'Error while performing Cert Replacement operation, please see /var/log/vmware/vmcad/certificate-manager.log for more information' error when replacing Solution User Certificates using Certificate-manager tool

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

 

• Replacing Solution User Certificates using certificate manager fails with below error:
  

  You are going to regenerate Solution User Certificates using VMCA
  Continue operation : Option[Y/N] ? : y
  Status : 10% Completed [Replace machine Cert...]
  Status : 0% Completed [Operation failed, performing automatic rollback]
  Rollback Status : 25% Completed [Rollback {0} Cert...]
  YYYY-MM-DDT:HH:MM:SS.411Z  Updating certificate for "com.vmware.vim.eam" extension
  
  YYYY-MM-DDT:HH:MM:SS.274Z  Updating certificate for "com.vmware.rbd" extension
  
  YYYY-MM-DDT:HH:MM:SS.983Z  Updating certificate for "com.vmware.imagebuilder" extension
  Rollback Status : 100% Completed [Rollback completed successfully]
  
  Unable to update machine-0f79####-2f16-####-aaf9-15dc0742#### solution user certificate in VMDir. Exiting...
  Error while performing Cert Replacement operation, please see /var/log/vmware/vmcad/certificate-manager.log for more information

• From /var/log/vmware/vmcad/certificate-manager.log :
  

  YYYY-MM-DDT:HH:MM:SS.503Z ERROR certificate-manager {
      "detail": [
          {
              "id": "install.ciscommon.command.errinvoke",
              "translatable": "An error occurred while invoking external command : '%(0)s'",
              "args": [
                  ""
              ],
              "localized": "An error occurred while invoking external command : ''"
          },
          "Error while updating lotus for service : machine-0f79####-2f16-####-aaf9-15dc0742####"
      ]

• Running the below command results in Solution User 'machine' missing from the list:
  /usr/lib/vmware-vmafd/bin/dir-cli service list

Environment

• VMware vCenter Server 7.x
• VMware vCenter Server 8.x

Cause

The issue is seen when the Solution User 'machine' is missing in the vCenter Server configuration.

Resolution

Regenerate the missing Solution User using lsdoctor -u option. Reference KB: Using the 'lsdoctor' Tool