This article covers several methods for performing either a "soft" or "hard" reset of a VMware SD-WAN Edge.

Symptoms:
A VMware SD-WAN Edge may require a reset for several reasons:

• The Edge is being repurposed for another customer site and thus needs the configuration to be cleared so the Edge can be activated to the new site.
• The customer site is encountering an issue and after VMware SD-WAN Support has ruled out several other potential causes, the recommendation is made to perform a hard reset to revert the Edge to factory settings and reactivate the Edge to the site to see if that resolves the issue.
• The Edge itself has become inaccessible or non-responsive and multiple power cycles are not resolving the issue.  Thus a hard reset is the last troubleshooting step prior to replacing the Edge.

VMware SD-WAN by VeloCloud

Definitions

"Soft Reset" or "Deactivation" = The Edge is deactivated, which means that the existing configuration the Edge is using is completely removed and the Edge now uses the original factory configuration. However, the Edge software is not affected and retains the build it had prior to the soft reset. A soft reset Edge can be reactivated to another site or to the same site.

"Hard Reset" = The Edge is fully reset to factory settings. Not only is the Edge deactivated and uses the factory configuration, but the Edge software is also changed to the factory software build.  This Edge is effectively as it was when it was shipped from the factory.

Soft reset/Deactivation using the VMware SD-WAN Orchestrator UI

An Edge can be soft reset/deactivated using the Orchestrator.  This allows an enterprise administrator to perform the task in a simple and quick fashion without needing either themselves or someone else be local to the Edge.

Once the Deactivate command is confirmed, the Orchestrator will send the signal to deactivate the Edge and clear the configuration. The administrator will lose contact with the Edge through the Orchestrator and the Edge and the Orchestrator would show the Edge as offline.  Someone local would observe the Edge reboot as it completes the deactivation. 

Soft reset/Deactivation or Hard reset using the VMware SD-WAN Edge local UI

A user may perform either a soft reset/deactivation or a hard reset of the Edge using the Edge's local web user interface.

The first step is to confirm that a local PC can access the Edge through a LAN port.  Beginning with Release 3.2.1 and later, access to the Edge through a LAN port is blocked by default. 

Configuring LAN side Edge access is done on the Orchestrator:

1. Got to Configure->Edge->Firewall and scroll down to change the Edge Access Firewall setting. 
2. Check Enable Edge Override if it is not already selected.
3. Under Local Web UI Access select Allow the Following IPs and specify the IP address of the client device that will access the Edge, and Save Changes.
Note: While it may be simpler to select Allow All LAN for this section, the user should remember to deselect this option once the reset is done as a matter of best security practices.

With LAN side Edge access confirmed the steps are as follows:

1. Connect the Client PC to the Edge (either via Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable).
2. Open a web browser and enter edge.velocloud.net (or the LAN IP address) into the address bar.
3. Beginning with Edge release 3.2.1, the user will be asked for local authentication credentials to continue.

Note: Edge local credentials may be found on the Orchestrator by going to Configure->Edge->Edge Overview and selecting the View option next to Local Credentials.

Hard reset a tabletop model (Edge 500, 510, 5X0 [520 or 540], 6X0 [610, 620, 640, or 680] )

If the Edge is not connected to the Orchestrator, and the Local UI is not accessible, there is a final option to reset an Edge. For this method the user manually hard resets the Edge as described below using the reset button on the back of the Edge:

1. With the Edge powered on, insert a paperclip into the hole labeled Reset on the back of the edge,
2. Press and hold in the reset button with the paperclip until the front LED status light begins to flash blue.  This may require holding the reset button for up to 30 seconds.  The only way to know for certain the reset action was successful is if the front LED status light is flashing blue.
3. Once the front LED status light flashes blue, remove the paperclip and the Edge will reboot twice into full factory settings​.

Hard reset Edge models 840, 1000, and 2000

If the Edge is not connected to the Orchestrator, and the Local UI is not accessible, there is a final option to reset these listed Edge models. For this method, the Edge is hard reset by accessing the boot GRUB menu through a USB keyboard and a VGA monitor:

1. Connect a VGA monitor and a USB keyboard to the Edge
2. Power cycle the Edge.
3. When the Edge starts booting, repeatedly tap the "up arrow" on the keyboard until the GRUB menu is seen.  The boot screen moves fast and the arrow tapping ensures the GRUB menu is not missed.
4. Use the arrow key to select  the option that causes a factory reset.  This may be either “Force VeloCloud Factory Image” on earlier models, or "Factory Reset" on later models.
5. After selecting a factory reset option, the Edge will reboot twice before completing the factory reset.

Note: this method can only hard reset the Edge, there is no method to manually soft reset/deactivate an Edge through the GRUB menu.

Hard reset an Edge model 3X00 (3400 or 3800)

Hard resetting an Edge 3400 or 3800 differs from the older rack-mounted model 840, 1000/2000.  For this model line, you will need to connect a PC to a RS232 console port. This difference means that a required piece of equipment to perform this reset is a USB-to-Serial cable.  The USB connector is for the laptop.

Note: if the user does have a laptop with a 9 pin DB9 serial connector then only a standard serial cable would be needed, but laptops so equipped are rare and thus our recommendation for the USB-to-Serial cable.

With a connected laptop, you plug the RJ45 end into the circled port on the left front of the Edge 3X00.

The laptop can use PuTTY or any other serial terminal emulator program.  The default terminal settings on the console are as follows:

• 115,200 baud rate
• No parity
• 8 data bits
• 1 stop bit
• No flow control

The steps to reset the Edge are the same as for the 840/1000/2000 model:

1. Power cycle the Edge.
2. When the Edge starts booting, repeatedly tap the "up arrow" on the keyboard until the GRUB menu is seen.  The boot screen moves fast and the arrow tapping ensures the GRUB menu is not missed.
3. Use the arrow key to select  the "Factory Reset" option or the option that would cause the Edge 3X00 to revert to the factory software build.
4. After selecting a factory reset option, the Edge will reboot twice before completing the factory reset.

Note: this method can only hard reset the Edge, there is no method to manually soft reset/deactivate an Edge through the GRUB menu.

Impact/Risks:
If a VMware SD-WAN Edge is reset, the Edge is cleared at a minimum of the existing configuration and activation (soft reset).  On a hard reset the Edge also reverts back to its original factory software image.

If the Edge is being actively used at a customer site, performing a reset will result in the complete loss of client device connectivity at the site until the Edge is reactivated to the site or another Edge is activated in its place.