really odd login/auth problem when using vmts patch manager

[torontoguy]

I've run into some rather odd behavior while using the VMTS patch manager. I've been using it form some time, but it seems to have stopped working with one of my hosts.

Setup: 4x ESX hosts. 1 management box with VMTS running.

The vmts app can login into 3 of the 4 boxes (all using the same credentials), but can't login into 1 of them. I've reset the credentials, tried login in again, no go. I keep getting a failure.

vmts reports for this specific esx box :

Tamir.SharpSsh.jsch.JSchException: Auth fail

at vmts.patchmanager.ssh.connect()

at vmts.patchmanager.HostESX.m_login()

the ESX hosts reports:

Jan 2 06:59:00 esx1 sshd[928]: Connection from 10.15.170.149 port 3015

Jan 2 06:59:00 esx1 sshd[928]: Failed password for root from 10.15.170.149 port 3015 ssh2

Odd thing is I can log in via ssh with the same credentials, so I know it;'s not an account issue.

anyone have any ideas?

[dominic7]

Have you enabled root login through SSH? ( in /etc/ssh/sshd_config )

[torontoguy]

yes, I am loggin into the box via ssh with no problem

[dominic7]

What else is around those error messages in /var/log/messages or /var/log/security. Do you have any other authentication methods in your pam stack ( like kerberos? )

[torontoguy]

nothing else. as far as I know, no other methods, but im unsure how to check