"Basic Authentication" no longer supported in VMware Aria Automation 8.18.1 and later versions

Products

• VCF Operations/Automation (formerly VMware Aria Suite)

Issue/Introduction

In VMware Aria Automation 8.18.1 and higher, users may encounter 401 Unauthorized errors when attempting to execute Orchestrator (vRO) API workflows using Basic Authentication method. This occurs even if the system property "com.vmware.o11n.sso.basic-authentication.enabled" is set to true via CLI.

Environment

VMware Aria Automation 8.18.1 and higher.

Cause

Basic Authentication is deprecated for embedded Orchestrator instances.

Resolution

Basic Authentication is no longer supported on embedded Orchestrator. To resolve this, please implement one of the following alternatives:

1. Migrate to Token-Based Authentication (Recommended): Transition your embedded vRO environment to use token-based authentication. This is the modern, officially supported standard. For detailed steps, see Generate an Access Token and Bearer Token in VMware Aria Automation for API Authentication.

2. Deploy a Standalone vRO: If your environment strictly requires Basic Authentication, you will need to migrate to an external, standalone vRO instance that still supports it. For deployment instructions, refer to Install Aria automation Orchestrator.