Smartcard authentication does not work on vCenter

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

• Smartcard authentication does not work.
  
  
• Username and password authentication does not work.
  
  
• vCenter server is connected to an Active Directory Domain Controller via Secure LDAP and lookups are working.

Environment

vCenter Server

Cause

LDAPS Identity Source is misconfigured with Domain Name set to an alias FQDN of Active Directory Domain name.

Resolution

Reconfigure the vCenter Identity Source LDAPS to use the FQDN of the Active Directory Domain name and not an alias FQDN of the Active Directory domain name.