MDS 9124 -- Limited Command Set?

Question

I've got two MDS 9124 FiberChannel switches, and can SSH into them using RADIUS authentication with my domain admin user.
I'm trying to do things, like update the license file, but lots of "normal" commands, like "copy" which is documented in the license update procedure, are missing. Page 1-6 of this PDF [command reference for SAN-OS 3.x] lists many more commands that I don't seem to have: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/storage/san_switches/mds9000/sw/rel_3_x/command/reference/CR03.pdf
The rest of this post will be (1) the output of "?" at the EXEC prompt, (2) the output of "?" at the Config prompt, (3) the output of "show version":
FCSwitch01# ?
Exec commands:
  attach      Connect to a specific linecard
  cd          Change current directory
  cfs         CFS parameters
  clear       Reset functions
  cli         CLI commands
  clock       Manage the system clock
  config      Enter configuration mode
  dir         List files in a directory
  discover    Discover information
  exit        Exit from the EXEC
  fcping      Ping an N-Port
  fctrace     Trace the route for an N-Port.
  find        Find a file below the current directory
  no          Disable debugging functions
  ping        Send echo messages
  pwd         View current directory
  send        Send message to open sessions
  show        Show running system information
  sleep       Sleep for the specified number of seconds
  ssh         SSH to another system
  tail        Display the last part of a file
  telnet      Telnet to another system
  terminal    Set terminal line parameters
  test        Test command
  traceroute  Trace route to destination
FCSwitch01(config)# ?
Configure commands:
  cli        CLI configuration commands
  do         EXEC command
  end        Exit from configure mode
  exit       Exit from configure mode
  hw-module  Enable/Disable OBFL information
  no         Negate a command or set its defaults
  username   Configure user information.
FCSwitch01# show version
Software
  BIOS:      version 1.0.12
  kickstart: version 3.3(1c)
  system:    version 3.3(1c)
  BIOS compile time:       09/10/07
  kickstart image file is: bootflash:/m9100-s2ek9-kickstart-mz.3.3.1c.bin
  kickstart compile time:  5/23/2008 19:00:00 [06/20/2008 04:29:52]
  system image file is:    bootflash:/m9100-s2ek9-mz.3.3.1c.bin
  system compile time:     5/23/2008 19:00:00 [06/20/2008 04:51:10]
Hardware
  cisco MDS 9124 ("1/2/4 Gbps FC/Supervisor-2")
  Motorola, ppc8541 (e500) with 515032 kB of memory.
  Processor Board ID JAE1133U87Q
  bootflash: 250368 kB
FCSwitch01   kernel uptime is 2 days 0 hour 24 minute(s) 48 second(s)

Answer 1

Hi Jon,
Do you have access to the radius server?  Can you set the shell:roles="network-admin" attribute on your account?
Unfortunately if you don't remember the password of any accounts with network-admin you will need to do a password recovery which is a disruptive process.  Below are the instructions for the MDS:
Power Cycling the Switch
If you cannot start a session on the switch that has network-admin privileges, you must recover the administrator password by power cycling the switch.
Caution This procedure disrupts all traffic on the switch. All connections to the switch will be lost for 2 to 3 minutes.
Note You cannot recover the administrator password from a Telnet or SSH session. You must have access to the local console connection. See the "Starting a Switch in the Cisco MDS 9000 Family" section on page 5-2 for information on setting up the console connection.
To recover a administrator password by power cycling the switch, follow these steps:
Step 1 For Cisco MDS 9500 Series switches with two supervisor modules, remove the supervisor module in
slot 6 from the chassis.
Note On the Cisco MDS 9500 Series, the password recovery procedure must be performed on the active supervisor module. Removing the supervisor module in slot 6 ensures that a switchover will not occur during the password recovery procedure.
Step 2 Power cycle the switch.
Step 3 Press the Ctrl-] key sequence when the switch begins its Cisco NX-OS software boot sequence to enter the switch(boot)# prompt mode.
Ctrl-]
switch(boot)#
Step 4 Change to configuration mode.
switch(boot)# config terminal
Step 5 Issue the admin-password command to reset the administrator password.
switch(boot-config)# admin-password <new password>
For information on strong passwords, see the "Characteristics of Strong Passwords" section.
Step 6 Exit to the EXEC mode.
switch(boot-config)# exit
switch(boot)#
Step 7 Issue the load command to load the Cisco NX-OS software.
switch(boot)# load bootflash:m9500-sf1ek9-mz.2.1.1a.bin
Caution If you boot a system image that is older than the image you used to store the configuration and do not use the install all command to boot the system, the switch erases the binary configuration and uses the ASCII configuration. When this occurs, you must use the init system command to recover your password.
Step 8 Log in to the switch using the new administrator password.
switch login: admin
Password: <new password>
Step 9 Reset the new password to ensure that is it is also the SNMP password for Fabric Manager.
switch# config t
switch(config)# username admin password <new password>
switch(config)# exit
switch#
Step 10 Save the software configuration.
switch# copy running-config startup-config
Step 11 Insert the previously removed supervisor module into slot 6 in the chassis.