Error: The session is not authenticated

Products

• VMware vSAN

Issue/Introduction

• Attempting to configure vSAN you will get the error displayed in the title
• You are using custom certificate on the ESXi host
• When trying to assign a vSAN tag to a VMkernel interface, the operation fails with:
  A general system error occurred
• In the vCenter(var/log/vmware/vmware-updatemgr/vum-server/vmware-vum-server.log) or ESXi(/var/log/hostd.log) host logs, you may observe the following message:
  Hostd[#######]: --> PeerThumbprint: <Incorrect Thumbprint of host>
Hostd[#######]: --> ExpectedThumbprint: <Correct and existing Thumbprint of host>
Hostd[#######]: --> ExpectedPeerName: <Name of host>
Hostd[#######]: --> The remote host certificate has these problems:
Hostd[#######]: -->
Hostd[#######]: --> * Host name does not match the subject name(s) in certificate.)

Environment

7.x

8.x

Resolution

Put the host in maintenance mode and give the ESXi host a reboot. After the reboot, try adding the kernel interface again and it should be successful.