Cisco UCS Configuration Utility Quick Start Guide

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Updated:October 12, 2016

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Cisco UCS Configuration Utility

Cisco UCS Configuration Utility

Overview

The Cisco UCS Configuration Utility is a tool that allows you to modify the server parameters of the following:

  • BIOS

  • Cisco IMC

  • CMC

This utility provides an option to view the currently set values of the BIOS, CMC and Cisco IMC parameters in an XML or a text file. To modify the values of these parameters, you must extract the currently set values to a text file, modify them, and apply the text file. For more information on modifying BIOS, CMC and Cisco IMC parameters, see Using the Utility.


Note

Using this utility, you can modify only those parameters that are supported by Cisco IMC.

Supported Operating Systems and Servers

Supported Operating Systems

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Update 4 (x86-64)

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Update 5

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.6

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.7

  • Microsoft Windows 2008 R2

  • Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 x64

  • Microsoft Windows 2008 x86

  • Microsoft Windows 2008 R2 x86

  • Microsoft Windows 2012

  • Microsoft Windows 2012 R2

  • UEFI 2.0

Supported Servers

  • UCS C22 M3

  • UCS C24 M3

  • UCS C220 M3

  • UCS C240 M3

  • UCS C3160 M3

  • UCS C3260 M3

  • UCS C3260 M4

  • UCS C220 M4

  • UCS C240 M4

  • UCS C460 M4

List of Commands

The Cisco UCS Configuration Utility provides a set of commands that you can use to view and modify the BIOS and Cisco IMC parameters.

Command

Description

ucscfg help

To view the help page on all commands.

ucscfg show xml /bios

To view the values of the BIOS parameters in an XML file. This file displays all the valid values for each parameter.

ucscfg show text /bios

To view the values of the BIOS parameters in a text file. The text file displays the currently set value for each parameter.

ucscfg show xml /cimc

To view the values of the Cisco IMC parameters in an XML file. This file displays the valid values for each parameter.

ucscfg show text /cimc

To view the values of the Cisco IMC parameters in a text file. The text file displays the currently set value for each parameter.

ucscfg show text /bios > filename.txt

To redirect the text output of the BIOS parameters to a text file outside of the utility. This file displays the currently set BIOS parameters. Use this file to modify all the BIOS parameters.

ucscfg show text /cimc > filename.txt

To redirect the text output of the Cisco IMC parameters to a text file outside of the utility. This file displays the currently set Cisco IMC parameters. Use this file to modify all the Cisco IMC parameters.

ucscfg batch set filename.txt

To apply the changes made to the BIOS and Cisco IMC parameters. This command supports only the text format. The XML format is not supported.

For EFI, the text file must be encoded in the UNICODE format. For Windows and Linux operating systems, the text file must be in the ANSI format.

ucscfg batch -ignore set filename.txt

To apply the changes made to the BIOS and Cisco IMC parameters, ignoring the BIOS version of the server.

Use this command to apply BIOS or Cisco IMC parameters from a file that you created. You can create your own file when you need to modify only one or two parameters. For more information on creating your own file, see Creating a Text File.

ucscfg bootorder set <parameters>

To modify the current boot order setting of the server.

This command is supported on Microsoft Windows operating system.

ucscfg bootorder get

To get the configured boot order in the system.

ucscfg bootorder set <filename>

To modify the current boot order setting of the server. You can create your own file to add or modify the configured boot order.

This command is supported on Linux and EFI operating system.

ucscfg export <filename> <passphrase>

To export the Cisco IMC configuration.

Note   

This command is supported only on Linux and UEFI.

ucscfg import <filename> <passphrase>

To import the Cisco IMC configuration.

Note   

This command is supported only on Linux and UEFI.

Using the Utility

You can use the Cisco UCS Configuration Utility to modify the values of the BIOS, CMC and Cisco IMC parameters of a server. With the utility, you can view the currently set values of the parameters in an XML file along with the list of valid values, and then modify the values in a text file and apply those changes.


Note

  • The IPMI service must be running before you use this utility.

  • EFI ucscfg is supported only on the C22 M3, C24 M3, and C220 M3 servers.

Procedure
    Step 1   Open the Cisco UCS Configuration Utility.
    1. Access the Download Software page at http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​cisco/​software/​navigator.html.
    2. Click Unified Computing and Servers > Cisco UCS C-Series Rack-Mount UCS-Managed Server Software > Unified Computing System (UCS) Utilities.
    3. Select the operating system, and download the ISO image.

      The Cisco UCS Configuration Utility is available as a zip file and a tar file.

    4. Extract the contents of the zipped file or the tar file.

      All files within the downloaded file are required for the utility to work. So do not delete or move the files that are extracted from the zip or tar file.

    5. Run the utility from the directory it resides in.

      Use the ucscfgx64 files for 64-bit operating systems, and ucscfgx86 files for 32-bit operating systems.

      When you run the utility on Linux operating systems, it first determines if the IPMI service is running. If the service is not running, the utility starts the IPMI service.

    Step 2   View the configured values and the list of valid values for BIOS or Cisco IMC parameters.

    For BIOS:

    ucscfgx64 show xml /bios

    For Cisco IMC:

    ucscfgx64 show xml /cimc

    BIOS for C3260 servers:

    ucscfg_c3260 show xml /bios

    Cisco IMC for C3260 servers:

    ucscfg_c3260 show xml /cimc

    Step 3   To modify the parameters for the BIOS or the Cisco IMC, generate a text file with the currently set values of the parameters, and make changes in the text file. To generate a text file on a Windows server, run the following command:

    For BIOS:

    ucscfgx64 show text /bios > bios.txt

    For Cisco IMC:

    ucscfgx64 show text /cimc > cimc.txt

    On Linux servers, run the following commands:

    For BIOS:

    ucscfgx64 show text /bios > bios.txt

    For Cisco IMC:

    ucscfgx64 show text /cimc > cimc.txt

    The values of the parameters for BIOS and Cisco IMC are saved in the bios.txt and cimc.txt files.

    Step 4   Modify the parameters in the text file, and save the files.
    Step 5   Apply the text files.

    For BIOS:

    ucscfgx64 batch set bios.txt

    For Cisco IMC:

    ucscfgx64 batch set cimc.txt

    Step 6   Reboot the server immediately to update the BIOS parameters with the new values.

    If you do not reboot the server immediately, the BIOS parameters are not updated and remain unchanged. When you modify the parameters again and reboot the server immediately, the changes made in the second attempt are reflected. Prior changes made to the BIOS parameters are not updated on the server.

    Step 7   To export or import the Cisco IMC configuration, run the following commands:

    For exporting:

    ucscfg export <filename> <passphrase>

    For importing:

    ucscfg import <filename> <passphrase>

    Creating a Text File

    To modify the values of the BIOS and Cisco IMC parameters, the utility allows you to create a file outside of the utility, and then apply the changes using the utility. You can use this option when you need to modify one or two options of the BIOS or Cisco IMC. Prior to creating this text file, it is recommended that you generate the XML file to view the currently set values and the permissible values for the BIOS and Cisco IMC parameters.

    Procedure
      Step 1   Open the Cisco UCS Configuration Utility.
      Step 2   View the configured values and the list of valid values for BIOS or Cisco IMC parameters.

      For BIOS:

      ucscfgx64 show xml /bios

      For Cisco IMC:

      ucscfgx64 show xml /cimc

      BIOS for C3260 servers:

      ucscfg_c3260 show xml /bios

      Cisco IMC for C3260 servers:

      ucscfg_c3260 show xml /cimc

      Step 3   Using this XML output file as a reference, create a text file with the options that you need to modify.
      While creating the text file, you must abide by the following guidelines:

      • The feature name must be followed by the name in the target-token field listed in the XML file.

      • To specify a value, always use the values mentioned in the <setting name> tag listed in the XML file

      For example, the following content in the XML file shows the currently set value and the possible values for the POST Error Pause parameter. The currently set value for this parameter is Enabled. 

      <BIOS vendor="Cisco" version="36-132" />
 <BIOS vendor="Cisco" >
 <feature name="Main" target-token="Main" >
   <parameter name="POST Error Pause" target-token="POSTErrorPause" >Enabled
     <Setting name="Disabled" value="0" type-hint="number" is-default="yes" />
           <Setting name="Enabled" value="1" type-hint="number" is-default="no" is-current="yes" />
                  </parameter>
 </feature>
      To disable this parameter, you must include the content underlined above from the XML file into the text file: 
      /bios/Main/POSTErrorPause Disabled
      Step 4   Apply the text files using the following commands:

      For BIOS:

      ucscfgx64 batch set bios.txt

      For Cisco IMC:

      ucscfgx64 batch set cimc.txt

      When you apply the text file, the utility first determines if the BIOS version of the server matches with the version mentioned in the text file. If the server versions do not match, an error message is displayed and the changes are not applied. Optionally, you can apply the parameter changes without checking the BIOS versions. To do so, run the following command:

      ucscfg batch -ignore set filename.txt

      Step 5   Reboot the server immediately to update the BIOS parameters with the new values.

      Additional Information

      Related Cisco UCS Documentation

      Documentation Roadmaps

      For a complete list of all B-Series documentation, see the Cisco UCS B-Series Servers Documentation Roadmap available at the following URL: http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​go/​unifiedcomputing/​b-series-doc.

      For a complete list of all C-Series documentation, see the Cisco UCS C-Series Servers Documentation Roadmap available at the following URL: http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​go/​unifiedcomputing/​c-series-doc.

      For information on supported firmware versions and supported UCS Manager versions for the rack servers that are integrated with the UCS Manager for management, refer to Release Bundle Contents for Cisco UCS Software.

      Other Documentation Resources

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      Documentation Feedback

      To provide technical feedback on this document, or to report an error or omission, please send your comments to ucs-docfeedback@cisco.com. We appreciate your feedback.

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