How to Reset vCenter SSO password for the VCSA appliance

How to Reset vCenter SSO password for the VCSA appliance

To reset the vCenter SSO password, You need to remember the root credentials of the PSC or vCenter Server Appliance.

1.Login to Platform Services Controller or vCenter Server with Embedded Platform Services Controller Appliance using SSH as root user

2. Run this command to enable access the Bash shell:

shell.set --enabled true

3.Type shell and press Enter. Enter the below command

/usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcadmintool

4. Press 3 to choose the Reset Password option.  When prompted for the Account UPN, enter  User@vSphere_Domain_Name.local
In my case, it is administrator@vsphere.local.

If your vSphere Domain name is customized, provide the customized domain name. A random password will be generated for the VCenter SSO admin account.

5.  Log in to vSphere Web Client using the vCenter SSO admin account with the generated password. Select the Change Password option under the logged in Username

vcenter 6.0 reset password

Enable SSH on vCenter Server Appliance 6 (VCSA)

Posted by Mark Ukotic on June 14, 2015Leave a comment (2)Go to comments

If you’re running the Appliance version of vCenter 6 at some stage you may want console access via SSH.  When you install VCSA 6 for the first time you have the option during installation to enable SSH.  Depending on your security stance you may have left SSH off and now you want it on.

There are a few different methods for enabling SSH on VCSA.  The below two methods both use the web client.

Method 1.
Directly enabling SSH in the Web Client.

This method is probably the easiest and quickest way.  The settings just happen to be in a non-intuitive location.

On the Home screen of the Web Client select Administration -> System Configuration

Select Nodes and right click on your vCenter server.

Select Edit Settings

Select the Checkbox Enable SSH login

Click OK.

You should now be able to SSH to the vCenter name or IP.

Method 2.
Enabling SSH via the Remote Console.

Navigate to your vCenter Appliance VM.  Click on Launch Remote Console.

Press ALT + F1 to get a login TTY session and login as root

Run the below commands to enable SSH.  ssh.get shows the current status.  ssh.set allows you to change the state of SSH.  Use ‘false’ instead of true to disable SSH.

Command> ssh.get
Enabled: False
Command> ssh.set --enabled true
Command> ssh.get
Enabled: True
Command>

The above methods takes effect immediately, no need to reboot.  When disabling SSH, current sessions stay active and don’t end.  So if someone has an open SSH session they won’t be kicked out until they logoff or their session times out.