What is the impact on application that make API calls when smart card authentication is enabled?

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

Aria Suite application such as Aria Operations, Aria Automation, and Aria for Logs, use service accounts that make API calls. 

When smart card authentication is enabled, what is the impact to these and other similar service accounts that rely on API calls?

Environment

VCF Operations 9.x

Aria Operations 8.18.x

Cause

Smart card Integration in vSphere vCenter

Resolution

Enabling smart card authentication in vCenter should have no impact on Aria Operations API calls.

API integrations typically rely on service accounts using standard credentials or tokens.

As long as there are no strict smart card requirements enforced at the network edge (such as a reverse proxy or load balancer blocking non-certificate traffic),

automated API calls will continue to function normally