Application Scenarios for Using Passwords

Passwords are used to log in to ECSs. If you select the password login mode when purchasing an ECS, you can use the username and password to log in to your ECS. The password is very important. Keep it secure.

You can reset the password when:

You forgot the password.
The password has expired.
You selected Set password later during the ECS purchase.
You have purchased an ECS in quick config mode.

Table 1 provides guidance on how to reset your password in different scenarios.

**Table 1** Resetting a password
Scenario	Prerequisites
Resetting the Password for Logging In to an ECS on the Management Console	The password reset plug-in has been installed. NOTE: If your ECS was created using a public image, the password reset plug-in was installed on the ECS by default. The reference is for Windows or Linux ECSs.
Resetting the Password for Logging In to a Windows ECS Without the Password Reset Plug-in Installed	The password reset plug-in has not been installed.
Resetting the Password for Logging In to a Linux ECS Without the Password Reset Plug-in Installed	The password reset plug-in has not been installed.

Background

Table 2 shows the password complexity requirements in two scenarios: ECS creation and password reset.

**Table 2** Password complexity requirements
Password complexity requirements	ECS Creation	Password Reset
Length	Must contain 8 to 26 characters.	Must contain 8 to 26 characters.
Characters	Must contain at least three of the supported four character types.	Must contain at least three of the supported four character types.
Security	Cannot contain the username or the username spelled backwards. Cannot contain more than two consecutive characters in the same sequence as they appear in the username. (This requirement applies only to Windows ECSs.)	Cannot contain the username or the username spelled backwards. Cannot contain more than two consecutive characters in the same sequence as they appear in the username. (This requirement applies only to Windows ECSs.)
Other	None	Cannot start with a slash (/) for Windows ECSs.
Supported Characters	Uppercase letters	Uppercase letters
	Lowercase letters	Lowercase letters
	Digits	Digits
	Special characters for Linux ECSs: !@$%^-_=+[{}]:,./?~#* Special characters for Windows ECSs: !@$%^-_=+[{()}]:,./?~#*	Online password reset: @%-_=+[]:./^,{}? (only applied to Linux) $@%-_=+[]:./,? (only applied to Windows) Offline password reset: !@%-_=+[]:./? (only applied to Linux) !@%-_=+[]:./? (only applied to Windows)