401 unauthorized error: unable to authorize VMware Aria Operations/vCenter Server API with provided credentials

Products

• VCF Operations/Automation (formerly VMware Aria Suite)
• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

When trying to use the Aria Operations plugin in vCenter, you only see below error:

401 Unauthorized Error: Unable to authorize VMware Aria Operations/vCenter Server API with provided credentials

 

Environment

Aria Operations 8.18.x

Cause

This issue is caused by the following factors:

• The Allow vCenter users to log in from vCenter clients option is deactivated in the Aria Operations under Administration > Global Settings > User Access.
  
  

 

• The user is missing the Extension and vRealize Operations Read Only Role permissions in vCenter.

 

 

Resolution

In Aria Operations UI:

To activate Allow vCenter users to log in from vCenter clients:  

1. Go to the Administration tab.
2. Select Global Settings, then navigate to the User Access tab.
3. Change the Allow vCenter users to log in from vCenter clients setting from Deactivated to Activated.

In vCenter UI:

1. Go to the Administration tab.
2. Under the Access Control section, navigate to Roles.
3. Select the role that needs to be modified, then click the Edit button.
4. In the Edit Role window, choose Extension from the list of permissions, then click the Select all checkbox.

         

      5. Scroll down and locate the vRealize Operations Read Only Role from the list of permissions, check the Select all box, then click Save.
         

      6. Return to the Aria Operations plugin, refresh the page, and the issue should be resolved.

Additional Information

See the following KBs related to the same error, but different causes:

Error "401 Unauthorized Error" is seen while accessing Aria Operations Plugin in vCenter

Can't Access Aria Operations Plugin from vSphere