Error: "Your account has expired: please contact your system administrator. su: User account has expired" is reported upon login as postgres user

Products

• VMware Cloud Director

Issue/Introduction

• During login to the postgres user account the following message appears
  
  Your account has expired: please contact your system administrator.
su: User account has expired
  
  
• In a Cloud Director database cluster one cell reports a failure connecting to another cell over SSH port 22 with the postgres account.
• Database switchover between the primary and a standby cell is not possible.

Environment

Cloud Director 10.x

Cause

This issue occurs if the postgres user account has expired.

Resolution

1. Access the command line of the impacted Cloud Director cell and login as root user.
2. Run the following command to review the current postgres account details
   
   chage -l postgres
   
   
3. Within the output confirm that "Account Expires" date is in the past.
4. Update the account expiry to 'never' using the following command.
   
   chage -E -1 postgres
   
   
5. Confirm the change is applied
   
   chage -l postgres

Additional Information

The postgres user password can be set to never expire using the following command if required.

chage -M -1 postgres