# Chef Node bootstrap fails with error (Failed to authenticate as 'chef-validator'. Ensure that your node\_name and client key are correct.)

**URL:** <https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-node-bootstrap-fails-with-error-failed-to-authenticate-as-chef-validator-ensure-that-your-node-name-and-client-key-are-correct/11206>\
**Category:** Chef Infra (archive)\
**Created:** [July 20, 2017, 9:46am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-node-bootstrap-fails-with-error-failed-to-authenticate-as-chef-validator-ensure-that-your-node-name-and-client-key-are-correct/11206 "2017-07-20T09:46:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![venkatasadhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/77aa72/32.png) [@venkatasadhu](https://discourse.chef.io/u/venkatasadhu)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 9:46am UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-node-bootstrap-fails-with-error-failed-to-authenticate-as-chef-validator-ensure-that-your-node-name-and-client-key-are-correct/11206/1 "2017-07-20T09:46:59Z")

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"[root@onp-devops01 .chef]# knife bootstrap onp-filenet04.onpointe.local -x ramalingareddypeddir -P xxxxxxxx --sudo  
Doing old-style registration with the validation key at /home/ramalingareddypeddir/.chef/viewpointe-validator.pem…  
Delete your validation key in order to use your user credentials instead

Connecting to onp-filenet04.onpointe.local  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local -----\> Existing Chef installation detected  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local Starting the first Chef Client run…  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local Starting Chef Client, version 13.1.31  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local /opt/chef/embedded/lib/ruby/gems/2.4.0/gems/ohai-13.1.0/lib/ohai/mixin/command.rb:35: warning: Insecure world writable dir /usr in PATH, mode 040777  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local Creating a new client identity for onp-filenet04 using the validator key.  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local ================================================================================  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local Chef encountered an error attempting to create the client ""onp-filenet04""  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local ================================================================================  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local Authentication Error:  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local ---------------------  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local Failed to authenticate to the chef server (http 401).  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local Server Response:  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local ----------------  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local Failed to authenticate as ‘chef-validator’. Ensure that your node\_name and client key are correct.  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local Relevant Config Settings:  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local -------------------------  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local chef\_server\_url ““[https://onp-devops01.onpointe.local/organizations/viewpointe](https://onp-devops01.onpointe.local/organizations/viewpointe)”” ([https://onp-devops01.onpointe.local/organizations/viewpointe](https://onp-devops01.onpointe.local/organizations/viewpointe)’)  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local validation\_client\_name "“chef-validator”“  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local validation\_key “”/etc/chef/validation.pem”"  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local If these settings are correct, your validation\_key may be invalid.  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local System Info:  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local ------------  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local chef\_version=13.1.31  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local ruby=ruby 2.4.1p111 (2017-03-22 revision 58053) [x86\_64-linux]  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local program\_name=chef-client worker: ppid=1639;start=08:44:34;  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local executable=/opt/chef/bin/chef-client  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local Running handlers:  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local [2017-07-17T08:44:37-05:00] ERROR: Running exception handlers  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local Running handlers complete  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local [2017-07-17T08:44:37-05:00] ERROR: Exception handlers complete  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local Chef Client failed. 0 resources updated in 03 seconds  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local [2017-07-17T08:44:37-05:00] FATAL: Stacktrace dumped to /var/chef/cache/chef-stacktrace.out  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local [2017-07-17T08:44:37-05:00] FATAL: Please provide the contents of the stacktrace.out file if you file a bug report  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local [2017-07-17T08:44:37-05:00] ERROR: 401 "“Unauthorized”“  
onp-filenet04.onpointe.local [2017-07-17T08:44:37-05:00] FATAL: Chef::Exceptions::ChildConvergeError: Chef run process exited unsuccessfully (exit code 1)”

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**Author:** ![akajain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71c47a/32.png) [@akajain](https://discourse.chef.io/u/akajain)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2017, 12:15pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-node-bootstrap-fails-with-error-failed-to-authenticate-as-chef-validator-ensure-that-your-node-name-and-client-key-are-correct/11206/2 "2017-11-08T12:15:46Z")

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I am facing same issue. Any solution to this?

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**Author:** ![venkatasadhu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/77aa72/32.png) [@venkatasadhu](https://discourse.chef.io/u/venkatasadhu)\
**Post date:** [November 8, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://discourse.chef.io/t/chef-node-bootstrap-fails-with-error-failed-to-authenticate-as-chef-validator-ensure-that-your-node-name-and-client-key-are-correct/11206/3 "2017-11-08T13:50:26Z")

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Hello Akajain,

The issue here is we are configuring the node manually with the RSA Token which is generated by the user not for the node. Its all configure issue and also make sure you have both node and your pem file name should be same where pem will have .pem as extension.

If you have Chef Manage installed in that please go ahead and create node from the Chef Manage Console and then generate certificate from manage window itself and use the same certificate to validate your node. This should work fine.

Do let me know if you have any issues.

Thanks  
Seshu