Cisco MDS 9120 Password recovery

In spare time, I often try to pry open old hardware that we received from customers. Most of the aren’t that hard, but some are more challenging. For example a Cisco MDS 9120 Multilayer FC switch. This one is totally different from the McData Sphereon 4500’s or EMC DS-24M2 and Brocades that I normally work with in my lab. Normal recovery procedures with the configuration register from Cisco (http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/routers/access/2600/hardware/installation/guide/2600appC.html) won’t work either. OK, let’s google this, then.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/11415473/Cisco-MDS-9000-Configuration-Guide#outer_page_346 seems a nice hit. Just hit CTRL-j in the boot sequence and the switch(boot)# prompt appears. Right. But, after trying 5 times to get into the boot prompt, still no results. Back to the documentation. Read carefully: It’s not CTRL-j, but CTRL-]. I will try this tonight.

I will read the documentation better.
I will read the documentation better.
I will read the documentation better.
I will read the documentation better.

Leave a Reply