Forgot password and cannot access WebSphere Application Server administrative console

Problem(Abstract)

Forgot the password and cannot access WebSphere Application Server administrative console.

Cause

After enabling WebSphere Application Server with security, the administrator forgot the user id and password and could no longer access the server.

Resolving the problem

WARNING: Please use this as the last resort and make sure the server is not in the middle of processing any transactions.

There are 2 possible methods for disabling security:

By way of wsadmin command:

1. /bin/> wsadmin -conntype NONE
2. wsadmin> securityoff
3. wsadmin> exit
4. Restart the servers.
5. Enable the security from administrative console.
6. Restart the servers.

By way of manual edit of security.xml file, which is typically located in /config/cells /:

1. Create a copy for security.xml file, in case you need to roll back.
2. Disable the security from the security.xml file (change the very first occurrence of... enabled="true" to enabled="false")
3. Restart the servers.
4. Enable the security from administrative console.
5. Restart the servers.

For additional information regarding enabling administrative security, please refer to this link:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/wasinfo/v6r1/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.websphere.base.doc/info/aes/ae/tsec_csec2.html