Error: Failed to establish an SSH connection to vCenter using the provided root password

Products

• VMware SDDC Manager / VCF Installer

Issue/Introduction

• A VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) deployment validation halts during the SSH connectivity check. The following error is observed in the installer UI:

          Failed to establish an SSH connection to vCenter <vCenter_FQDN> using the provided root password. Correction: Verify that SSH access to vCenter can be established using the provided credentials

 

Environment

VMware Cloud Foundation 9.x

Cause

The issue is caused by a credential mismatch. The root password for the vCenter Server provided in the deployment configuration does not match the actual root password currently set on the vCenter Server appliance.

Because the VCF automated deployment workflow requires administrative SSH access to perform configuration tasks, an incorrect password causes the vCenter security daemon to reject the connection, resulting in validation failure.

Resolution

To resolve this issue, synchronize the deployment configuration with the correct vCenter credentials:

1. Manual Verification: Manually verify the correct root credentials by attempting a direct SSH session to the vCenter Server FQDN using a tool like PuTTY or terminal.
2. Configuration Update:
   
   
   • In the VCF 9.x configuration wizard locate the vCenter credentials section and update the password string
3. Ensure SSH Access: Confirm that SSH is enabled on the vCenter Server Appliance and that the root user is not locked or expired