1. A method comprising: activating, by a control component of a computing environment, a virtual adapter hosted on a physical adapter of a host system of the computing environment, the virtual adapter for use by a guest of the host system in performing data input and output, wherein the control component is separate from the host system, and the activating comprises the control component providing a request to the physical adapter that the virtual adapter be activated; based on activating the virtual adapter, obtaining, by the control component, configuration information of the activated virtual adapter from the physical adapter, the configuration information generated based on the activating; ascertaining, by the control component, a configuration of the activated virtual adapter based on the obtained configuration information, wherein the activating activates the virtual adapter absent involvement of the guest; determining whether the configuration of the activated virtual adapter is an appropriate virtual adapter configuration for the guest, wherein the guest remains inactive during the activating of the virtual adapter and the determining is performed while the guest remains active; and based on determining that the configuration is not an appropriate virtual adapter configuration for the guest, reconfiguring the activated virtual adapter prior to activating the guest.