PowerCLI connect-viserver fails to Smart Card login to vCenter

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

• connect-viserver <vcenter> prompts for credentials
  • selecting Smart Card and entering pin fails
• connect-viserver <vcenter> -verbose 

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 8.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 6.5.x
VMware vCenter Server 6.7.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.0.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.5.x
VMware vCenter Server 6.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 7.0.x
VMware vCenter Server Appliance 6.7.x

Cause

Smart Card Authentication with PowerCLI is not supported.

Resolution

This is expected behavior.

Workaround:
Use Windows SSPI to pass through the Windows logged session Smart Card credentials to PowerCLI to authenticate to vCenter.

Prerequisites:

• vCenter must be joined to an Active Directory Domain
• vCenter must be configured with an Active Directory Domain Identity Source
• User must be in the Active Directory Domain
• Smart Card Authentication must be configured in the Active Directory Domain
• User must be logged into the Desktop using the Smart Card credentials