Sometimes you need to reset the ILO Administrator password. Sure, you can reboot the server, press F8 and then reset the Administrator password. If you have installed a HP customized ESXi image, then there is a much better way to reset the password: HPONCFG.
Check the /opt/hp/tools directory. You will find a binary called hponcfg.
~ # ls -l /opt/hp/tools/ total 5432 -r-xr-xr-x 1 root root 5129574 Oct 28 2014 conrep -r--r--r-- 1 root root 108802 Oct 28 2014 conrep.xml -r-xr-xr-x 1 root root 59849 Jan 16 2015 hpbootcfg -r-xr-xr-x 1 root root 251 Jan 16 2015 hpbootcfg_esxcli -r-xr-xr-x 1 root root 232418 Jul 14 2014 hponcfg -r-xr-xr-x 1 root root 12529 Oct 31 2013 hptestevent -r-xr-xr-x 1 root root 250 Oct 31 2013 hptestevent_esxcli
All you need is a simple XML file. You can use the VI editor or you can copy the necessary file with WinSCP to the root home directory on your ESXi host. I prefer VI. Change the directory to /opt/hp/tools. Then open the pwreset.xml.
~ # vi pwreset.xml
Press i to switch to the insert mode. Then paste this content into the file. You don’t have to know the current password!
<RIBCL VERSION="2.0"> <LOGIN USER_LOGIN="Administrator" PASSWORD="unknown"> <USER_INFO MODE="write"> <MOD_USER USER_LOGIN="Administrator"> <PASSWORD value="password"/> </MOD_USER> </USER_INFO> </LOGIN> </RIBCL>
Press ESC and then :wq<ENTER> to save the file and leave the VI. Now use HPONCFG together with the XML file to reset the password.
~ # /opt/hp/tools/hponcfg -f pwreset.xml HP Lights-Out Online Configuration utility Version 4.4-0 (c) Hewlett-Packard Company, 2014 Firmware Revision = 1.85 Device type = iLO 3 Driver name = hpilo iLO IP Address: 172.16.1.52 Script succeeded
That’s it! You can now login with “Administrator” and “password”.
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Thanks !!it worked
Did not work for me. My server is running Windows Server 2012 R2 Core (no GUI). Do you have any recommendations for how to reset ILO password on Server Core?
Hi Robert,
the HP Lights-Out Online Configuration Utility is also available for windows. You csn install it from the latest Support Pack for ProLiant.
Regards
Patricl
Cheers dude!
Worked perfectly :)
Works like a charm, thank you!
Oh Man you saved my day! Works like a charm! Thank you
Thanks mate, saved me a trip to my client server
Greets
Thanks, this worked for me too :)
Hi
If i change the Administrator password of ILO with above method whether license key of ilo will get disappear ( deactivate)
Thank you
We changed the motherboard of one of our server and the licence key was lost.
We used your technique to get the serial key from another server on the same cluster
I’m trying this, and it says “Please wait while the firmware is reset.” Hmm. It finishes with ‘Script succeeded’, but still can’t log in with ‘password’.
I had copied your text into a text editor, saved it as pwreset.xml, and dropped it in the same folder as hponcfg. Any thoughts?
Please try to change the password in the XML. What server and ILO version do you use?
I get a syntax error
“. –>
Script failed
What would the xml file look like for hponcfg version 4.0-12?
Hi Mark,
I will have a look at this error if I have a chance to test it with hponcfg 4.0.
Hi, Thanks for the helpful post. While trying this, I am getting error as below:
ERROR: Could not open input file pwreset.xml
Error processing the XML file : pwreset.xml
Any idea what could be wrong? I have edited the pwreset.xml file and used to change a custom local account(instead of Administrator).
Exactly the same for me
ERROR: Could not open input file pwreset.xml
Error processing the XML file : pwreset.xml
my XML looks as follows
ILO2, 3, 4 or 5?
You need to cd into /opt/hp/tools
Otherwise it cannot find the pwreset.xml
Can you edit this in the topic Patrick?
Thanks for your comment. I’ve added this information.
Getting the same error. Firmware Revision = 2.06 Device type = iLO 2
Any advice?
Thanks
Unfortunately not. Sorry :(
It worked perfectly. It saved me from rebooting an ESXI host.
I got below error when I try to run this. Please help
#hponcfg -f pwreset.xml
HP Lights-Out Online Configuration utility
Version 5.1.0 Date 08/08/2017 (c) 2005,2017 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
Firmware Revision = 2.55 Device type = iLO 4 Driver name = hpilo
Um… OMG! I’ve been looking for this solution for years! Thank you for posting it.
Thanks Dude. it was very Helpful
I got the same message ..the folder is
/opt/tools/hponcfg instead of /opt/hp…..
[[email protected]:~] /opt/tools/hponcfg -f pwreset.xml
Lights-Out Online Configuration utility for ESXi Version 5.3-0.0 (c) Copyright 2011-2018 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
Firmware Revision = 2.20 Device type = iLO 4 Driver name = ilo
ERROR: Could not open input file pwreset.xml
but I used Administrator this time and I recall my password .. my bad I was using other usernames …
try using -i instead of -f ..there are other switch parameters.
Thank you!
This worked for me, thank you!
This worked. Thank you
Why do not I have this branch at all?
hp / tools
help pls
Your ESXi image needs to be one from HPE, or you needed to install the HPE iLO tools on ESXi if you did not use an HPE image.
Still working in 2022 !!!
Saves me a 4 hour drive to go to console.
You’ve made my day!