9124 Password Recovery

[cochrancw]

How do you recover from a lost password on a 9124 switch.

[Filiph Westman]

Here is the procedure:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/ps4159/ps4358/products_password_recovery09186a00801258c3.shtml

/Filiph

[cochrancw]

These instructions do not work with the 9124, I had already tried this.  When you reboot the 9124 and insert a break command the menu options are not the same as the large director level switches.  Any other instruction would be much appreciated.

[Filiph Westman]

Hello,

I have done it several times on the 9124 and it's the same procedure.

You need to get to the switch(boot)# prompt to reset password. Press ctrl+] exactly when you see "Loading system software". The message "Switching to runlevel: 1" indicates you are entering switch(boot)# prompt.

=== console output ===

Starting kernel...

INIT: version 2.78 booting Checking all filesystems..... done.
Loading system software

*** BREAK SIGNAL SENT ***

INIT: Switching to runlevel: 1
INIT: Stopping kernel log daemon: klogd.
Sending all processes the TERM signal... done.
Sending all processes the KILL signal... done.
Entering single-user mode...

INIT: Going single user
INIT: Sending processes the TERM signal Cisco Storage Area Networking Operating System (SAN-OS) Software

/// snippet ///

switch(boot)#

switch(boot)# conf t

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

switch(boot)(config)# ?
Configure commands::
  admin-password  Set password for admin
  do              EXEC command
  end             Exit from configure mode
  exit            Exit from configure mode
  hostname        This system's network name
  interface       Select an interface to configure
  ip              Configure the ip parameters
  no              Negate a command or set its defaults

switch(boot)(config)# admin-password whatever12345

PAM_unix[597]: Password for admin was changed

switch(boot)(config)#

=== end ===

Rgds Filiph

[orrobinson]

Hi,

Can you please tell me if the switch configuration is lost after you do the password recovery?

Regards,

Oliver

[Gary Ross]

Oliver,

No, you will not lose you switch configuration.  You're performing a "conversational boot".  Basically, you're walking the switch through what images to load.  Once the load is complete of the kickstart and system images, you remain logged in with network-admin rights which allows you to reset your password (and anyone else's) that you need to before terminating the connection.

Hope this helps.

Gary R.

[cwalters-apex]

Hello,  I know this is an old post..  I just retired a DR Site and need to factory reset 2 mds 9124 standalone switches.   I tried the link , but doing the following, after load bootflash in returns to the switch (boot)# and will not let me copy run to startup?

1. switchboot#

2. Issue the load command in order to load the SAN-OS software image. This is the image name that was noted as part of step 3.

   In this example, san-ios.img is the name of the software. Most likely, the format looks like m9500-sf1ek9-mz-2.1.2b.bin.

   switch(boot)#load bootflash:san-ios.img
   

3. Save the software configuration.

   switch#copy running-config startup-config