How to change vCenter appliance certificates?

[schmi3]

Hello,

i would like to connect a vCenter appliance with my xendesktop environment, so i have to change the certificates on the vcenter (or thrust them at the XD5.5, but it would never work with localhost.localhost in the cert).

I tried to generate some now certs with openssl (http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsp_4_vcserver_certificates.pdf) and than change the certs like in version 4 or 3.5.

After startup the vpx-deamon went down with this errors

2011-08-31T16:47:13.461+02:00 [7FFFF3B09700 info 'Default'] [Init:842] Calling: VpxdCertificate_Load(gDB, CERTIFICATE_VMDBPATH )
2011-08-31T16:47:13.461+02:00 [7FFFF3B09700 error 'Default'] [VpxdCertificate] Failed: unrecognized file format: /etc/vmware-vpx/ssl/rui.crt
2011-08-31T16:47:13.461+02:00 [7FFFF3B09700 error 'Default'] [Init] Init failed: VpxdCertificate_Load(gDB, CERTIFICATE_VMDBPATH )
2011-08-31T16:47:13.462+02:00 [7FFFF3B09700 error 'Default'] Failed to intialize VMware VirtualCenter. Shutting down...
2011-08-31T16:47:13.462+02:00 [7FFFF3B09700 info 'Default'] Wrote uptime information
2011-08-31T16:47:13.462+02:00 [7FFFF3B09700 error 'Default'] Alert:false@ /build/mts/release/bora-455964/bora/vpx/vpxd/util/vpxdVdb.cpp:408

(A additional info for you: I send the request into a ms-pki.)

Thanks for your help!

schmi3

[schmi3]

I found a way to generate certs with the right names e.g. vcenter.dom2.local.

At the first start up, the vcenter appliance generate the certifcates, but it use the name from the "HOSTNAME"-file.

Befor starting the first time you have to modify the hostname-file (mount the vmdk file into a linux or use http://wiki.ubuntuusers.de/linux-partitionen_unter_windows#ext2fsd).

[JustinF]

How did you manage this?

So far I have:

• Installed VMware server on a test linux box.
• Converted system VMDK to a fat format (can mount but not edit a thin VMDK) using vdisk.
• Mounted on a loop device and edited HOSTNAME.

Now I've tried putting the modified VMDK back with the data VMDK and the OVF.  When I try to import the OVF to my ESXi host it fails with an error about unsupported disk format.

Tried converting the modified disk back to thin with vmware-vdiskmanager but get hte same issue...

[schmi3]

1. you should normaly create the vcenter appliance.

2. remove the vmdk form the VM (don´t delete this disk)

3. add a new hdd to another VM (i used a win 7 x86) select the removed disk in step 2

4. now you have a touchable vmdk conneced to start you secound VM mount the root-fs and edit the hostname file in /etc/hostname

5. unmount it -> connect the vmdk to the vcenter appliance again

6. start your vcenter and in the first startup the cert will be generated!!!!

--> now your vcenter appliance have a self-generated cert with the right hostname!

[lobo519]

Check this out - http://www.goitpartners.com/blog/?p=217

I haven't had a chance to try it - I was in the same place you are trying to use this for Xendesktop. I finally gave up and went with a Windows box instead.

[JustinF]

Thanks chaps.  I'll give the first suggestion a try, if that doesn't work then I'll go with Windows.  How much RAM did you find it needed running on WIndows to work 'ok'?  My test platform is a HP microserver so resource is limited.

I too am trying to get XenDesktop running properly.  Bit of a PITA.  I have it half working at the moment.  I really can't see why it won't interface directly with ESXi rather than requiring vCenter.

Did you have to do anything else to get things running?  I saw somthing about having to add /sdk to the appliance?

[JustinF]

Haven't been able to get this working.  Successfully mounted the disk in another VM and edited the HOSTNAME file.

Boot it up and the thing takes a hostname from the DHCP server and uses that.

Tried again starting with a fresh copy of the appliance.  This time I disconnected the network on first boot.  Complained that it could not detect the hostname and used localhost.localdom!

Quite frustrating, how did you get past this snag?