Contents

Introduction

Prerequisites

Components Used

Recover the Admin Account Password

Procedure

Verify

Related Information

Introduction

This document provides a comprehensive guide on the procedure to recover a lost password on a Fabric Interconnect 4th and 5th generation.

Prerequisites

Physical access to the Fabric Interconnect.

Components Used

Fabric Interconnect 6536.

RJ45 to DB9 Serial Cable.

Laptop.

Recover the Admin Account Password

Procedure

1. Connect to the console port. Plug the RJ-45 end of the serial management cable into the console port on the fabric interconnect, and connect the DB-9 male end into the serial port on a laptop or other computer.

2. Power cycle the Fabric Interconnect:

1. Power off the Fabric Interconnect.

2. Power on the Fabric Interconnect.

3. Press the key combination in the console as it boots: Ctrl + C.

4. At the loader prompt, find the system image used with command dir.

loader > dir

bootflash::

lost+found

ucs-manager-k9.4.2.3e.bin

.rpmstore

ucs_chassis_imgs

installables

ucs-6400-k9-system.9.3.5.I42.3d.bin   <----

nuova-sim-mgmt-nsg.0.1.0.001.bin

5. Run the command cmdline recoverymode=1 to enable recovery mode.

loader > cmdline recoverymode=1

6. Boot the system image on the Fabric Interconnect.

loader > boot ucs-6400-k9-system.9.3.5.I42.3d.bin

7. Then, enter to the config terminal mode.

switch(boot)# config terminal

Enter configuration commands, one per line.  End with CNTL/Z.

switch(boot)(config)#

8. Reset the admin password.

switch(boot)(config)# admin-password <your_password>

Note: Choose a strong password that includes at least one capital letter and one number. The password cannot be blank.

Caution: The new password will display in clear text mode.

9. Exit the config terminal mode.

10. Load the system image.

switch(boot)(config)# exit

switch(boot)# load ucs-6400-k9-system.9.3.5.I42.3d.bin

If it is a cluster configuration. Repeat steps to get to the loader prompt.

1. Connect to the console port.

2. Power cycle the Fabric Interconnect:

1. Power off the Fabric Interconnect.

2. Power on the Fabric Interconnect.

3. Press the key combination in the console as it boots: Ctrl + C.

4. At the loader prompt for the subordinate Fabric Interconnect, boot the image to bring it up.

loader > boot ucs-6400-k9-system.9.3.5.I42.3d.bin

Tip: Fabrics Interconnect must be on the same firmware version to form the cluster.

Verify

Establish a connection via SSH to the fabric's management IP and Log In using the updated password.

login as: admin

Pre-authentication banner message from server:

| Cisco UCS 6500 Series Fabric Interconnect

End of banner message from server

admin@X.X.X.X's password: N3wp4ssw0rd

Cisco Nexus Operating System (NX-OS) Software

TAC support: http://www.cisco.com/tac

Copyright (c) 2009, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

The copyrights to certain works contained in this software are

owned by other third parties and used and distributed under

license. Certain components of this software are licensed under

the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2.0 or the GNU

Lesser General Public License (LGPL) Version 2.1. A copy of each

such license is available at

http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.php and

http://www.opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-2.1.php

FI-6536-A#

Related Information

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/unified_computing/ucs/hw/6454-install-guide/6454/6454_chapter_011.html