Old Cisco ACS 4.2 on Windows lock notice help!

[Belisarius]

• Like the title says, I've been handed a system that I'll need to upgrade but I cannot for the life of me get into the Windows OS where ACS is installed and haven't a clue how to get around it. 

I have intermittent Web browser access. I can get to the admin web portal where do I disable this thing so I can get in and fix and upgrade this thing.

I need in. Safe mode doesn't work either. The lock screen reads: "Application functioning normally. Please use the browser to access"

This is a virtual machine. Access goes down I have to connect it to a workstation with a virtual serial cable that sometimes works.

Please help! How do I disable the lock notice and get into the OS.

[balaji.bandi]

ACS 4.2 EOL decade back - what is the ACS role in your network

If i were you i will install latest 5.8 on VM and Move the devices to ACS 5.8

ACS 5.8 also EOL

[ahollifield]

Oh boy.  Personally I would just rebuild from scratch on ISE.  

[balaji.bandi]

@ahollifield  all companies may be not in a postion to buy ISE in the first place. and some people like to stick to version they have until it dies.

ISE future - but business approval for finance ?

[Arne Bier]

They might consider trying NPS if the customer has a Windows Server environment. I am not a big fan of NPS because of its lousy operational ability - but for small environments, it gets the basic RADIUS job done. 

[Belisarius]

All 

I would like to upgrade and rebuild but it's tied tightly to curriculum. Curriculum job sheets are tailored to 4.2 and I'm not allowed to move forward currently. 

I just need to find a way to unlock this window!

[Belisarius]

Here is the lock window I need to bypass. To fix, troubleshoot and maintain. Until we are approved to upgrade.

Trust me. I run cisco ise 3.1. I can't wait to move to it. But we are not allowed right now.

[Arne Bier]

I have to admit I didn't work with such an old ACS system.

So you can login to the Windows Server and then immediately this thing pops up and blocks all other access to the OS?

Why is web access intermittent?

[Belisarius]

Negative. No ability to log in. This is presented on boot and safe mode boot.

Control alt delete does not work.

[Belisarius]

Negative. This is a locked down version. Thus you get this on boot. No ability to log in. one must only use virtual serial connections or the web connect (browse from vm)

[Greg Gibbs]

This sounds like it might be the ACS Solution Engine. In the Installation Guide, it states:

"The operating system for the Cisco Secure ACS SE is a customized and minimized version of the Windows 2003 and Windows 2008 operating system. The ACS SE removes all extraneous services, blocks all unused ports, and otherwise prevents all other access to the ACS server system, thereby dramatically increasing the security posture of ACS."

You might try stopping/starting some of the processes from the Serial connection or rebooting it if you haven't done so already. If that all fails, you will likely have to try backing it up and reinstalling it (if you have the software). I'm not sure what kind of 'upgrade' you expect to do with this appliance (if that's what it is) as I don't believe there is anything to upgrade to. There is also no software available to download for it at this point.

As others have stated, this system has been end of life for over 10 years now, so I doubt you'll find anybody here that has seen it (much less had to troubleshoot it) for 10 years.

[Belisarius]

Greg,

This sounds like a better answer and explains alot. 

The next update of the curriculum is due soon and will be cisco ISE

Until then however I am required to keep this ACS server Alive.

So I guess I'm only left with virtual network wires and virtual serial connections (it's a vm). 

How does one handle connectivity issues? 

Like if it doesn't respond via web and I'm very limited in serial commands.

[Greg Gibbs]

The only thing I could suggest would be restarting the CSAdmin service (which runs the web server) from the serial connection and/or rebooting the system.

[Belisarius]

Provided we can get the virtual serial to connect. I made the virtual serial pipe in vmware but it connects about 50% of the time XD

[ahollifield]

What do you mean by curriculum? Is someone teaching a training class or something using ACS 4.2?