Resetting Expired vIDM Certificate to Default Self-Signed Certificate

Products

• VCF Operations/Automation (formerly VMware Aria Suite)

Issue/Introduction

The vIDM certificate has expired, causing the cluster to go down. The previously configured custom certificate is not available for replacement, and the immediate requirement is to restore cluster functionality by resetting the certificate to the default self-signed certificate.

Environment

VMware Identity Manager 3.3.7

Resolution

In scenarios where the custom certificate cannot be retrieved, the vIDM certificate can be reset to a default self-signed certificate using the following steps:

1. Access the vIDM configuration page:
   https://<vIDM-FQDN>:8443/cfg
2. Navigate to: Install SSL Certificate → Server Certificate → SSL Certificate
3. Select Auto Generate Certificate (Self-Signed).
4. Enter the vIDM FQDN in the Subject Alternative Names (SAN) field and click Save.
5. In a clustered environment, repeat Steps 1–4 on all vIDM nodes.

This will restore certificate validity and bring the cluster services back online.

Additional Information

This approach is intended as a temporary recovery method. After restoring cluster functionality, it is recommended to replace the self-signed certificate with a valid custom certificate to ensure compliance with security best practices and trusted communication.