VCS Root Account Password Recovery

"I forgot to document the root password on my VCS (C/E) and I need to ssh as Root to perform X... How do I reset the root password?"

This is a question I get frequently.  The process is actually very simple, but requires console access.  Here is the procedure taken straight out of the VCS Admin guide.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/telepresence/infrastructure/vcs/admin_guide/Cisco_VCS_Administrator_Guide_X7-1.pdf

Resetting an administrator or root password

If you forget the password for the default admin account or any other administrator account, log in to the VCS using the account of another administrator with read-write access and change the password.

However, if you do not have any other administrator accounts with read-write access, or have forgotten the passwords for them all, you can set a new password for the admin account using the following procedure. This can also be used if you have forgotten the password for the root account:

1. Connect a PC to the VCS using the serial cable as per the instructions in VCS Getting Started Guide.
2. Restart the VCS.
3. Log in from the PC with the username pwrec. No password is required.
4. Select the account (root or admin) whose password you want to change.
5. You will be prompted for a new password.

The pwrec account is only active for one minute following a restart. After that time you will have to restart the system again to change the password.