VCP-DCV vSphere Security Practice Question
A vSphere administrator notices that after replacing the vCenter Server machine SSL certificate, all vCenter services start, but from one ESXi host, the vCenter Server appears as disconnected. Other hosts connect fine. What is the most likely cause?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The ESXi host does not trust the signing certificate authority of the new vCenter certificate.
When the vCenter Server machine SSL certificate is replaced, each ESXi host must trust the certificate's issuing CA. If one host's trusted root certificate store does not contain the new certificate's CA certificate, TLS verification fails, causing vCenter to appear disconnected from that host. Option A is incorrect because the Common Name is used for server identity, but it does not need to match the host's IP; the issue is trust of the CA, not name mismatch. Option C is incorrect because system time differences would affect all hosts, not just one, and typically cause certificate validity errors, not trust issues. Option D is incorrect because the machine SSL certificate is distinct from SSO certificates; replacing it does not affect SSO if other certificates are unchanged.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The vCenter certificate's Common Name does not match the host's IP address.
Why it's wrong here
Certificate CN mismatch would affect Web access, not the host connection.
- ✓
The ESXi host does not trust the signing certificate authority of the new vCenter certificate.
Why this is correct
The host needs the root CA certificate in its trusted store to validate the vCenter certificate.
- ✗
The ESXi host has a different system time than the vCenter Server.
Why it's wrong here
Time skew would likely cause symptoms with multiple hosts, not just one.
- ✗
The vCenter Server certificate was not imported into the SSO trusted domain.
Why it's wrong here
SSO trust is separate from the machine SSL certificate trust for host connectivity.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This VCP-DCV practice question is part of Courseiva's free VMware certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the VCP-DCV exam.