Error: "Communication Error: Timeout reached while trying to communicate with the server" when importing certs

Products

• VCF Operations
• VMware Cloud Foundation

Issue/Introduction

• When importing the replacement certificate a window pops up with the following:

Communication Error: Timeout reached while trying to communicate with the server.
Try refreshing the Ul manually.

• Casa logs are reporting this:  

  Command '/usr/lib/vmware-python-3/bin/python /usr/lib/vmware-casa/bin/vropsCertificateTool.py -i /storage/db/tmp/uploaded_cert.tmp --no_describe --json --level NONE' threw exception: CommandLineExitException: key=general.failure; args=1,; cause=
validateCertificateFile script's STDOUT: {"errors": [{"error_code": "SECURITY_CERTIFICATE_VALIDATION_ERROR_8", "error_message": "Private key is password protected. Type the password (use --password).", "error_args": ""}, {"error_code": "SECURITY_CERTIFICATE_VALIDATION_ERROR_13", "error_message": "Private key doesn't match the certificate. Provide matching certificate and key pair.", "error_args": ...

Environment

VCF Operations:  9.1

VCF: 9.1

Cause

The error message tells us Private key is password protected. So the certificate verification step could not complete successfully.

Resolution

1. Re-generate the certificate without an encrypted private key
2. Import the certificate again