Reset Nutanix Prism Central Password – CLI

Forgetting your Prism Central password can be frustrating, especially when you need quick access to manage your Nutanix cluster. Many administrators encounter situations where they forgot Prism Central password or get locked out of the web console due to repeated login failures. In such cases, knowing how to perform a Nutanix Prism Central password reset becomes extremely important to restore access and continue operations smoothly.

If you have lost the administrator credentials, you can easily perform a Nutanix Prism Central Admin password reset using the command line interface (CLI). This method is reliable, secure, and doesn’t require reinstalling Prism Central or losing your existing configuration. It’s also useful when you need to unlock the Prism Central admin account after multiple failed login attempts or policy violations.

Before resetting, make sure you understand the Prism Central password policy, such as password length, character types, and expiration rules. Following these ensures compliance and prevents future lockouts. For new setups, you can also refer to the Nutanix Prism Central default password if credentials haven’t been changed yet on Nutanix HCI Platform.

This step-by-step guide explains how to safely reset or unlock the Prism Central password from the command line in minutes. Whether you’re a Nutanix beginner or an experienced admin, this tutorial will help you regain control of your environment without downtime or configuration loss.

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👉 Follow the guide to reset your Nutanix Prism Central password quickly and securely!

What is Nutanix Prism Central?

Nutanix Prism Central is the centralized management platform that provides a single-pane-of-glass interface for multiple Nutanix clusters. From here, you can manage VMs, monitor resources, and apply updates.

Because of its importance, Prism Central uses strong authentication and access policies — which means if you forgot the Prism Central password, you’ll need to follow secure recovery steps to regain access.

Nutanix Prism Central Default Password

When you first deploy Nutanix Prism Central, it comes with a default password for the admin account.

Nutanix Prism Central Web Console default Credential

• Default Username: admin
• Default Password: nutanix/4u

Nutanix Prism Central PCVM CLI default Credential

• Default Username: nutanix
• Default Password: nutanix/4u

Important: Always change the default password after installation to enhance security and comply with Nutanix password policy.

1# Unlock Prism Central admin account locked due to too many failed attempts

If your Prism Central admin account is locked, you can unlock and reset it through the CLI.

Step 1 : Log into with SSH in Prism Central VM using putty client

Using PCVM CLI default Credential:

Default Username: nutanix
Default Password: nutanix/4u

Step 2 : Run following command to reset / unlock Prism Central admin or any user which is locked

nutanix@pcvm:~$  allssh 'sudo faillock --user admin --reset'

2# Reset Nutanix Prism Central Password

Step 1 : Log into with SSH in Prism Central VM using putty client

Using PCVM CLI default Credential:
Default Username: nutanix
Default Password: nutanix/4u

Step 2 : Run following command to reset Prism Central Password

$nutanix@pcvm:~$ ncli user reset-password user-name="admin" password="Enter_New_Password"

Now, Nutanix Prism Central Password is reset.!

Step 3 : Open browser and re-login to Prism Central web console with new password.

Read other related post below:

• Reset Nutanix Prism Element Password
• How To Reset / Change Nutanix IPMI Password
• How To Change Nutanix CVM, AHV and IPMI Passwords

3# Nutanix Prism Central Password Policy

To maintain security and compliance, every Nutanix Prism Central password must follow these rules:

• ✅ Minimum length: Password must be at least 8 characters long.
• ⚙️ Character mix: Must include —
• At least 1 lowercase letter (a–z)
• At least 1 uppercase letter (A–Z)
• At least 1 digit (0–9)
• At least 1 special character from this list:
  #$%&'()*+,-./:;<=>@[]^_{|}~!`
• 🔁 Difference rule: New password must have at least 4 characters different from the old password.
• 🚫 Length limit: Cannot exceed 199 characters.
• 🔒 Password history: You cannot reuse any of the last 5 passwords.
• ⚠️ Repetition rule: Password must not contain more than 2 consecutive identical characters (e.g., “aaa” or “111”).
• 🧩 Character class rule: Must include at least 4 of 4 types — uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and special characters.
• ❌ Restricted words: Must not contain the words “nutanix,” “ntnx,” or “password.”

Conclusion

In this guide, you’ve learned how to easily perform a Nutanix Prism Central password reset from the command line—whether you’ve forgotten your admin credentials or locked yourself out of the console.

By logging into the Prism Central VM, using the CLI to issue the ncli user reset-password command, and ensuring your new password aligns with best-practice policies, you can restore access without reinstalling or disrupting your environment.

You’ve also seen how to unlock an admin account, resume full functionality swiftly, and reinforce security with a strong password right away. Use this method as your standard procedure whenever you face login issues with Prism Central.

Frequently Ask Questions (FAQs)