Server NICs
NIC Mode
The NIC mode setting determines which ports can reach the Cisco IMC. The following network mode options are available, depending on your platform:
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Dedicated—The management port that is used to access the Cisco IMC.
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Shared LOM—Any LOM (LAN on Motherboard) port that can be used to access Cisco IMC.
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Shared LOM 10G—Any 10G LOM port can be used to access the Cisco IMC.
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Cisco Card—Any port on the adapter card that can be used to access Cisco IMC. The Cisco adapter card has to be installed in a slot with Network the Communications Services Interface protocol support (NCSI).
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Shared LOM Extended—Any LOM port or Cisco adapter card port that can be used to access Cisco IMC. The Cisco adapter card has to be installed in a slot with NCSI support.
Note
Shared LOM Extended and Shared LOM 10G are available only on some UCS C-Series servers.
NIC Redundancy
The following NIC redundancy options are available, depending on the selected NIC mode and your platform:
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none—Each port that is associated with the configured NIC mode operates independently. The ports do not fail over if there is a problem.
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active-active—If supported, all ports that are associated with the configured NIC mode operate simultaneously. This feature increases throughput and provides multiple paths to Cisco IMC.
Note
When using active-active, do not configure a port-channel in the upstream switch for the member interfaces. A port-channel can be configured when using active-standby.
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active-standby—If a port that is associated with the configured NIC mode fails, traffic fails over to one of the other ports associated with the NIC mode.
Note
If you choose this option, make sure that all ports associated with the configured NIC mode are connected to the same VLAN to ensure that traffic is secure regardless of which port is used.
The available redundancy modes vary depending on the selected network mode and your platform. For the available modes, see the Hardware Installation Guide (HIG) for the type of server you are using. The C-Series HIGs are available at the following URL: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps10493/prod_installation_guides_list.html