If you have forgotten the root, admin, or audit user's password, you can reset it by booting the appliance into single-user mode.

Note: If you have an NSX Manager cluster, resetting the password for the root, admin, or audit user on one NSX Manager will automatically reset the password for the other NSX Managers in the cluster.
Important: When you reboot an appliance, the GRUB boot menu does not appear by default. The following procedure requires that you have configured the appliance to display the GRUB boot menu and you know the GRUB root user's password. For more information, see "Configure NSX-T Data Center to Display the GRUB Menu at Boot Time" in the NSX-T Data Center Installation Guide.

Procedure

  1. If you are reseting a password on an NSX Manager, perform the following steps:
    1. Shut down the NSX Manager.
    2. Download the Ubuntu 16.04 .iso file from http://releases.ubuntu.com/16.04/ubuntu-16.04.6-server-amd64.iso.
    3. Launch the vSphere or ESXi graphical user interface (GUI).
    4. Import the Ubuntu .iso file into the applicable datastore for the NSX Manager VM.
    5. Edit the settings of the NSX Manager VM and add a CD ROM Drive device if it does not exist.
    6. In the CD ROM Drive configuration, check the Connect at power on checkbox.
    7. In CD/DVD Media, press Browse and select ubuntu-16.04.6-server-amd64.iso from the applicable datastore.
    8. Click Save to exit the Edit settings page.
    9. Power on the NSX Manager.
  2. Connect to the console of the appliance.
  3. Reboot the system.
  4. When the GRUB boot menu appears, press the left SHIFT or ESC key quickly. If you wait too long and the boot sequence does not pause, you must reboot the system again.
  5. Press e to edit the menu.
    Enter the user name ( root) and password. Note that this is GRUB root user, which is not the same as the appliance's root user.
  6. Keep the cursor on the Ubuntu selection.
  7. Press e to edit the selected option.
  8. Search for the line starting with linux.
  9. Remove all options after root=UUID=.
  10. Add the following option.
    rw single init=/bin/bash
  11. Press Ctrl-X to boot.
  12. When the log messages stop, press Enter.
    You will see the prompt root@(none):/#.
  13. If you are resetting the password for root, run the command passwd.
    If you are resetting the password for admin or audit, run the command passwd <admin or audit user ID>.

    You can run the passwd command multiple times.

  14. Enter a new password.
  15. Enter the password again.
  16. Run the command sync.
  17. Run the command reboot -f.
    Important: If you are resetting a password on an NSX Manager, after running this command, press the ESC key in a timely manner so that you can perform the next step. If you wait too long and the boot sequence does not pause, reboot the system again.
  18. If you are resetting a password on an NSX Manager, and you successfully paused the boot sequence in the previous step, perform the following steps:
    1. Scroll down to <Enter Setup> using the down arrow key and press Enter.
    2. Navigate to the Boot menu option using the right arrow key.
    3. Make CD-ROM the first device using the + or - key.
    4. Press F10 to save and exit.
    5. Press Enter for the Yes option to save configuration changes and exit.
      This will reboot and the BIOS banner page will be shown. Do not press any keys.
    6. After a few seconds Ubuntu from the CD-ROM drive's .iso file will start.
    7. Select a language and press Enter.
      You will see a Ubuntu menu.
    8. Select Rescue a broken system using the down arrow key and press Enter.
    9. On successive screens, select a language, country and keyboard layout and press Enter.
    10. Enter a temporary hostname or accept the default.
    11. Set the correct time and timezone if necessary.
    12. You will be prompted to enter a device to use as the root file system. Select the Do not use a root file system option using the down arrow key and press Enter.
    13. You will now be prompted to enter rescue mode. Select Execute a shell in the installer environment and press Enter.
    14. Confirm by selecting the Continue option and press Enter.
    15. You will now enter a Linux shell. Enter the following Linux commands: 
      mount /dev/sda2 /mnt
mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
chroot /mnt
mount /config
touch /config/vmware/nsx-node-api/reset_cluster_credentials
umount /conifg
exit
umount /mnt/dev
umount /mnt
sync
exit
    16. You will now see the Enter rescue mode screen again, select the Reboot the system option using the down arrow key and press Enter.
      When you see the BIOS banner page, press the ESC key quickly.
    17. Scroll down using the down arrow key to <Enter Setup> and press Enter.
    18. Navigate to the Boot menu option using the right arrow key.
    19. Navigate to the Hard Drive option using the down arrow key and press + until it is the first device.
    20. Press F10 to save and exit.
    21. Press Enter for the Yes option to save configuration changes and exit. The system will reboot.
    22. When the GRUB menu appears, select the Ubuntu option and press Enter.
      The NSX Manager will start and have the new password.
    23. As time permits, remove the CD ROM device using the Edit Settings option in the vSphere or ESXi GUI for the NSX Manager VM.