Hi all,
Here is the info you need to avoid the extra clicks when logging in to Veeam Availability Orchestrator (VAO). This cool software is now out, and in peoples hand so hopefully this article helps!
If you access VAO and see something like this.
Not that it takes many clicks to get by, but when I demo for customers and partners, I like things to look smooth and professional, so I like to skip the extra clicks. So let me show you how I do that.
We start on the VAO server and start up the certificate manager.
Once the Cert Manager is running change to the Trusted Root Certificate Authorities view and then open up the Certificates folder.
In that location you will see the three Veeam cert’s that are important. The name will normally match your server name.
You need to right+click on each one, and select All Tasks, followed by Export.
Export all three somewhere you can find with your other computers. Maybe use file names you can work with and remember.
Now we have our three certs. I am going to import them into Chrome on my Mac. If you use Chrome on your PC in Windows you can find info to help below in the links section.
Now, while in Chrome, use the three dots to access Settings.
Once you select Settings, scroll down to the bottom and expand Advanced. Scroll down until you see Manage certificates.
Use that little funny looking box I point at above to load the Keychain tool.
Update: the macOS changed what Keychain looks like. The + is now at the top. But the location has not changed.
You want to make sure you are in the login keychain, and in the Certificates category. Now use the + sign to load in the first cert.
Once you import all three certs - one at a time, things should look sort of like below.
We are not finished. We need to have the little minnie + on our three certs. So double+click on the first cert.
Expand the Trust section.
We need to change the indicated above drop-down list to show Trust.
That will change all of the options to trust. When you close that screen the cert you just changed should look different.
Now do the other two.
Now, if you close your browser, and open it, and access VAO, guess what?
No extra clicks!
Links
- Here is an article that shows you how to avoid clicks in vCenter.
- The same article shows you how to import certs in a Windows world. Since this article shows you how to do that with a Mac I thought I would share the Windows version too.
- If you need help distributing via GP check out this article.
- You can find all the articles I write - that are technical - and about VAO using this link.
Updates
- 2/21/19 - updated for the slight change in the macOS UI of Keychain.
- 7/20/18 - added the link to help distribute via GPO. And VAO is definitely out in GA land now.
- 11/13/17 - GA.
Summary
You know now to avoid these unnecessary clicks, but you also learned a little bit about certs too and that is a bonus. Also, you can avoid all of this by using a custom cert from your own company during the install of VAO. There is a variety of articles out on the Internet on how to share these certs out via GPO but as I have not done that yet I have no opinion on them. Let me know if one works for you.
Thanks for reading, and remember questions and comments are appreciated.
Michael
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