6.5.1

Table Of Contents
Procedure
1 Start vSphere Certificate Manager and select Option 2.
Initially, you use this option to generate the CSR, not to replace certificates.
2 Supply the password and the Platform Services Controller IP address or host name if prompted.
3 Select Option 1 to generate the CSR and answer the prompts.
As part of the process, you have to provide a directory. Certificate Manager places the certificate to
be signed (*.csr file) and the corresponding key file (*.key file) in the directory.
4 Send the certificate to the CA for signing to the enterprise or external CA and name the file
root_signing_cert.cer.
5 In a text editor, combine the certificates as follows.
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
Signed VMCA root certificate
-----END CERTIFICATE-----
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
CA intermediate certificates
-----END CERTIFICATE-----
-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
Root certificate of enterprise or external CA
-----END CERTIFICATE-----
6 Save the file as root_signing_chain.cer.
What to do next
Replace the existing root certificate with the chained root certificate. See Replace VMCA Root Certificate
with Custom Signing Certificate and Replace All Certificates.
Replace VMCA Root Certificate with Custom Signing Certificate and Replace
All Certificates
You can use vSphere Certificate Manager to generate a CSR and sent the CSR to an enterprise or third-
party CA for signing. You can then replace the VMCA root certificate with a custom signing certificate and
replace all existing certificates with certificates that are signed by the custom CA.
You run vSphere Certificate Manager on an embedded installation or on an external
Platform Services Controller to replace the VMCA root certificate with a custom signing certificate.
Prerequisites
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Generate the certificate chain.
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You can use vSphere Certificate Manager to create the CSR or create the CSR manually.
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After you receive the signed certificate from your third-party or enterprise CA, combine it with the
initial VMCA root certificate to create the full chain.
See Generate CSR with vSphere Certificate Manager and Prepare Root Certificate (Intermediate
CA) for certificate requirements and the process of combining the certificates.
Platform Services Controller Administration
VMware, Inc. 112