# about_server_authentication

Topic

Authenticating with a vSphere or vCloud server.

Short Description

When connecting to a vSphere or vCloud server, you need to authenticate by providing valid credentials. PowerCLI follows a certain logic for authenticating a server session. When you connect to a server with the Connect-VIServer or Connect-CIServer cmdlets, you can provide either a user name and password through the User and Password parameters, or a PSCredential object through the Credential parameter. If you provide both User/Password and Credential, the cmdlet accepts only the value of the Credential parameter and discards the User and Password parameters.
LONG DESCRIPTION
When connecting to a vSphere or vCloud server, you need to authenticate by providing valid credentials. PowerCLI follows a certain logic for authenticating a server session. When you connect to a server with the Connect-VIServer or Connect-CIServer cmdlets, you can provide either a user name and password through the User and Password parameters, or a PSCredential object through the Credential parameter. If you provide both User/Password and Credential, the cmdlet accepts only the value of the Credential parameter and discards the User and Password parameters.
AUTHENTICATING USING A PSCREDENTIAL OBJECT
When you run the Connect-VIServer or Connect-CIServer to establish a server connection, you can use the Credential parameter to provide a PSCredential object that contains credentials for the specified server. If the provided credentials are not valid, the cmdlets show an error message.
AUTHENTICATING THROUGH THE USER AND PASSWORD PARAMETERS
Instead of providing a PSCredential object, you can directly specify a user name and password through the User and Password parameters of Connect-VIServer or Connect-CIServer.
If you specify only the User parameter without providing a value to Password, the cmdlet searches the credential store for credentials that correspond to the specified server and user. If such a credential is found, the cmdlet uses it to authenticate with the server. If no such a credential is found, you are prompted to provide credentials.
If you run Connect-VIServer or Connect-CIServer without specifying the User, Password, or Credential parameters, the cmdlet searches the credential store for available credentials for the specified server. If only one credential object is found, the cmdlet uses it to authenticate with the server. If none or more than one PSCredential objects are found, the cmdlet tries to perform a SSPI authentication. If the SSPI authentication fails, the cmdlet prompts you to provide credentials.
Note: If PowerCLI runs in a non-interactive mode, Connect-VIServer and Connect-CIServer will not prompt you for new credentials after the server authentication fails. To try to authenticate using new credentials, run the cmdlet again.
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Copyright © VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.