forgot master password sso - remove sso db and reinstall

[tdubb123]

I forgot my vcenter 5.1 sso password. now i cannot upgrade to any other version. Can i completely remove sso, delete the sso database and reinstall sso and start from beginning?

will this allow me to create a brand new master password?

[VRBitman]

Recently another user found himself in your exact situation. It turns out there might be a way to change your master password.

Personally I haven't tried it, but people are reporting that it works.

Here is a direct link to the procedure http://www.ingmarverheij.com/vmware-recover-vcenter-single-sign-on-sso-master-password/

[tdubb123]

Hi i have tried this but it only updates the admin@system-domain account. not the master password.

Is there any information in the sso database that is important? What happens if I remove sso, and start a new database

[nkrishnan]

If you re-install Single Sign on, then all other products need to re-register with single sign on VMware KB: Re-pointing and re-registering VMware vCenter Server 5.1 / 5.5 and components

[pratjain]

The step mentioned in the blog does not reset the master password .

There is no information in SSO database except identity source urls and other customizations that you might have done on SSO admin account .

If you uninstall SSO and re-create SSO database and start fresh then you would have to re-register vcenter , inventory service and webclient back to the new installation and the steps are available in kB http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2033620

[Atul_gen]

There is no way to reset master sso password without remembering old master sso password .See the KB VMware KB:    Unlocking and resetting the vCenter Single Sign-On administrator password

You can try the following options .

1.) There are two password admin and master password. After installation of SSO 5.1 both passwords are same but if you change admin password through web client , admin password would be changed but Master password will still remain old one. It may help you to remember old password.

2.) You can uninstall sso 5.1 completely  and re-install SSO 5.1 but you will lost all the data of the sso server like identity sources, users, sts etc. After re installing SSO 5.1 you need to re-register all the solutions as it is mentioned in previous comments.

3.) This is the best option for you , i feel so. You just upgrade only SSO 5.1 to SSO 5.5 , you don't need to provide old master password for this upgrade. Actually it is migrating the date from 5.1 sso to 5.5 SSO. It is kind of fresh installation of 5.5 but your data would be preserved. You don't need to re-register all the solutions , just restart all the services. It should work fine.

providing few links . VMware KB: Unlocking and resetting the vCenter Single Sign-On administrator password

Upgrade from sso.1 to 5.5 http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&docTypeID=DT_KB_1_1&externalId=2...

FAQ SSO5.5 :VMware KB: VMware vCenter Single Sign-On Server 5.5 FAQs

[tdubb123]

ok but i have tried completely uninstalling sso and reinstaling but pointing it back to the same old database. During the installation, I did specify a new master password.

after the sso, inventory and vcenter installation, I proceeded to upgrade vcenter 5.1 to a newer vcenter 5.1 installation and it prompted me for the master password.

The master password was not the master password I specified. Its something else. I think its still remembering the old master password.

where is the master password stored? in the DB ?

[Atul_gen · Accepted solution]

Yes it will ask old master password because you are pointing old database. I would like to tell one thing if you are re-installing SSO and point back to old data base this scenerio is not supported at all.It might work but not recommended. Actually if you uninstall the SSO it should delete the database schema as well. Sometime it does not delete because of some issues like network or other.

I was trying to tell just upgrade sso 5.1 to 5.5 then it will not ask old master password.

[tdubb123]

ok I completely deleted the 5.1 sso db, uninstalled sso, vcenter inventory, web client....

then recreated a new sso db, installed new 5.1 sso pointing to new db, installed vcenter 5.1 pointing to the old db, installed inventory, installed web client

then I was able to get the master password changed.

other than that i guess there is no way to change master password.

[Atul_gen]

yes there is no way to change master password without remembering old password.