Dell EMC VxRail: add node validation failed after manually configured Witness Traffic Separation (WTS)

When perform node expansion for VxRail stretched cluster or VCF on VxRail stretched cluster, validation failed:


In marvin.log, there is NullPointerException for vlan validation on vss:

Witness traffic VMkernel adapter on ESXi hosts were configured manually. 

For example, to deploy VCF on VxRail stretched cluster, user followed https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-Cloud-Foundation/4.1/com.vmware.vcf.vxrail.admin.doc/GUID-2E6741E8-F031-4BE4-B459-98E67B7FF4DF.html to configure Witness Traffic Separation for VMware Cloud Foundation on Dell EMC VxRail, and configured witness VMkernel adapter for existing ESXi hosts using command:

esxcli vsan network ip add -i <vmkernel_adapter> -T=witness

This is unexpected in VxRail 7.0.010 add node procedure.

For new node(s) to be added into cluster, reset the configuration to default:

1. Log in ESXi UI of one or more new nodes
2. Check Port groups and VMkernel NICs, there may already portgroups and vmk configured like below:


3. Remove vmks named as MANAGEMENT, VSAN, VMOTION.
4. Remove port groups that are named as MANAGEMENT, VSAN, VMOTION, and WITNESS.
5. If the new node is Layer 3 node, reset VLAN ID) and vmk NIC IPv4 address of Management Network portgroup and other porgroups.
6. The following images are an example of new node after resetting.

 

Note: For any existing nodes, intervention from Dell Technologies support personnel is required. A script is needed to be run on the VxRail Manager. Contact the Dell Technologies Support Center or your service representative for technical support and quote this solution ID.