Getting Started Guide for Cisco UCS E-Series Servers, Release 1.0
Accessing CIMC
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Accessing CIMC

This chapter includes the following sections:

CIMC Overview

The Cisco Integrated Management Controller (CIMC) is the management service for the E-Series Servers. CIMC runs within the server. You can use a web-based GUI or the SSH-based CLI to access, configure, administer, and monitor the server.

You can use CIMC to perform the following server management tasks:

  • Power on, power off, power cycle, reset and shut down the server
  • Configure the server boot order
  • Manage RAID levels
  • View server properties and sensors
  • Manage remote presence
  • Create and manage local user accounts, and enable remote user authentication through the Active Directory
  • Configure network-related settings, including NIC properties, IPv4, VLANs, and network security
  • Configure communication services, including HTTP, SSH, IPMI Over LAN, and SNMP
  • Manage certificates
  • Configure platform event filters
  • Update CIMC firmware
  • Update BIOS firmware
  • Install the host image from an internal repository
  • Monitor faults, alarms, and server status
  • Collect technical support data in the event of server failure

Almost all tasks can be performed in either the GUI interface or CLI interface, and the results of tasks performed in one interface are displayed in another. However, you cannot do the following:

  • Cannot use the CIMC GUI to invoke the CIMC CLI
  • Cannot view a command that has been invoked through CIMC CLI in the CIMC GUI
  • Cannot generate CIMC CLI output from the CIMC GUI

CIMC GUI

The CIMC GUI is a web-based management interface for E-Series Servers. You can launch the CIMC GUI and manage the server from any remote host that meets the following minimum requirements:

  • Java 1.6 or later
  • HTTP and HTTPS enabled
  • Adobe Flash Player 10 or later

CIMC CLI

The CIMC CLI is a command-line management interface for E-Series Servers. You can launch the CIMC CLI in the following ways:
  • By the serial port.
  • Over the network by SSH.
  • From the router by using the ucse slot session imc command.

A CLI user can have one of the three roles: admin, user (can control but cannot configure), and read-only.

Logging Into the CIMC GUI

Before You Begin
  • Make sure that you have configured the IP address to access CIMC.
  • If not installed, install Adobe Flash Player 10 or later on your local machine.
Procedure
    Step 1   In your web browser, enter the IP address that you configured to access CIMC during initial setup.
    Step 2   If a security dialog box displays, do the following:
    1. Optional: Check the check box to accept all content from Cisco.
    2. Click Yes to accept the certificate and continue.
    Step 3   In the log in window, enter your username and password.
    Tip   

    When logging in for the first time to an unconfigured system, use admin as the username and password as the password.

    Step 4   Click Log In.

    The Change Password dialog box appears.

    Note   

    The Change Password dialog box only appears the first time you log into CIMC. It does not appear for subsequent reboots.

    Step 5   In the New Password field, enter your new password.
    Step 6   In the Confirm Password field, enter the password again to confirm it.
    Step 7   Click Save Changes.

    The Server Summary page appears, which is the CIMC home page. See CIMC Home Page..

    CIMC Home Page

    The following figure shows the CIMC home page.

    Accessing the Microsoft Windows Server from CIMC

    Use this procedure to access the Microsoft Windows Server from CIMC.

    Before You Begin
    • CIMC IP address is configured for CIMC access.
    • Microsoft Windows Server is installed on the E-Series Server.
    Procedure
      Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Server tab.
      Step 2   On the Server tab, click Summary.
      Step 3   From the Actions area of the Server Summary page, click the Launch KVM Console icon.

      The KVM Console opens in a separate window.

      Step 4   From the KVM console, access the installed Microsoft Windows Server operating system.

      Accessing the VMware vSphere Hypervisor from CIMC

      Use this procedure to access the VMware vSphere Hypervisor from CIMC.

      Before You Begin
      • CIMC IP address is configured for CIMC access.
      • VMware vSphere Hypervisor is installed on the E-Series Server.
      Procedure
        Step 1   In the Navigation pane, click the Server tab.
        Step 2   On the Server tab, click Summary.
        Step 3   From the Actions area of the Server Summary page, click the Launch KVM Console icon.

        The KVM Console opens in a separate window.

        Step 4   From the KVM console, click the KVM tab.

        The VMware vSphere Hypervisor™ Direct Console User Interface (DCUI) appears. If VMware vSphere Hypervisor™ has assigned an IP address to the host, then that IP address is displayed on the DCUI page, or you can specify a static IP address. See Assigning a Static IP Address to VMware vSphere Hypervisor™.

        Step 5   Make sure that you have installed vSphere Client. If not, install it. See Downloading and Installing the vSphere Client.
        Step 6   From the vSphere Client, log into the VMware vSphere Hypervisor™.

        To log in, use either the IP address that is assigned by VMware vSphere Hypervisor™ or the static IP address that you specified in Step 4.

        Note   

        The default username for the preinstalled VMware vSphere Hypervisor™ is root, which cannot be changed and the default password is password. After you login, we recommend that you change the password.

        What to Do Next

        Do one of the following as appropriate:

        • If you purchased E-Series Server Option 2 (E-Series Server with preinstalled Microsoft Windows Server) or Option 3 (E-Series Server with preinstalled VMware vSphere Hypervisor™), use the CIMC GUI or CIMC CLI to manage and monitor the server. See the GUI Configuration Guide for Cisco UCS E-Series Server Integrated Management Controller or the CLI Configuration Guide for Cisco UCS E-Series Server Integrated Management Controller.
        • If you purchased E-Series Server Option 1 (E-Series Server without preinstalled operating system or hypervisor), configure RAID. See Managing RAID.