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Integrate with VMware vCenter

Support level: Community

What is VMware vCenter?​

VMware vCenter Server provides centralized management for VMware vSphere infrastructure, including ESXi hosts, virtual machines, and dependent services.

-- https://www.vmware.com/products/cloud-infrastructure/vcenter/future-overview

Preparation​

The following placeholders are used in this guide:

  • vcenter.company is the FQDN of the VMware vCenter server.
  • authentik.company is the FQDN of the authentik installation.
info

This documentation lists only the settings that you need to change from their default values. Be aware that any changes other than those explicitly mentioned in this guide could cause issues accessing your application.

This guide uses the VMware vCenter Okta identity provider flow with authentik as the OIDC and SCIM provider. VMware vCenter requires vSphere 8.0 Update 1 or later for this flow. Before starting, verify that VMware Identity Services are active, that vCenter can reach authentik's OIDC endpoints, and that authentik can reach the vCenter Tenant URL for SCIM provisioning.

authentik configuration​

To support the integration of VMware vCenter with authentik, you need to create an application/provider pair in authentik. After vCenter generates the SCIM details, you will also create a SCIM provider and attach it to the application.

Create an application and provider​

Redirect URI changes in authentik 2026.5

In authentik versions earlier than 2026.5, all Redirect URIs are automatically treated as Authorization type. If you are using one of these older authentik versions, add only the Authorization URL to your Redirect URIs and do not configure a Post Logout URI.

  1. Log in to authentik as an administrator and open the authentik Admin interface.

  2. Navigate to Applications > Applications and click New Application to open the application wizard.

    • Application: provide a descriptive name, an optional group for the type of application, the policy engine mode, and optional UI settings.
    • Choose a Provider type: select OAuth2/OpenID Connect as the provider type.
    • Configure the Provider: provide a name (or accept the auto-provided name), the authorization flow to use for this provider, and the following required configurations.
      • Temporarily add a Redirect URI of type Strict Authorization as https://temp.temp. You will replace this with the redirect URI generated by vCenter.
      • Select any available signing key.
      • Note the Client ID and Client Secret values because they are required later.
    • Configure Bindings (optional): you can create a binding (policy, group, or user) to manage the listing and access to applications on a user's Application Dashboard page. If you add the SCIM provider as a backchannel provider later, only users who can view this application are synchronized.

  3. Click Submit to save the new application and provider.

  4. Open the OAuth2/OpenID provider that you created and note the OpenID Configuration URL value because it is required later.

VMware vCenter configuration​

Configure the identity provider​

  1. Log in to the vSphere Client as an administrator.
  2. Navigate to Administration > Single Sign On > Configuration.
  3. Click Change Provider, then select Okta.
  4. In the Configure Main Identity Provider wizard, review the prerequisites and click Run Prechecks.
  5. After the precheck passes, select the confirmation checkbox and click Next.
  6. On the Directory Information page, configure the following settings:
    • Directory Name: enter a descriptive name, such as authentik.
    • Domain Name(s): enter the domain that contains the users and groups that you will synchronize from authentik, then click the plus (+) icon to add it.
  7. Click Next.
  8. On the OpenID Connect page, configure the following settings:
    • Identity Provider Name: authentik
    • Client Identifier: enter the Client ID value from authentik.
    • Shared Secret: enter the Client Secret value from authentik.
    • OpenID Address: enter the OpenID Configuration URL value from authentik.
  9. Click Next, review the configuration, then click Finish.

Collect generated values​

  1. On the Single Sign On > Configuration page, copy the Redirect URI value and save it for the next section.
  2. Copy the Tenant URL value and save it for the SCIM provider configuration.
  3. Under User Provisioning, click Generate to create a secret token.
  4. Select the token lifespan, click Copy to Clipboard, and save the token in a secure location.

Update the authentik provider​

  1. Return to the authentik Admin interface.
  2. Navigate to Applications > Providers and open the OAuth2/OpenID provider that you created.
  3. Click Edit.
  4. Replace the temporary Redirect URI value with the Redirect URI value from vCenter. Use the Strict matching mode and Authorization redirect URI type.
  5. Click Update.

Create a SCIM provider​

  1. In the authentik Admin interface, navigate to Applications > Providers and click Create.
  2. Select SCIM Provider as the provider type and click Next.
  3. Configure the following settings:
    • Name: provide a descriptive name.
    • URL: enter the Tenant URL value from vCenter.
    • Token: enter the secret token that you generated in vCenter.
    • Verify SCIM server's certificates: turn this off only if authentik cannot validate the certificate presented by vCenter.
    • Compatibility Mode: select vCenter.
    • Group Filter: select the authentik groups that should be synchronized to vCenter.
  4. Click Create.
  5. Navigate to Applications > Applications and open the VMware vCenter application.
  6. Add the SCIM provider to Backchannel Providers.
  7. Open the VMware vCenter SCIM provider and click the run button on the Full sync for SCIM provider task.

Assign permissions​

  1. Return to the vSphere Client.
  2. Navigate to Administration > Access Control > Global Permissions.
  3. Click Add.
  4. Select the domain that you created during the Okta identity provider configuration.
  5. Enter the name of the synchronized user or group that should receive access.
  6. Select the role to assign. The minimum role required for login is Read-only.
  7. Click Save.

Configuration verification​

To confirm that authentik is properly configured with VMware vCenter, log out and open VMware vCenter. Sign in with the external identity provider, complete the authentik flow, and confirm that vCenter opens with the expected permissions.

To confirm that SCIM is properly configured, open the VMware vCenter SCIM provider in authentik and verify that the latest sync completed without errors. In vCenter, confirm that synchronized users and groups are available when assigning permissions.

Resources​