When trying to Configure vCenter Server to Request Client Certificates receive the error "Could not open file or uri for loading certificate from <filname>.cer"

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

When running the below command in vCenter CLI to execute the workflow per Configure vCenter Server to Request Client Certificates an error returns "Could not open file or uri for loading certificate from <filname>.cer"

openssl x509 -inform PEM -in xyzCompanySmartCardSigningCA.cer > /usr/lib/vmware-sso/vmware-sts/conf/clienttrustCA.pem

Cause

Due to the command not being ran in the directory that the pem file is in.

Resolution

Change to the directory that the .cer file is in before running the open SSL command per step 2a in Configure vCenter Server to Request Client Certificates

cd /usr/lib/vmware-sso/

openssl x509 -inform PEM -in xyzCompanySmartCardSigningCA.cer > /usr/lib/vmware-sso/vmware-sts/conf/clienttrustCA.pem