Cisco

Cisco UCS C-Series CIMC Password Recovery

Recover a lost CIMC / UCSM administrator password on Cisco UCS servers by resetting the management controller to factory defaults.

Overview

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for resetting lost or forgotten administrative passwords on enterprise networking hardware. Follow the procedure below carefully to regain access while preserving your device configuration.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with password recovery, ensure you have a console cable, terminal emulation software configured to 9600 baud, and physical access to the device.

Step 1: Establish Console Connection

Connect your terminal cable to the console port of the device and open your serial terminal session.

Step 2: Interrupt the Boot Sequence

Power cycle the hardware and issue a Break key sequence during initial system startup to enter ROMMON mode.

Step 3: Reset Password & Configuration

Bypass startup configuration loading, boot into system software, set your new credentials, and save changes back to non-volatile memory.

Overview

UCS servers have two credential stores: the host OS and the CIMC (Cisco Integrated Management Controller). A lost CIMC password is recovered by resetting the CIMC, which clears its configuration but not the host data.

Prerequisites

Recovery Steps (CIMC)

  1. Connect a console (or use the CIMC CLI over SSH if you still have access with another account).
  2. If console access is available:
    # scope cimc
    # scope network
    Enter the IP configuration, then continue.
  3. To fully recover a lost password, reset the CIMC using the CIMC reset option from the BIOS/CIMC configuration utility at boot (press F8 during POST, then choose Reset CIMC to factory defaults).
  4. After the reset the default credentials apply — set a new administrator password immediately.

UCS B-Series (UCSM)

Blades managed by a Fabric Interconnect have their credentials in UCS Manager, not locally. Recover the FI admin password from the Fabric Interconnect console instead.