PowerCLI: Connect-VIServer Certificate Errors

When attempting to connect to a vCenter or ESXi host, you see the following error;

 

Connect-VIServer : {Date} {Time} Connect-VIServer Error: Invalid server certificate. Use Set-PowerCLIConfiguration 

 to set the value for the InvalidCertificateAction option to Prompt if you'd like to connect once or to add a permanent exception for this server. 

Additional Information: Could not establish trust relationship for the SSL/TLS secure channel with authority

'{Server-Name}'. 

At line:1 char:1 

+ Connect-VIServer 

+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

    + CategoryInfo : SecurityError: (:) [Connect-VIServer], ViSecurityNegotiationException 

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Client20_ConnectivityServiceImpl_Reconnect_CertificateError,

VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.

 Cmdlets.Commands.ConnectVIServer

Solution

Well you can either ‘Sort out your certificates properly‘, or ‘Drag down the self signed certificate and install it‘, or simply execute the following command;

Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -Confirm:$false

Try again.