How to reset a Citrix NetScaler back to factory defaults

On older Netscaler appliances, the command to clear your Netscaler configuration and reset it to factory defaults used to be:

clear config –c y

But on newer devices, the command is:

clear ns config level

where level is one of the following:

1. basic – which clears everything except NSIP, MIPs, SNIPs, network settings, HA, features, and the nsroot account

2. extended – which clears everything except NSIP, MIPs, SNIPs, network settings, & HA

3. full – which clears everything except teh NSIP and default gateway

So typically, I type this to do a full wipe:

clear ns config full

You can also do this through the GUI by going to System > Diagnostics > Maintenance > Clear Configuration. Use the drop down box to select basic, extended, or full then click the Run button.

With that said, I have run across newer devices (even running NS 9.1 and newer) that just don’t clear all their config info. For those, I have just done the following to reset:

1. SSH using Putty into the Netscaler and login
2. Type “shell” to enter shell
3. cd /nsconfig
4. Rename the configuration by typing “mv ns.conf ns.conf.bak”
5. Type reboot

This should reset the device to the IP of 192.168.100.1 with the nsroot/nsroot account credentials. Your licenses and SSL certs will remain though since these are files and not part of the Netscaler config. You will have to delete them manually via WinSCP.

UPDATE 6/29/10: To completely reset your Netscaler to “factory new” conditions, it’s a little bit more work but I have outlined the procedure here:

http://www.jasonsamuel.com/2010/06/29/how-to-really-set-a-netscaler-back-to-factory-defaults-factory-new-condition/

Jason Samuel

Jason Samuel is a visionary product leader and trusted advisor with a proven track record of shaping strategy and driving technology innovation. With extensive expertise in enterprise end-user computing, security, cloud, automation, and virtualization technologies, Jason has become a globally recognized authority in the IT industry. His career spans consulting for hundreds of Fortune 500 enterprises across diverse business sectors worldwide, delivering cutting-edge digital solutions from Citrix, Microsoft, VMware, Amazon, Google, and NVIDIA that seamlessly balance security with exceptional user experiences.

Jason’s leadership is amplified by his dedication to knowledge-sharing as an author, speaker, podcaster, and mentor within the global IT and technology community. Recognized with numerous prestigious awards, Jason’s contributions underscore his commitment to advancing technology and empowering organizations to achieve transformative results.  Follow him on LinkedIn.