6.5.1

Table Of Contents
2 Next, add the replacement certificate.
"C:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\vmafdd\"vecs-cli entry create --store MACHINE_SSL_CERT --
alias __MACHINE_CERT --cert E:\custom-certs\ms-ca\signed-ssl\custom-w1-vim-cat-
dhcp-094.eng.vmware.com.crt --key E:\custom-certs\ms-ca\signed-ssl\custom-x3-vim-cat-
dhcp-1128.vmware.com.priv
Replace Solution User Certificates With Custom Certificates
After you replace the machine SSL certificates, you can replace the VMCA-signed solution user
certificates with third-party or enterprise certificates.
Many VMware customers do not replace solution user certificates. They replace only the machine SSL
certificates with custom certificates. This hybrid approach satisfies the requirements of their security
teams.
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Certificates either sit behind a proxy, or they are custom certificates.
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No intermediate CAs are used.
Solution users use certificates only to authenticate to vCenter Single Sign-On. If the certificate is valid,
vCenter Single Sign-On assigns a SAML token to the solution user, and the solution user uses the SAML
token to authenticate to other vCenter components.
You replace the machine solution user certificate on each management node and on each
Platform Services Controller node. You replace the other solution user certificates only on each
management node. Use the --server parameter to point to the Platform Services Controller when you
run commands on a management node with an external Platform Services Controller.
Note When you list solution user certificates in large deployments, the output of dir-cli list includes
all solution users from all nodes. Run vmafd-cli get-machine-id --server-name localhost to find
the local machine ID for each host. Each solution user name includes the machine ID.
Prerequisites
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Key size: 2048 bits or more (PEM encoded)
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CRT format
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x509 version 3
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SubjectAltName must contain DNS Name=<machine_FQDN>
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Each solution user certificate must have a different Subject. Consider, for example, including the
solution user name (such as vpxd) or other unique identifier.
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Contains the following Key Usages: Digital Signature, Non Repudiation, Key Encipherment
Platform Services Controller Administration
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