A few of the networking requirements for installing a VMware Lab Manager server are:

1. At least one network card
2. A static TCP/IP configuration (no DHCP)

Failure to meet the above requirements will result in error message # 5014 during the “Valid NIC Requirement” prerequisite check:

Lab Manager servers make fine virtualization candidates, therefore, it makes sense to deploy them as VMs on existing VMware virtual infrastructure so that they can take advantage of all the benefits VMware brings into the datacenter.

I ran into a new issue installing Lab Manager 4 in a vSphere VM which I configured with a VMXNET 3 virtual NIC. Already aware of the networking requirements, I had configured the virtual NIC with a static TCP/IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS servers. However, I was surprised to find out that my installation was failing the Valid NIC Requirement prerequisite.

So I resorted to what any certified professional would in this situation: GOOGLE. A quick search revealed scarce results but thankfully one solution. In this VMTN forums thread, a short discussion reveals that the VMXNET 3 virtual NIC is unexpectedly not compatible with the Lab Manager 4 installation prerequisites check. VMTN user MLaskowski012 explains:

“Talked to support and they said they are seeing the same issues. I guess nobody tested LabManager4 with the new hardware. BUT I think I figured out the trick. In device manager under NIC / Advanced if you change the Speed / Duplex from Auto Negotiation 10GB to 1GB Full, run the pre-check it will pass. Then right after you finish the install you can switch back to Auto or 10Gb. Not sure if there are any issues pass that…”

Viola! The trick works. Thank you MLaskowski012 for doing the legwork on this one. Unfortunately, no KB article from VMware yet on this (that I could find), but once again, as it has millions of times in the past, the VMTN community has fulfilled one of its primary purposes: technical support for the community, by the community.

Update 11/8/09: Via lab testing, the same failure and workaround applies to Lab Manager 3 installations with a VMXNET 3 virtual network adapter as well.

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