Error "The provider is already registered." while adding VASA provider on vCenter server.

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms:

While adding a VASA provider from Pure Storage for VVOL, you may see the error below and as shown in the screen below.

"A problem was encountered while provisioning a VMware Certificate Authority (VMCA) signed certificate for the provider."

- While using storage provider certificate and adding the VASA provider, it may fail with the below error and shown in the below screen.

 "The provider is already registered." 

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 7.0

VMware vCenter Server 8.0

Pure Storage as external storage provider

Cause

This issue is with the validation of certificate and URL from Pure Storage.

On vCenter server, when we check logs on /var/log/vmware/vmware-sps/sps.log you will 

2025-03-13T12:32:35.803+13:00 [pool-38-thread-10] INFO  opId=m7a5zx43-720109-auto-ffn2-h5:70115058 com.vmware.vim.storage.common.security.CommonActivationValidator - [getUserFromVpxdClientManager] Validating session for user CORP\<username> for method RegisterProvider_Task having correlator 212
2025-03-13T12:32:35.804+13:00 [pool-29-thread-14] INFO  opId=m7a5zx43-720109-auto-ffn2-h5:70115058 com.vmware.vim.sms.StorageManagerImpl - Starting Timer: registerProviderInt. Provider spec: (sms.provider.VasaProviderSpec) {
   dynamicType = null,
   dynamicProperty = null,
   name = <provider name>,
   description = null,
   username = <username>,
   password = (not shown),
   url = https://10.##.##.#:8084/version.xml,
   certificate = null
}
2025-03-13T12:32:35.810+13:00 [pool-38-thread-1] INFO  opId=m7a5zx43-720109-auto-ffn4-h5:70115058 com.vmware.vim.storage.common.security.CommonActivationValidator - [getRolesFromRoleCacheObject] Validating session for user CORP\<username> for method QuerySmsTaskInfo having correlator 213
2025-03-13T12:32:35.838+13:00 [pool-29-thread-14] ERROR opId=m7a5zx43-720109-auto-ffn2-h5:70115058 com.vmware.vim.sms.provider.ProviderFactory - Validation of the provider URL returned: 46 - Ignore
2025-03-13T12:32:35.872+13:00 [pool-29-thread-14] ERROR opId=m7a5zx43-720109-auto-ffn2-h5:70115058 com.vmware.vim.sms.util.CustomSslSocketFactory - CompositeTrustManager encountered certificate exception:
  [0]         Version: 3
         SerialNumber: 1732152446803
             IssuerDN: C=US, O=Pure Storage, OU=Pure Storage, CN=10.#.#.#
           Start Date: Thu Nov 21 14:27:26 NZDT 2024
           Final Date: Fri Nov 21 14:27:26 NZDT 2025
            SubjectDN: C=US, O=Pure Storage, OU=Pure Storage, CN=#.#.#.#

Resolution

Please contact Pure Storage support for the assistance on this issue.