NetWorker: How to reset the Administrator password

How to reset the administrator password when the NetWorker server is on Linux:


This video is also available on YouTube .

How to reset the administrator password when the NetWorker server is on Windows:

This video is also available on YouTube .
 

NetWorker Authentication

The Administrator password is configured in the NetWorker authentication database. The authentication (authc) server is usually the same as the NetWorker server, but it can manage multiple NetWorker servers from a single host.

Identify the NetWorker server whose authc server NMC uses for authentication if one NMC server manages multiple NetWorker servers. On the NMC server, check the gstd.conf file for the authsvc_hostname.

• Windows: C:Program FilesEMC NetWorkerManagementGSTetcgstd.conf
• Linux: /opt/lgtonmc/etc/gstd.conf

[root@nmcserver ~]# cat /opt/lgtonmc/etc/gstd.conf | grep hostname
    string authsvc_hostname = "nwserver-a1.amer.lan";

Resetting the administrator password

1. To reset the administrator password, create a JSON file on the NetWorker server that contains the new password in a Base64 encoded format. This process differs on Linux and Windows operating systems, follow only the procedure for your authentication server's operating system.

Windows Authentication Server

1. On the authentication server, create a text file and specify the password value in clear text, on one line. For example, create a file that is called mypassword_in.txt. The contents of this file are "1.Password."

2. Open an admin command prompt in the directory the mypassword_in.txt file was created.
3. Use the certutil.exe command to create a Base64 encoded password for the password value that is defined in the mypassword_in.txt file. For example:

certutil.exe -encode mypassword_in.txt mypassword_out.txt

The contents of the mypassword_out.txt file should be created containing the base64 encoded value for 1.Password. e.g:

-----BEGIN CERTIFICATE-----
MS5QYXNzd29yZA==
-----END CERTIFICATE-----

Linux Authentication Server

1. On the authentication server, run the following command:

echo -n '1.Password' | base64

MS5QYXNzd29yZA==

2. Create a copy of the authc-local-config.json.template file, which is located:

Windows: C:Program FilesEMC NetWorker srauthc-serverscriptsauthc-local-config.json.template
Linux: /opt/nsr/authc-server/scripts/authc-local-config.json.template

3. In the authc-local-config.json.template.copy file, perform the following steps:

a. Replace the username variable with Administrator. 
b. Replace the encoded_password variable with the base64 encoded password value. For example:

{
"local_users": [
{
"user name": "administrator",
"password": "MS5QYXNzd29yZA=="
}]
}

4. Rename the authc-local-config.json.template.copy file to authc-local-config.json.
5. Copy the authc-local-config.json file to the Tomcat conf folder. By default, the conf folder is located:

Windows: C:Program FilesEMC NetWorkerauthc-server omcatconfauthc-local-config.json

Linux: /nsr/authc/conf/authc-local-config.json

Linux Authentication Server

1. Change permissions on the authc-local-config.json file:

chmod 755 /nsr/authc/conf/authc-local-config.json

6. Stop and then start the services on the NetWorker server:

Windows Authentication Server

1. From an Administrative command prompt, run

net stop nsrexecd /y
net start nsrd

If the NetWorker server is also the NMC server, start the NMC server service. Type the following commands: net start gstd

Linux Authentication Server

1. From a root command prompt run:

nsr_shutdown
systemctl start networker

7. When the NetWorker Authentication Service starts, the startup process checks for the authc-local-config.json. If the file exists and the password adheres to the password policy requirements defined for a password, the NetWorker Authentication Service resets the password. Review the authc-server.log file located:

Windows: C:Program FilesEMC NetWorkerauthc omcatlogs
Linux: /nsr/authc/logs

8. Use the authc_mgmt command on the authc server to verify that authentication with the new password succeeds:

authc_mgmt -u administrator -p "1.Password" -e find-all-users

For example:

authc_mgmt -u administrator -p "1.Password" -e find-all-users
The query returns 2 records.
User Id User Name
1000 administrator
1001 svc_nmc_networker

9. Log in to the NetWorker Management Console using the new password.

• NetWorker: Change Password for Admin or Local User Account.
• NetWorker: How to Disable Password Expiration for NetWorker Accounts
• NetWorker: How to change the minimum character requirements for NetWorker user passwords
• NetWorker: How To Change the Password History Count for NetWorker Accounts

External Authentication Resources:

• NetWorker: How To Set up AD/LDAP Authentication
• NetWorker: How to configure AD over SSL (LDAPS) from The NetWorker Web User Interface (NWUI)
• NetWorker: How To Set up LDAP/AD using authc_config scripts