vSphere authentication

vSphere uses Single Sign-On as its authentication broker and for exchanging security tokens. Authentication is separated from permissions. Single Sign-On authorizes users to authenticate once the user has been validated; however, this does not necessarily mean that the authenticated user has permissions within a vCenter Server. Permissions must be granted within the vCenter Server, separately from Single Sign-On. This section will cover Single Sign-On and its configuration. See the vSphere Permissions section for granting privileges to users.

vCenter Single Sign-On overview

Single Sign-On is a vSphere component that acts as an authentication broker and is an infrastructure for security token exchange. vCenter Single Sign-On is one of the components that the vSphere 6 Platform Services Controller (PSC) consists of.

Configuring Single Sign-On

Single Sign-On is a required component of the vSphere Platforms Controller (on which the vCenter Server is dependent). This section...