VMware: How to Migrate VMkernel Port vmk0 From a Distributed Switch to a Standard Switch

Summary: This article shows how to migrate vmk0 from a vDS to Standard switch through command line.

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Instructions


Procedure:
Steps to migrate VMkernel port vmk0 from a distributed switch to a standard switch:

  1. Gather IP information for current VMkernel port vmk0 (IP address, netmask, default gateway, and VLAN).
  2. Remove a vmnic from a current distributed switch (vDS).
    1. Get Port ID of vmnic and vDS Name using the following command:
esxcli network vswitch dvs vmware list
Below is an example of the output, name is dvSwitch, and Port ID for vmnic2 is 6171.

Port ID and vDS Name of vmnic
Figure 1: Port ID and vDS Name of vmnic

 

  1. Run the following command to remove a vmnic from the vDS:
esxcfg-vswitch -Q vmnic -V dvPort_ID_of_vmnic dvSwitch
Example: 
esxcfg-vswitch -Q vmnic2 -V 6171 dvSwitch

 

  1. Delete current vmk0 with the command:
esxcli network ip interface remove --interface-name=vmk0

If network coredump is set on vmk0, disable it with the following command:

esxcli system coredump network set --enable false

 

  1. Create a Standard Switch with the command:
esxcli network vswitch standard add -v vSwitchName
Example: 
esxcli network vswitch standard add -v vSwitch0
(Creates a vSwitch with the name vSwitch0.)
 

 

  1. Create a port group to assign vmk0 to with command:
esxcli network vswitch standard portgroup add -p portgroup_name -v vSwitch
Example: 
esxcli network vswitch standard port group add -p management -v vSwitch0
(Creates a port group that is named management on vSwitch0.)

 

  1. Assign vmk0 to the port group with the command:
esxcli network ip interface add -i vmk0 -p portgroup_name 
Example: 
esxcli network ip interface add -i vmk0 -p management
(Adds vmk0 to management port group.)

 

  1. Set the IP address of vmk0 with the command:
esxcli network ip interface ipv4 set -i vmk0 -I ipaddress -N netmask -t static
Example: 
esxcli network ip interface ipv4 set -i vmk0 -I 10.1.1.10 -N 255.255.255.0 -t static
(Set vmk0 to 10.1.1.10 with netmask 255.255.255.0 as static IP.)
 
  1. Set the VLAN for the port group where vmk0 resides with the command:
esxcli network vswitch standard portgroup set -p portgroup -v VLAN
Example: 
esxcli network vSwitch standard port group set -p management -v 10
(Assigns VLAN 10 to port group management.)

 

  1. Set the default gateway for vmk0 with the command:
esxcfg-route -a default defaultGW
Example: 
esxcfg-route -a default 10.1.1.1
(Set default gateway to 10.1.1.1.)

 

  1. Set vmk0 as management with command:
esxcli network ip interface tag add -i vmk0 -t Management

 

  1. Enable network core dump if it was enabled on vmk0 with the command:
esxcli system coredump network set --enabled true

Affected Products

VxBlock and Vblock Systems, VMware ESXi 7.x, VMware ESXi 8.x
Article Properties
Article Number: 000206306
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 22 Jul 2025
Version:  3
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