Error: “SSLHandshakeException: protocol_version” in Cisco UCS adapter after firmware upgrade

Products

• VCF Operations/Automation (formerly VMware Aria Suite)

Issue/Introduction

After upgrading Cisco UCS firmware to version 4.3.6c, the Cisco UCS adapter in VCF Operations displays a **Warning** status and fails to collect data.

com.bluemedora.exuno.common.ExUnoException: Failed to log in to "#####.example.com" as either a central or ucsm endpoint. For central: Host response empty or did not contain cookie. For uscm: Host response empty or did not contain cookie.

Environment

Aria Operations 8.18.x

VMware Cloud Foundation Management Pack for Cisco UCS 9.0.0

Cause

The Cisco UCS firmware 4.3.6c upgrade allows the UCS Manager to be configured for **Restricted TLS 1.3 Only**. The current version of the Cisco UCS adapter/Management Pack is attempting to communicate using TLS 1.2 or lower, resulting in a protocol mismatch and a failed SSL handshake.

The following error can be seen from collector.log upon setting logging to DEBUG:

javax.net.ssl.SSLHandshakeException: Received fatal alert:  protocol_version

Resolution

• Log into Cisco UCS Manager.
• Navigate to Admin > Communication Management > Communication Services.
• Locate TLS Version Settings.
• Change the setting from "Restricted TLS 1.3 Only" to a mode that supports TLS 1.2 (e.g., "Default")
• Restart the adapter instance in Aria Operations.
• Test and confirm validation is successful.

Additional Information

Disclaimer:  The Cisco UCS Management Pak is part of list of End of General Support MP as of 9/30/2025:

VCF Operations Management Packs: Announcing End of General Support