How to Generate a Platform Reset Token and Recover Lost JACE Credentials

Reboot the JACE into shell mode, choose Reset Platform Credentials, and exchange the Host ID and token for a Tridium reset key. No factory reset is needed.

Losing the platform credentials of a JACE used to mean a factory reset, which wipes the station and licence configuration and turns a five-minute job into a day of recovery. Since Niagara 4.4, JACE 8000 and JACE 9000 controllers have a better option: a platform credential reset that uses a one-time token and a reset key issued by Tridium. This guide explains how it works, the exact steps, and the mistakes that make it fail.

When to use a platform reset token

Use this procedure when:

• nobody knows the JACE's platform username or password
• the system passphrase has been lost
• a previous integrator did not hand over credentials
• an account has been locked or deleted and no other platform user exists

You do not need it when only the station password is lost; that is a station-level reset (see how to reset a passphrase). And if you can still log in to the platform with another account, simply create or reset users from Platform Administration.

Which controllers support it?

How the reset works

The process is designed so that physical access alone is not enough to take over a controller:

1. The JACE, in shell mode, generates a token linked to its Host ID and OS version.
2. Your Tridium distributor submits the Host ID, token and OS version to Tridium, confirming the controller was supplied through them.
3. Tridium validates the request and issues a reset key matched to that token.
4. You enter the reset key in shell mode. The JACE resets its platform credentials and system passphrase, without deleting the station.

Because the key only works with the token the controller generated, the controller must stay in shell mode, without rebooting, until the key is entered.

What you need before you start

• Physical access to the JACE
• A laptop with a serial terminal such as PuTTY
• A USB data cable for the debug port (micro-USB on a JACE 8000, USB-C on a JACE 9000)
• Contact with your Tridium distributor's technical support
• Time: allow up to 24 hours for the reset key to be issued
• Approval from the building owner, because the controller will not run its station while it waits in shell mode

Step by step

Step 1: Plan for downtime

While the JACE is in shell mode, its station is not running. Plant controlled directly by this JACE (through its own logic or remote I/O) is uncontrolled unless field controllers run it independently. Agree a time with the building operator and arrange manual control where necessary. Many engineers start the process early in the day to receive the key the same day.

Step 2: Connect to the debug port

Connect the cable, find the COM port in Device Manager, and open the terminal at 115200 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, no flow control. See serial shell access for details.

Step 3: Reboot into shell mode

Reboot the JACE (cycle power if you cannot log in). Watch the terminal. When the message "Press ESC to choose alternate boot options…" appears, press ESC. Press it repeatedly from the start of the boot if the prompt passes quickly.

Step 4: Choose Reset Platform Credentials

From the shell menu, select 8 – Reset Platform Credentials.

Step 5: Record the Host ID, token and OS version

The JACE displays:

• the Host ID
• a token
• the OS version

Copy them exactly, ideally by copying text from the terminal window rather than retyping. Photograph the screen as a backup.

Step 6: Request the reset key

Send the Host ID, token and OS version to your distributor's technical support. For controllers bought from Tyrrell Products, contact our support team with the details and the site name. The distributor confirms the controller is one they supplied and forwards the request to Tridium. Processing can take up to 24 hours.

Step 7: Keep the JACE in shell mode

Do not exit shell mode, reboot or remove power while waiting. If you do, the JACE generates a new token and the key issued for the old token will not work. You would have to start again.

Step 8: Enter the reset key

When the reset key arrives, enter it in shell mode. It may be supplied as a single line or as multiple lines; choose the matching entry option on screen. Enter it within 24 hours of generating the token.

Step 9: Set new credentials and recommission

When the reset completes, the JACE returns to a state where platform credentials and the system passphrase must be set again. Connect with Workbench, create new platform credentials and set a new system passphrase. Your station and licence remain in place. Check that the station starts, drivers come up and the supervisor reconnects.

Step 10: Record the credentials securely

Store the new platform credentials and system passphrase in your organisation's password vault and give a copy to the building owner. This is the step that prevents the next lockout.

What to include in your reset key request

Send everything in one message so nothing is lost while the controller waits in shell mode:

• Host ID, token and OS version, copied exactly from the terminal
• a photo or screenshot of the shell-mode screen as backup
• the site name and address and the controller's location
• the controller model (JACE 8000 or JACE 9000) and, if known, its serial number
• your company name and contact phone number
• confirmation that you have the building owner's authority to recover the controller
• the time you generated the token, so the 24-hour window is clear

Common problems

The key is rejected. The JACE was rebooted or left shell mode after the token was generated, the token was copied incorrectly, or more than 24 hours passed. Generate a new token and request a new key.

The ESC prompt does not appear. Your terminal is not connected when the prompt is shown, or the settings are wrong. Open the terminal first, then reboot, and press ESC repeatedly.

Option 8 is not in the menu. The JACE is running a Niagara version earlier than 4.4. If you have another way into the platform, upgrade it; otherwise a factory reset may be the only route.

The distributor cannot process the request. Distributors can usually only process controllers they supplied. Contact the distributor who originally sold the JACE.

What is reset and what is kept

Because the system passphrase protects some sensitive platform data, check after the reset that any stored platform-level secrets, for example certificates' private key protection or saved credentials used by platform services, still work, and re-enter them if needed.

Checklist for the site visit

Before travelling to site, confirm:

1. the JACE's model and Niagara version (4.4 or later is required)
2. which distributor supplied the controller and that their support team is available that day
3. the building operator has agreed to the downtime
4. you have the cables, terminal software and a charged laptop
5. you know who will receive the new credentials and how they will be stored

During the visit, send the token details as soon as they appear, keep the laptop and controller powered, and do not let anyone cycle the panel's power while you wait.

Taking over a site from another integrator

Lost credentials are most common when a site changes integrator. To keep the handover clean:

• ask the building owner to request all platform credentials, station credentials and passphrases from the outgoing integrator in writing
• if credentials are not provided, the owner (or their new integrator) can use the reset procedure through the distributor that supplied the JACE, which may ask for proof that the controller belongs to the site
• after recovery, create accounts for the owner as well as the integrator, so the owner always holds administrative access to their own system

Reset token vs factory reset

Choose a factory reset only when you intend to rebuild the controller from a backup anyway.

Preventing lockouts

• Record platform credentials and the system passphrase at commissioning and give them to the building owner.
• Create at least two platform administrator accounts, held by different people.
• Review credentials when staff or integrators change.
• Keep station backups so that, whatever happens, the site can be restored.

Frequently asked questions

How do I reset a JACE platform password without a factory reset?

Reboot into shell mode by pressing ESC at the boot prompt, select 8 – Reset Platform Credentials, send the Host ID, token and OS version to your distributor to obtain a Tridium reset key, and enter it within 24 hours.

How long does it take to get a reset key?

Allow up to 24 hours. The JACE must stay in shell mode until the key is entered.

Will the platform reset delete my station?

No. The procedure resets platform credentials and the system passphrase without deleting the station.

Can I get a reset key from Tridium directly?

Requests are normally made through the distributor that supplied the JACE, which validates ownership with Tridium.

Does this work on a JACE 9000?

Yes. JACE 9000 controllers support the same shell-mode platform credential reset.

Can I do a platform credential reset remotely?

No. The procedure requires a serial connection to the controller's debug port and rebooting into shell mode, so someone must be on site with a laptop.

Is the reset key the same as the token?

No. The token is generated by the JACE and identifies the request. The reset key is issued by Tridium in response to that token and is entered back into the JACE to complete the reset.

What happens if I reboot while waiting for the key?

A new token is generated and the existing key becomes invalid. You must request a new key.

Is there a charge for a reset key?

Ask your distributor; policies vary. For controllers supplied by Tyrrell Products, contact our support team.

Does the reset change the JACE's IP address?

No. Network settings are kept, so after the reset you can reconnect at the same address with new platform credentials.

Can I use the token procedure on an IONA controller?

IONA is supplied by Tyrrell Products; contact our support team for the recovery procedure for IONA controllers.

Will the supervisor lose connection to the JACE during the reset?

Yes, while the JACE is in shell mode its station is not running. The supervisor reconnects once the station is running again.

Need help from a Niagara engineer?

If this guide has not solved the problem, contact the Tyrrell Products technical team on 01942 732819 or [email protected]. Tell us the controller or host type, its Niagara version and what you have already tried, and we will help you get the system running.

Related guides

• JACE default credentials
• How to access the serial shell on a JACE
• How to reset a passphrase
• JACE FAQs