Empty List in "cf connected-clusters" command

Products

• VMware Tanzu Platform - Cloud Foundry

Issue/Introduction

This article explains why the cf connected-clusters command may return an empty list, even when clusters are visible in the Tanzu Hub user interface, and provides steps to troubleshoot visibility issues.

When executing the cf connected-clusters command via the Tanzu cf CLI, the console returns an empty list, despite the user being able to see active clusters within the Tanzu Hub UI.

Environment

• Product: VMware Tanzu Platform
• Component: Tanzu cf CLI plugin

Cause

This behavior is expected if the resources viewed in the UI are "Foundations" or clusters associated with k8s-based data tiles. The cf connected-clusters command is specifically designed to retrieve Kubernetes clusters that are explicitly enrolled as "Connected Clusters" in Tanzu Hub (e.g., TKG, vSphere with Tanzu, AWS EKS, Azure AKS, Google GKE, or generic CNCF Kubernetes clusters). It does not function as a general inventory tool for all platform assets.

Resolution

If you are unable to see your Kubernetes clusters, please verify the following configurations:

1. Confirm Cluster Type: Ensure the clusters you are attempting to list are registered specifically as "Connected Clusters" in Tanzu Hub. Foundations and k8s-based data tile resources will not appear in this CLI command output.
2. Verify Authentication: Confirm that your cf CLI user profile is authenticated to the correct tenant and organization that manages the target clusters.
3. Check Space Bindings: Verify that space bindings have been correctly configured for the clusters within Tanzu Hub. Without appropriate space bindings, the CLI cannot retrieve the resource list.

Additional Information

• Tanzu Platform CLI Plugin Documentation
• Tanzu Hub: Managing Connected Clusters