Harness "Connector ... failed" test in CI

A Harness connector defines how to reach a resource (cluster, git repo, registry) and is validated through a delegate. A failed test means the delegate could not authenticate or reach that target with the connector's credentials.

What this error means

The connector shows a red "Test Connection" result, or a pipeline step fails with "Connector '...' validation failed" citing auth or connectivity to the git/docker/kubernetes target.

Connector 'docker-registry' test failed:
Invalid Credentials: unauthorized: authentication required
while connecting to https://registry.example.com/v2/

Common causes

Wrong or expired credentials

The token, password, or kubeconfig the connector references is wrong or expired, so authentication fails.

The delegate cannot reach the target URL

Network egress, a private endpoint, or DNS keeps the delegate from reaching the registry, git host, or cluster API.

How to fix it

Test the connector on the right delegate

1. Open the connector and run Test Connection, noting the delegate used.
2. Fix the credential (secret) or the endpoint URL the test reports.
3. Confirm the delegate has network reachability to the target.

Point the credential at a valid secret

Reference a current secret from the Harness secret manager and confirm the delegate selector routes to a delegate that can reach the target.

How to prevent it

• Rotate connector credentials before expiry.
• Pin connectors to delegates that can reach their targets.
• Test connectors after any network or credential change.

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