan")  #check options value - if options = vmk name its "off", else the value has the traffic type
{ 
   Get-VMHostNetworkAdapter -VMHost $esx -Name $vmk | Set-VMHostNetworkAdapter -VsanTrafficEnabled:$true -Confirm:$false
				
}			
elseif ($pgo -ne $vmk)  #check options value - if options = vmk name its "off", else the value has the traffic type
{
   Write-Host Adding $pgo to $vmk
   Get-VMHost -Name $hostip -PipelineVariable esxpv |
   ForEach-Object -Process {
$vmkMgr = Get-View -Id $esxpv.ExtensionData.ConfigManager.VirtualNicManager
$vmkMgr.SelectVnicForNicType($pgo,$vmk)
   }
}
else
{
	Write-Host $vmk no special traffic type
}

Still wonder why I cant set vsan via the api call though.

Thanks a lot for your help! 🙂