Linked Mode Authentication

[MOttaway]

Hi,

I have two vCenter servers running in the same domain and configured in linked mode.

I have created a domain account and granted it admin permissions in both vCenters.

When using one of the vCenter servers I can login to the vSphere client, pointing at either vCenter, using the domain user credentials (Not the Use Windows session credentials tick box) and can see both vCenters correctly.

The problem I have is when I trying to connect to either vCenter from my admin PC which is in a different domain. I can login to both vCenters separately but they each give me the error:

"There are issues with communicating the the following vCenter server(s): server.domain.com : Failure to authenticate with the server"

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Mark

[MOttaway]

I have managed to sort this myself.

I hadn't spotted that the machines must be able to ping each other with FQDNs.

As the vCenters are in the same domain they can resolve the FQDN no problem but I was connecting my admin PC using only the IP addresses.

Once I had added the vCenters to my local host file I could connect and see both.

Thanks

[GeeZus21]

After a little research in the forums. I was lead to my Windows serurity logs. I was getting alot of "Failure Audits" when the Network Service tried to access the VMware VirtualCenter folder. C:\Document and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware VirtualCenter\. I gave permission to the NETWORK SERVICE to allow access to this folder and BAM vCenters are now linked. 

This was a huge headache for me for awhile. Hope this saves some you of Admin some time.