Active Directory Users Fail to Log In to Aria Operations with "Incorrect username/password"

Products

• VMware Aria Operations (formerly vRealize Operations) 8.x

Issue/Introduction

Symptoms

• Active Directory (AD) users are unable to log in to the VMware Aria Operations User Interface.
• The UI displays the error: Incorrect username/password.

• The "Test Connection" for the Identity Source under Administration > Authentication Sources is successful.
• The domain certificates are valid and correctly imported into the truststore.
• Local accounts (e.g., admin) can log in without issues.

Environment

VMware Aria Operations 8.18.x

Cause

This issue occurs when the user attempts to authenticate using their Common Name (CN) or a "Short Name" (e.g., testuser) instead of the User Principal Name (UPN) (e.g., [email protected]).

Aria Operations stores the username attribute based on the mapping configured during the user import process. If users were imported using their UPN, the system will not recognize the CN during the login handshake, resulting in an authentication failure.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, users must authenticate using the exact format stored in the Aria Operations Access Control database.

Step 1: Identify the Required Username Format

1. Log in to the VMware Aria Operations UI with a local administrator account.
2. Navigate to Administration > Control Panel > Access Control
3. Locate the affected user in the user list.
4. Check the User Name column. Note the exact string format (e.g., [email protected]).

Step 2: Authenticate Using the Correct Format

1. Return to the Aria Operations login screen.
2. In the Username field, enter the full string identified in Step 1 (the UPN).
3. Select the correct Authentication Source from the dropdown menu.
4. Enter the domain password and click Login.

Additional Information

Impact/Risks

• None. This is a configuration and usage adjustment that does not require service restarts or changes to the underlying identity source.

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Related Information

• Managing User Access Control in VMware Aria Operations
• KB 437284: Incorrect username format for Aria Operations integrations