Resetting the NSX Manager Root Password When Both GRUB and Root Passwords Are Lost

Products

• VMware NSX

Issue/Introduction

This article describes the scenario in which both the NSX Manager root password and the GRUB password have been forgotten. Resetting the NSX Manager root password requires access to the GRUB menu. As outlined in KB 417635, resetting the GRUB password itself requires the root password.

Environment

VMware NSX

Resolution

1. Detach one NSX Manager node from the cluster.

2. Deploy a new NSX Manager node. During deployment, you will be prompted to configure the admin, root, and audit account passwords.

3. After deployment, the new NSX Manager node’s credentials should synchronise with the other NSX Manager nodes in the cluster.

4. Verify that root access is functioning after the deployment. If root login is still not working, follow the procedure in Resetting the Passwords of an Appliance to reset the NSX Manager root password, and use the default GRUB password referenced in KB 417635.

5. After rebooting, wait 5–10 minutes for the root password to synchronise across the NSX Manager cluster.

6. Note that the GRUB password does not synchronise across NSX Manager nodes. Once the root password has been successfully synchronised, you can follow KB 417635 to reset the GRUB password on each NSX Manager node as needed.