Unable to enter GRUB menu in NSX appliance when resetting the root password.

Products

• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

Password for NSX appliance has expired local user passwords (admin, root, audit). Attempts to reset root password from the GRUB menu via iDRAC console failed to proceed past the OS selection page.

Environment

VMware NSX 

Cause

The keyboard layout on the iDRAC is not set to English. When typing the default GRUB root password, it is not taking the input correctly. 

Resolution

• To validate the input, it is possible to try typing your password when the username is requested to verify if what you are typing is what you are expecting, as the username field is not masked.
• Check the language of the Keyboard set on iDRAC.
  
  Workaround:
• Copy paste the default password using the below steps on iDRAC
• Select the Console Controls menu from vConsole.
• Copy the default password or you can type the text manually in the text box.
• Click Send Clipboard to Host.
• Then, the text appears on the host server's active window.
• Close the clipboard and hit enter