vRealize Log Insight (vRLI) Certificate Management with vRSLCM
In a standard vSphere environment, managing certificates for vRealize Log Insight (vRLI) can be a daunting task. However, with the help of vRealize Lifecycle Manager (vRSLCM), you can easily generate and replace vRLI certificates. In this blog post, we will explore the various options and corresponding tasks to generate and replace vRLI certificates using vRSLCM.
vRSLCM is great in many ways for managing vRealize products. The Locker functionality of vRSLCM can be used to manage Passwords, Licenses, and Certificates. Specifically, the Locker can be used to generate Certificates and Certificate Signing Requests (CSR).
To generate a certificate or CSR using vRSLCM, follow these steps:
1. Open the vRSLCM web interface and navigate to the Locker section.
2. Click on the “Certificates” tab and select the “Generate” option.
3. Choose whether you want to generate a certificate or a CSR.
4. If you choose “generate CSR”, you will be asked where to save the CSR file. Save the file somewhere safe, as you will need it later for certificate replacement.
5. If you choose “generate Certificate”, the certificate will be stored in the vRSLCM Locker and can be directly used for product deployments or certificate replacements.
Alternatively, if you do not have vRSLCM deployed, you can generate a certificate or CSR using the openssl tool. The openssl tool is installed by default on vRLI and most other vRealize products, but can also be downloaded and installed on Linux, Mac, or Windows.
To generate a certificate or CSR using openssl, follow these steps:
1. SSH to one of the vRLI nodes.
2. Use the following commands to view the contents of the private key and certificate:
“`
cat /path/to/privatekey.pem
cat /path/to/certificate.crt
“`
3. Use the following command to generate a CSR:
“`
openssl req -new -key /path/to/privatekey.pem -out /path/to/csr.pem -subj “/C=
“`
4. Use the following command to view a more detailed view of the certificate:
“`
openssl x509 -noout -text -in /path/to/certificate.crt
“`
5. On Windows, you can use the certutil tool to view a more detailed view of the certificate:
“`
certutil -decode /path/to/certificate.crt
“`
To replace an existing vRLI certificate with a new one, follow these steps:
1. Open the vRSLCM web interface and navigate to the Locker section.
2. Click on the “Certificates” tab and select the existing certificate you want to replace.
3. Click on the “Replace” button and select the new certificate file you want to use.
4. The replacement process should finish quite fast. Start or refresh a vRLI browser tab/window and double-check if the certificate replacement has taken place.
If your vRLI is deployed from or imported to vRSLCM, it is easy to replace the certificates. You can use either of the two options described below:
Option 1: Use the “Locker, Certificates, Import” option to import the new certificate file.
Option 2: Use the “Lifecycle, SSL, Choose File” option to select the new certificate file and replace the existing certificate.
In conclusion, managing certificates for vRLI using vRSLCM is a straightforward process that can be done using either the vRSLCM web interface or the openssl tool. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can easily generate and replace vRLI certificates, ensuring the security and integrity of your vSphere with Tanzu environment.