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community.vmware.vmware_vmkernel – Manages a VMware VMkernel Adapter of an ESXi host.
Note
This plugin is part of the community.vmware collection (version 1.15.0).
You might already have this collection installed if you are using the ansible package. It is not included in ansible-core. To check whether it is installed, run ansible-galaxy collection list.
To install it, use: ansible-galaxy collection install community.vmware.
To use it in a playbook, specify: community.vmware.vmware_vmkernel.
Synopsis
- This module can be used to manage the VMKernel adapters / VMKernel network interfaces of an ESXi host.
 - The module assumes that the host is already configured with the Port Group in case of a vSphere Standard Switch (vSS).
 - The module assumes that the host is already configured with the Distributed Port Group in case of a vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS).
 - The module automatically migrates the VMKernel adapter from vSS to vDS or vice versa if present.
 
Requirements
The below requirements are needed on the host that executes this module.
- python >= 2.6
 - PyVmomi
 
Parameters
| Parameter | Choices/Defaults | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|
| device
        
        string
         | 
      
        
        Search VMkernel adapter by device name.
        
       
        The parameter is required only in case of  type is set to dhcp.
        | 
     ||
| dvswitch_name
        
        string
         | 
      
        
        The name of the vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS) where to add the VMKernel interface.
        
       
        Required parameter only if  
       state is set to present.
       
        Optional parameter from version 2.8 and onwards.
        
       aliases: dvswitch  | 
     ||
| enable_ft
        
        boolean
         | 
      
       
  | 
      
        
        Enable Fault Tolerance traffic on the VMKernel adapter.
        
       
        This option is only allowed if the default TCP/IP stack is used.
         | 
     |
| enable_mgmt
        
        boolean
         | 
      
       
  | 
      
        
        Enable Management traffic on the VMKernel adapter.
        
       
        This option is only allowed if the default TCP/IP stack is used.
         | 
     |
| enable_provisioning
        
        boolean
         | 
      
       
  | 
      
        
        Enable Provisioning traffic on the VMKernel adapter.
        
       
        This option is only allowed if the default TCP/IP stack is used.
         | 
     |
| enable_replication
        
        boolean
         | 
      
       
  | 
      
        
        Enable vSphere Replication traffic on the VMKernel adapter.
        
       
        This option is only allowed if the default TCP/IP stack is used.
         | 
     |
| enable_replication_nfc
        
        boolean
         | 
      
       
  | 
      
        
        Enable vSphere Replication NFC traffic on the VMKernel adapter.
        
       
        This option is only allowed if the default TCP/IP stack is used.
         | 
     |
| enable_vmotion
        
        boolean
         | 
      
       
  | 
      
        
        Enable vMotion traffic on the VMKernel adapter.
        
       
        This option is only allowed if the default TCP/IP stack is used.
        
       
        You cannot enable vMotion on an additional adapter if you already have an adapter with the vMotion TCP/IP stack configured.
         | 
     |
| enable_vsan
        
        boolean
         | 
      
       
  | 
      
        
        Enable VSAN traffic on the VMKernel adapter.
        
       
        This option is only allowed if the default TCP/IP stack is used.
         | 
     |
| esxi_hostname
        
        string / required
         | 
      
        
        Name of ESXi host to which VMKernel is to be managed.
        
       
        From version 2.5 onwards, this parameter is required.
         | 
     ||
| hostname
        
        string
         | 
      
        
        The hostname or IP address of the vSphere vCenter or ESXi server.
        
       
        If the value is not specified in the task, the value of environment variable  
       VMWARE_HOST will be used instead.
       
        Environment variable support added in Ansible 2.6.
         | 
     ||
| mtu
        
        integer
         | 
      Default: 
        1500
         | 
      
        
        The MTU for the VMKernel interface.
        
       
        The default value of 1500 is valid from version 2.5 and onwards.
         | 
     |
| network
        
        dictionary
         | 
      Default: 
        {"tcpip_stack": "default", "type": "static"}
         | 
      
        
        A dictionary of network details.
         | 
     |
| default_gateway
        
        string
         | 
      
        
        Default gateway (Override default gateway for this adapter).
         | 
     ||
| ip_address
        
        string
         | 
      
        
        Static IP address.
        
       
        Required if  type is set to static.
        | 
     ||
| subnet_mask
        
        string
         | 
      
        
        Static netmask required.
        
       
        Required if  type is set to static.
        | 
     ||
| tcpip_stack
        
        string
         | 
      
       
  | 
      
        
        The TCP/IP stack for the VMKernel interface.
         | 
     |
| type
        
        string
         | 
      
       
  | 
      
        
        Type of IP assignment.
         | 
     |
| password
        
        string
         | 
      
        
        The password of the vSphere vCenter or ESXi server.
        
       
        If the value is not specified in the task, the value of environment variable  
       VMWARE_PASSWORD will be used instead.
       
        Environment variable support added in Ansible 2.6.
        
       aliases: pass, pwd  | 
     ||
| port
        
        integer
         | 
      Default: 
        443
         | 
      
        
        The port number of the vSphere vCenter or ESXi server.
        
       
        If the value is not specified in the task, the value of environment variable  
       VMWARE_PORT will be used instead.
       
        Environment variable support added in Ansible 2.6.
         | 
     |
| portgroup_name
        
        string / required
         | 
      
        
        The name of the port group for the VMKernel interface.
        
       aliases: portgroup  | 
     ||
| proxy_host
        
        string
         | 
      
        
        Address of a proxy that will receive all HTTPS requests and relay them.
        
       
        The format is a hostname or a IP.
        
       
        If the value is not specified in the task, the value of environment variable  
       VMWARE_PROXY_HOST will be used instead.
       
        This feature depends on a version of pyvmomi greater than v6.7.1.2018.12
         | 
     ||
| proxy_port
        
        integer
         | 
      
        
        Port of the HTTP proxy that will receive all HTTPS requests and relay them.
        
       
        If the value is not specified in the task, the value of environment variable  VMWARE_PROXY_PORT will be used instead.
        | 
     ||
| state
        
        string
         | 
      
       
  | 
      
        
        If set to  
       present, the VMKernel adapter will be created with the given specifications.
       
        If set to  
       absent, the VMKernel adapter will be removed.
       
        If set to  present and VMKernel adapter exists, the configurations will be updated.
        | 
     |
| username
        
        string
         | 
      
        
        The username of the vSphere vCenter or ESXi server.
        
       
        If the value is not specified in the task, the value of environment variable  
       VMWARE_USER will be used instead.
       
        Environment variable support added in Ansible 2.6.
        
       aliases: admin, user  | 
     ||
| validate_certs
        
        boolean
         | 
      
       
  | 
      
        
        Allows connection when SSL certificates are not valid. Set to  
       false when certificates are not trusted.
       
        If the value is not specified in the task, the value of environment variable  
       VMWARE_VALIDATE_CERTS will be used instead.
       
        Environment variable support added in Ansible 2.6.
        
       
        If set to  true, please make sure Python >= 2.7.9 is installed on the given machine.
        | 
     |
| vswitch_name
        
        string
         | 
      
        
        The name of the vSwitch where to add the VMKernel interface.
        
       
        Required parameter only if  
       state is set to present.
       
        Optional parameter from version 2.5 and onwards.
        
       aliases: vswitch  | 
     ||
Notes
Note
- The option 
deviceneed to be used with DHCP because otherwise it’s not possible to check if a VMkernel device is already present - You can only change from DHCP to static, and vSS to vDS, or vice versa, in one step, without creating a new device, with 
devicespecified. - You can only create the VMKernel adapter on a vDS if authenticated to vCenter and not if authenticated to ESXi.
 - Tested on vSphere 5.5 and 6.5
 - All modules requires API write access and hence is not supported on a free ESXi license.
 
Examples
-  name: Add Management vmkernel port using static network type
   community.vmware.vmware_vmkernel:
      hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
      username: '{{ esxi_username }}'
      password: '{{ esxi_password }}'
      esxi_hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
      vswitch_name: vSwitch0
      portgroup_name: PG_0001
      network:
        type: 'static'
        ip_address: 192.168.127.10
        subnet_mask: 255.255.255.0
      state: present
      enable_mgmt: True
   delegate_to: localhost
-  name: Add Management vmkernel port using DHCP network type
   community.vmware.vmware_vmkernel:
      hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
      username: '{{ esxi_username }}'
      password: '{{ esxi_password }}'
      esxi_hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
      vswitch_name: vSwitch0
      portgroup_name: PG_0002
      state: present
      network:
        type: 'dhcp'
      enable_mgmt: True
   delegate_to: localhost
-  name: Change IP allocation from static to dhcp
   community.vmware.vmware_vmkernel:
      hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
      username: '{{ esxi_username }}'
      password: '{{ esxi_password }}'
      esxi_hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
      vswitch_name: vSwitch0
      portgroup_name: PG_0002
      state: present
      device: vmk1
      network:
        type: 'dhcp'
      enable_mgmt: True
   delegate_to: localhost
-  name: Delete VMkernel port
   community.vmware.vmware_vmkernel:
      hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
      username: '{{ esxi_username }}'
      password: '{{ esxi_password }}'
      esxi_hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
      vswitch_name: vSwitch0
      portgroup_name: PG_0002
      state: absent
   delegate_to: localhost
-  name: Add Management vmkernel port to Distributed Switch
   community.vmware.vmware_vmkernel:
      hostname: '{{ vcenter_hostname }}'
      username: '{{ vcenter_username }}'
      password: '{{ vcenter_password }}'
      esxi_hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
      dvswitch_name: dvSwitch1
      portgroup_name: dvPG_0001
      network:
        type: 'static'
        ip_address: 192.168.127.10
        subnet_mask: 255.255.255.0
      state: present
      enable_mgmt: True
   delegate_to: localhost
-  name: Add vMotion vmkernel port with vMotion TCP/IP stack
   community.vmware.vmware_vmkernel:
      hostname: '{{ vcenter_hostname }}'
      username: '{{ vcenter_username }}'
      password: '{{ vcenter_password }}'
      esxi_hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
      dvswitch_name: dvSwitch1
      portgroup_name: dvPG_0001
      network:
        type: 'static'
        ip_address: 192.168.127.10
        subnet_mask: 255.255.255.0
        tcpip_stack: vmotion
      state: present
   delegate_to: localhost
  Return Values
Common return values are documented here, the following are the fields unique to this module:
| Key | Returned | Description | 
|---|---|---|
| result
        
        dictionary
         | 
      always | 
        
        metadata about VMKernel name
         Sample:
        
       
        {'changed': False, 'device': 'vmk1', 'ipv4': 'static', 'ipv4_gw': 'No override', 'ipv4_ip': '192.168.1.15', 'ipv4_sm': '255.255.255.0', 'msg': 'VMkernel Adapter already configured properly', 'mtu': 9000, 'services': 'vMotion', 'switch': 'vDS'}
         | 
     
Authors
- Joseph Callen (@jcpowermac)
 - Russell Teague (@mtnbikenc)
 - Abhijeet Kasurde (@Akasurde)
 - Christian Kotte (@ckotte)
 
© 2012–2018 Michael DeHaan
© 2018–2021 Red Hat, Inc.
Licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3.
 https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/collections/community/vmware/vmware_vmkernel_module.html