Unable to authenticate with smart card authentication with error, "user name and password are required"

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

After configuring smart card authentication in vCenter, logons fail with error "username and password are required".
Root and intermediate certificates are uploaded to the vCenter Trusted Certificates using the vSphere Client and Smart Card authentication is enabled.

Cause

The /usr/lib/vmware-sso/vmware-sts/conf/clienttrustCA.pem has not been configured with the certificates in the Smart Card user certificate certification chain.

Resolution

1. Open the user smart card certificate and obtain the certificates in the certification chain.
2. Follow the steps in Configure vCenter Server to Request Client Certificates to create or update the clienttrustCA.pem file.