Cisco UCS Manager CLI Configuration Guide, Release 2.0
Managing Blade Servers
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Managing Blade Servers

This chapter includes the following sections:

Blade Server Management

You can manage and monitor all blade servers in a Cisco UCS domain through Cisco UCS Manager. Some blade server management tasks, such as changes to the power state, can be performed from the server and service profile.

The remaining management tasks can only be performed on the server.

If a blade server slot in a chassis is empty, Cisco UCS Manager provides information, errors, and faults for that slot. You can also reacknowledge the slot to resolve server mismatch errors and to have Cisco UCS Manager rediscover the blade server in the slot.

Guidelines for Removing and Decommissioning Blade Servers

Consider the following guidelines when deciding whether to remove or decommission a blade server using Cisco UCS Manager:

Decommissioning a Blade Server

Decommissioning is performed when a blade server is physically present and connected but you want to temporarily remove it from the configuration. Because it is expected that a decommissioned blade server will be eventually recommissioned, a portion of the server's information is retained by Cisco UCS Manager for future use.

Removing a Blade Server

Removing is performed when you physically remove a blade server from the server by disconnecting it from the chassis. You cannot remove a blade server from Cisco UCS Manager if it is physically present and connected to a chassis. Once the physical removal of the blade server is completed, the configuration for that blade server can be removed in Cisco UCS Manager.

During removal, active links to the blade server are disabled, all entries from databases are removed, and the server is automatically removed from any server pools that it was assigned to during discovery.


Note

Only those servers added to a server pool automatically during discovery will be removed automatically. Servers that have been manually added to a server pool have to be removed manually.

If you need to add a removed blade server back to the configuration, it must be reconnected and then rediscovered. When a server is reintroduced to Cisco UCS Manager it is treated like a new server and is subject to the deep discovery process. For this reason, it's possible that Cisco UCS Manager will assign the server a new ID that may be different from the ID that it held before.

Booting a Blade Server

Before You Begin

Associate a service profile with a blade server or server pool.

Procedure
     Command or ActionPurpose
    Step 1UCS-A# scope org org-name  

    Enters organization mode for the specified organization. To enter the root organization mode, type / as the org-name .

     
    Step 2UCS-A /org # scope service-profile profile-name  

    Enters organization service profile mode for the specified service profile.

     
    Step 3UCS-A /org/service-profile # power up  

    Boots the blade server associated with the service profile.

     
    Step 4UCS-A /org/service-profile # commit-buffer  

    Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

     

    The following example boots the blade server associated with the service profile named ServProf34 and commits the transaction:

    UCS-A# scope org /
UCS-A /org* # scope service-profile ServProf34
UCS-A /org/service-profile* # power up
UCS-A /org/service-profile* # commit-buffer
UCS-A /org/service-profile #

    Shutting Down a Blade Server

    When you use this procedure to shut down a server with an installed operating system, Cisco UCS Manager triggers the OS into a graceful shutdown sequence.

    Before You Begin

    Associate a service profile with a blade server or server pool.

    Procedure
       Command or ActionPurpose
      Step 1UCS-A# scope org org-name  

      Enters organization mode for the specified organization. To enter the root organization mode, type / as the org-name.

       
      Step 2UCS-A /org # scope service-profile profile-name  

      Enters organization service profile mode for the specified service profile.

       
      Step 3UCS-A /org/service-profile # power down  

      Shuts down the blade server associated with the service profile.

       
      Step 4UCS-A /org/service-profile # commit-buffer  

      Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

       

      The following example shuts down the blade server associated with the service profile named ServProf34 and commits the transaction:

      UCS-A# scope org /
UCS-A /org # scope service-profile ServProf34
UCS-A /org/service-profile # power down
UCS-A /org/service-profile* # commit-buffer
UCS-A /org/service-profile #

      Power Cycling a Blade Server

      Procedure
         Command or ActionPurpose
        Step 1UCS-A# scope server chassis-num / server-num  

        Enters chassis server mode for the specified blade server.

         
        Step 2UCS-A /chassis/server # cycle {cycle-immediate | cycle-wait}  

        Power cycles the blade server.

        Use the cycle-immediate keyword to immediately begin power cycling the blade server; use the cycle-wait keyword to schedule the power cycle to begin after all pending management operations have completed.

         
        Step 3UCS-A# commit-buffer  

        Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

         

        The following example immediately power cycles blade server 4 in chassis 2 and commits the transaction:

        UCS-A#  scope server 2/4
UCS-A /chassis/server # cycle cycle-immediate
UCS-A /chassis/server* # commit-buffer
UCS-A /chassis/server #

        Performing a Hard Reset on a Blade Server

        When you reset a server, Cisco UCS Manager sends a pulse on the reset line. You can choose to gracefully shut down the operating system. If the operating system does not support a graceful shut down, the server is power cycled. The option to have Cisco UCS Manager complete all management operations before it resets the server does not guarantee that these operations will be completed before the server is reset.


        Note

        If you are trying to boot a server from a power-down state, you should not use Reset.

        If you continue the power-up with this process, the desired power state of the servers will become out of sync with the actual power state and the servers may unexpectedly shut down at a later time. To safely reboot the selected servers from a power-down state, click Cancel then select the Boot Server action.

        Procedure
           Command or ActionPurpose
          Step 1UCS-A# scope server chassis-num / server-num  

          Enters chassis server mode for the specified server.

           
          Step 2UCS-A /chassis/server # reset {hard-reset-immediate | hard-reset-wait}  

          Performs a hard reset of the blade server.

          Use the hard-reset-immediate keyword to immediately begin hard resetting the server; use the hard-reset-wait keyword to schedule the hard reset to begin after all pending management operations have completed.

           
          Step 3UCS-A /server # commit-buffer  

          Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

           

          The following example performs an immediate hard reset of blade server 4 in chassis 2 and commits the transaction:

          UCS-A#  scope server 2/4
UCS-A /chassis/server # reset hard-reset-immediate
UCS-A /chassis/server* # commit-buffer
UCS-A /chassis/server #

          Avoiding Unexpected Server Power Changes

          If a server is not associated with a service profile, you can use any available means to change the server power state, including the physical Power or Reset buttons on the server.

          If a server is associated with, or assigned to, a service profile, you should only use the following methods to change the server power state:

          • In Cisco UCS Manager GUI, go to the General tab for the server or the service profile associated with the server and select Boot Server or Shutdown Server from the Actions area.
          • In Cisco UCS Manager CLI, scope to the server or the service profile associated with the server and use the power up or power down commands.
          Important:

          Do not use any of the following options on an associated server that is currently powered off:

          • Reset in the GUI
          • cycle cycle-immediate or reset hard-reset-immediate in the CLI
          • The physical Power or Reset buttons on the server

          If you reset, cycle, or use the physical power buttons on a server that is currently powered off, the server's actual power state may become out of sync with the desired power state setting in the service profile. If the communication between the server and Cisco UCS Manager is disrupted or if the service profile configuration changes, Cisco UCS Manager may apply the desired power state from the service profile to the server, causing an unexpected power change.

          In Cisco UCS release 2.0.1, power synchronization issues can lead to unexpected server shut downs or restarts as shown below:

          Desired Power State in Service Profile

          Current Server Power State

          Server Power State After Communication Is Disrupted

          Up

          Powered Off

          Powered On

          Down

          Powered On

          Powered Off

          Starting in Cisco UCS release 2.0.2, power synchronization issues can lead to an unexpected server restart, as shown below:

          Desired Power State in Service Profile

          Current Server Power State

          Server Power State After Communication Is Disrupted

          Up

          Powered Off

          Powered On

          Down

          Powered On

          Powered On

          Note   

          Running servers are not shut down regardless of the desired power state in the service profile.

          Acknowledging a Blade Server

          Perform the following procedure if you need to have Cisco UCS Manager rediscover the server and all endpoints in the server. For example, you can use this procedure if a server is stuck in an unexpected state, such as the discovery state.

          Procedure
             Command or ActionPurpose
            Step 1UCS-A# acknowledge server chassis-num / server-num  

            Acknowledges the specified blade server.

             
            Step 2UCS-A# commit-buffer  

            Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

             

            The following example acknowledges server 4 in chassis 2 and commits the transaction:

            UCS-A#  acknowledge server 2/4
UCS-A* # commit-buffer
UCS-A #

            Removing a Blade Server from a Chassis

            Before You Begin

            Physically remove the server from its chassis before performing the following procedure.

            Procedure
               Command or ActionPurpose
              Step 1UCS-A# remove server chassis-num / server-num  

              Removes the specified blade server.

               
              Step 2UCS-A# commit-buffer  

              Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

               

              The following example removes blade server 4 in chassis 2 and commits the transaction:

              UCS-A#  remove server 2/4
UCS-A* # commit-buffer
UCS-A #
              What to Do Next

              If you physically re-install the blade server, you must re-acknowledge the slot to have Cisco UCS Manager rediscover the server.

              For more information, see Acknowledging a Blade Server.

              Decommissioning a Blade Server

              Procedure
                 Command or ActionPurpose
                Step 1UCS-A# decommission server chassis-num / server-num  

                Decommissions the specified blade server.

                 
                Step 2UCS-A# commit-buffer  

                Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

                 

                The following example decommissions blade server 4 in chassis 2 and commits the transaction:

                UCS-A# decommission server 2/4
UCS-A* # commit-buffer
UCS-A #

                Turning On the Locator LED for a Blade Server

                Procedure
                   Command or ActionPurpose
                  Step 1UCS-A# scope server chassis-num / server-num  

                  Enters chassis server mode for the specified chassis.

                   
                  Step 2UCS-A /chassis/server # enable locator-led  

                  Turns on the blade server locator LED.

                   
                  Step 3UCS-A /chassis/server # commit-buffer  

                  Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

                   

                  The following example turns on the locator LED for blade server 4 in chassis 2 and commits the transaction:

                  UCS-A# scope server 2/4
UCS-A /chassis/server # enable  locator-led
UCS-A /chassis/server* # commit-buffer
UCS-A /chassis/server #

                  Turning Off the Locator LED for a Blade Server

                  Procedure
                     Command or ActionPurpose
                    Step 1UCS-A# scope server chassis-num / server-num  

                    Enters chassis mode for the specified chassis.

                     
                    Step 2UCS-A /chassis/server # disable locator-led  

                    Turns off the blade server locator LED.

                     
                    Step 3UCS-A /chassis/server # commit-buffer  

                    Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

                     

                    The following example turns off the locator LED for blade server 4 in chassis 2 and commits the transaction:

                    UCS-A# scope chassis 2/4
UCS-A /chassis/server # disable  locator-led
UCS-A /chassis/server* # commit-buffer
UCS-A /chassis/server #

                    Resetting the CMOS for a Blade Server

                    On rare occasions, troubleshooting a server may require you to reset the CMOS. This procedure is not part of the normal maintenance of a server.

                    Procedure
                       Command or ActionPurpose
                      Step 1UCS-A# scope server chassis-num / server-num  

                      Enters chassis server mode for the specified chassis.

                       
                      Step 2UCS-A /chassis/server # reset-cmos  

                      Resets the CMOS for the blade server.

                       
                      Step 3UCS-A /chassis/server # commit-buffer  

                      Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

                       

                      The following example resets the CMOS for blade server 4 in chassis 2 and commits the transaction:

                      UCS-A# scope server 2/4
UCS-A /chassis/server # reset-cmos
UCS-A /chassis/server* # commit-buffer
UCS-A /chassis/server #

                      Resetting the CIMC for a Blade Server

                      On rare occasions, such as an issue with the current running firmware, troubleshooting a server may require you to reset the CIMC. This procedure is not part of the normal maintenance of a server. After you reset the CIMC, the server boots with the running version of the firmware for that server.

                      If the CIMC is reset, the power monitoring functions of Cisco UCS become briefly unavailable for as long as it takes for the CIMC to reboot. While this usually only takes 20 seconds, there is a possibility that the peak power cap could be exceeded during that time. To avoid exceeding the configured power cap in a very low power-capped environment, consider staggering the rebooting or activation of CIMCs.

                      Procedure
                         Command or ActionPurpose
                        Step 1UCS-A# scope server chassis-num / server-num  

                        Enters chassis server mode for the specified chassis.

                         
                        Step 2UCS-A /chassis/server # scope CIMC  

                        Enters chassis server CIMC mode

                         
                        Step 3UCS-A /chassis/server/CIMC # reset  

                        Resets the CIMC for the blade server.

                         
                        Step 4UCS-A /chassis/server/CIMC # commit-buffer  

                        Commits the transaction to the system configuration.

                         

                        The following example resets the CIMC for blade server 4 in chassis 2 and commits the transaction:

                        UCS-A# scope server 2/4
UCS-A /chassis/server # scope CIMC
UCS-A /chassis/server/cimc # reset
UCS-A /chassis/server/cimc* # commit-buffer
UCS-A /chassis/server/cimc #

                        Recovering the Corrupt BIOS on a Blade Server

                        On rare occasions, an issue with a blade server may require you to recover the corrupted BIOS. This procedure is not part of the normal maintenance of a server. After you recover the BIOS, the blade server boots with the running version of the firmware for that server.

                        Before You Begin
                        Important:

                        Remove all attached or mapped USB storage from a server before you attempt to recover the corrupt BIOS on that server. If an external USB drive is attached or mapped from vMedia to the server, BIOS recovery fails.

                        Procedure
                           Command or ActionPurpose
                          Step 1UCS-A# scope server chassis-id / server-id  

                          Enters chassis server mode for the specified blade server in the specified chassis.

                           
                          Step 2UCS-A /chassis/server # recover-bios version ignorecompcheck  

                          Loads and activates the specified BIOS version.

                          To activate the firmware without making sure that it is compatible first, include the ignorecompcheck keyword. We recommend that you use this option only when explicitly directed to do so by a technical support representative.

                           
                          Step 3UCS-A /chassis/server # commit-buffer  

                          Commits the transaction.

                           

                          The following example shows how to recover the BIOS:

                          UCS-A# scope server 1/7
UCS-A /chassis/server # recover-bios S5500.0044.0.3.1.010620101125
UCS-A /chassis/server* # commit-buffer
UCS-A /chassis/server #

                          Issuing an NMI from a Blade Server

                          Perform the following procedure if the system remains unresponsive and you need Cisco UCS Manager to issue a Non Maskable Interrupt (NMI) to the BIOS or operating system from the CIMC. This action creates a core dump or stack trace, depending on the operating system installed on the server.

                          Procedure
                             Command or ActionPurpose
                            Step 1 UCS-A# scope server [chassis-num/server-num|dynamic-uuid] 

                            Enters server mode for the specified server.

                             
                            Step 2UCS-A /chassis/server # diagnostic-interrupt   
                            Step 3 UCS-A /chassis/server* # commit-buffer 

                            Commits any pending transactions.

                             

                            The following example sends an NMI from server 4 in chassis 2 and commits the transaction:

                            UCS-A# scope server 2/4
UCS-A /chassis/server # diagnostic-interrupt
UCS-A /chassis/server* # commit-buffer
UCS-A /chassis/server #